The White Sox have spent most of 2026 rewriting the script. They came into the season buried near the bottom, and now they’re still hanging on to first place in the American League Central as August comes to a close. But the margin is thin - just 2.5 games over the Cleveland Guardians - and that makes every weakness a little more dangerous.
The one that keeps popping up is the rotation.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report pointed to Chicago’s starting pitching as the club’s biggest “red flag,” and the Luis Castillo addition hasn’t changed that picture the way the White Sox hoped it would. In Miller’s words: "Chicago White Sox: Not Enough Starting Pitching," Miller writes.
"The White Sox keep holding steady atop this division and are extremely likely to make the postseason. But this simply is not an October-caliber starting rotation."
Sean Burke has given Chicago a 3.27 ERA, but whether that holds up in a postseason setting is still an open question. Beyond him, the options get shaky in a hurry.
Castillo was supposed to be the headline fix, but he’s struggled badly since arriving. In four starts for the White Sox, he owns a 5.89 ERA and has posted -0.2 bWAR on the season with Chicago, making him a net negative so far.
Davis Martin is hurt and has a 4.32 ERA. Anthony Kay sits at 4.09, and while there’s at least some belief he could be useful in October, the trust level isn’t exactly high.
Jose Urquidy has a 5.68 ERA and is currently working as the No. 4 starter. Erick Fedde also looks like a tough sell for the postseason, even with a 4.18 ERA this year, after a 5.49 ERA a season ago.
That leaves the White Sox with a clear problem at the worst possible time. If nobody catches fire before the postseason begins, Chicago may find it hard to survive a series with this starting staff.
In Other News...
White Sox Lose Trade Deadline Arm At A Brutal Time
Huascar Brazobans arrival gave the White Sox a useful late-inning arm for the stretch run, but that option is on hold after the club placed the reliever on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain. The move comes at an inconvenient time for a bullpen that was already trying to manage workload down the final month, and it forced Chicago to turn to Triple-A Charlotte for reinforcements.
Jonathan Cannon was recalled to fill Brazobans roster spot, while Andrew Benintendi was also moved to the bereavement/family medical emergency list. Rikuu Nishida came up from Charlotte as part of the shuffle, leaving the White Sox to patch together the roster while they wait for Brazoban to return and sort out how long they will be without another regular piece. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Thorpe's Return Could Force A White Sox Rotation Shakeup
The White Sox have spent much of the season trying to piece together reliable starts, and the rotation has rarely given them the same look for long. Drew Thorpes rehab from Tommy John surgery has become one of the more encouraging developments on that front, with his minor league work suggesting he is close to being an option again as September roster expansions arrive.
Jos Urquidys recent rough outing has only sharpened the questions about who stays in the mix, and Thorpes return could create a ripple effect beyond one spot in the rotation. If he is brought back into that group, Davis Martin could be pushed to the bullpen, leaving the White Sox with a decision that reflects both their present struggles and the chance to reset part of the staff down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Suddenly Have An October Rotation Debate Fans Can't Ignore
Sean Burke has quickly worked his way into the conversation as the White Sox pitcher who looks most trustworthy when the games start to matter, and that matters now more than it did a few weeks ago. The rotation picture has been shifting enough that the club is no longer just sorting through innings for the sake of finishing the season, but weighing who would give them the best chance if they had to line up starters for a postseason series.
Behind Burke, the rest of the hierarchy is far less settled, with Anthony Kay, Luis Castillo, Erick Fedde and Davis Martin all part of the discussion based on recent form, experience and health. It is the kind of debate a team would rather have than not, but it also underlines how much the White Sox still have to balance reliability against upside when they think about who they would trust on the biggest stage. [Read more 🡒]