Chicago White Sox reliever Jordan Hicks has turned himself into one of the postseason’s quieter problems for opposing hitters.
While Hagen Smith and Grant Taylor have grabbed plenty of attention, Hicks has been doing his work in the shadows and doing it well. The 30-year-old right-hander has been steady in every one of his first three playoff appearances, allowing no hits and no runs over four innings. He has walked just one batter, struck out six, and posted a sharp 0.25 WHIP.
Against the Houston Astros, Hicks was especially efficient. He faced 10 hitters across 3 and 1/3 innings and retired every one of them, getting through the stretch on just 38 pitches.
That run carried right into Game 1 of the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. Hicks worked 2/3 of an inning in the fourth, striking out Jo Adell and Angel Martínez before issuing a walk to Nathaniel Lowe.
His postseason surge has been tied to the mechanical tweak he made in June, when he raised his arm slot. Since then, Hicks has looked like a different late-inning weapon. Over 18 appearances after the adjustment, he posted a 1.17 ERA and a 38.7% strikeout rate, and that sharp form has followed him into October.
He was on the spot in the wild-card series, too. In Game 1 against Houston, Hicks earned the win after throwing 17 pitches across 1 and 1/3 scoreless innings with one strikeout. The next night, he came back with another clean outing, retiring all six batters he faced over two innings while striking out three on 21 pitches.
The velocity is back, and it’s making everything play up. Hicks has averaged 100.1 mph with his four-seam fastball and sinker in the postseason, and he has reached triple digits on 15 pitches during the wild-card round.
In Other News...
White Sox Booth Suddenly Faces Real Uncertainty Beyond This Postseason
The White Sox have a little more than a postseason run to worry about when it comes to the broadcast booth. John Schriffens contract has expired, and there have been no recent renewal talks, leaving the clubs play-by-play chair in an unexpectedly unsettled spot as Chicago tries to keep its attention on October baseball.
Mike McCarthy and CHSN are reportedly exploring potential replacements, which adds another layer of uncertainty to a setup that had seemed stable enough heading into the stretch run. The team has stayed quiet beyond saying its focus remains on the postseason, but the situation suggests the booth could look very different once this run is over. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Are Betting Game 2 On A Risky Pitching Formula
The White Sox are sticking with the kind of pitching plan that can make a postseason series feel like it is being managed on a knifes edge. For Game 2 of the American League Division Series, left-hander Anthony Kay is set to open ahead of right-hander Sean Burke, a setup that manager Will Venable has already confirmed as part of Chicagos approach.
It is the sort of decision that keeps every inning tied to the next one, especially with other arms such as Grant Taylor and Hagen Smith available if needed in shorter bursts. Burke, who had a strong regular season and is now coming off his first postseason start, said he is prepared to help in whatever role the White Sox need as they try to keep the series moving their way. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Fans Have One Prospect Worth Watching Closely Sunday
The Arizona Fall League has become a familiar late-season stop for evaluators looking to get one more read on some of the games better young talent, and Sundays slate has plenty of names worth tracking across Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria, Mesa, Salt River and Surprise. For White Sox fans, the most relevant watch point is Caleb Bonemer, who is part of a group that also includes prospects such as Zyhir Hope, Nathan Flewelling, Chase Harlan, Ike Irish, Arjun Nimmala, Dax Kilby, Demetrio Crisantes, Sebastian Walcott, Aidan Miller and Angeibel Gomez.
With games streaming on MLB.com and MLB.TV, the setup offers an easy chance to check in on how these prospects are handling another level of competition, especially on a day when rankings and recent achievements are likely to be a big part of the conversation. The White Sox do not have the deepest AFL footprint in the spotlight, but Bonemer gives their followers one player to keep close tabs on while the rest of the leagues top young names fill out the board around him. [Read more 🡒]