The White Sox can talk all they want about their bats going quiet at the worst possible moment. That’s real, and it mattered. But if they’re trying to judge this offseason by what actually has to change, offense isn’t the first place to look.
The biggest issue sits on the other side of the ball.
If the Sox want to call the winter a success, they need to fix starting pitching - or at least make a real dent in it. In 2026, that remains their clearest weakness, and the numbers from this past season make the case loudly.
White Sox pitchers who started or opened games logged just 674.2 innings, the fewest in MLB by a wide margin. Even with bulk innings from relievers, that kind of workload puts a serious strain on the bullpen.
There are ways to address it. The Sox can go shopping in free agency and try to land one or two arms.
They also have internal options they can consider elevating. But pretending the current setup is good enough would be a mistake, and a costly one at that.
If they need proof, they don’t have to look far. The four teams still alive in the LCS offer a pretty clear blueprint.
Even in an era where pitching usage keeps evolving, there’s still a premium on starters who can get you through five or six innings. And if a team has enough of those guys, it gives itself a real shot to get to the doorstep of the World Series.
Every one of the four teams left standing had at least four starters who threw 100 innings or more. The Sox, with Erick Fedde bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen, had only three pitchers reach that mark: Sean Burke, Anthony Kay and Davis Martin.
The gap shows up in the run-prevention numbers, too. Three of the four surviving teams ranked among MLB’s top three in starting-pitching WHIP, sitting between 1.08 and 1.14. White Sox starters finished 25th at 1.34.
And while wins don’t carry the same meaning they used to, they still tell part of the story. All four teams still playing ranked in the top 10 in starting-pitching wins. The Sox were 25th there as well, with 39.
So unless Will Venable makes it clear to Chris Getz that he wants to keep rolling with the constant opener model, the Sox are going to need more arms if they want to get closer to a pennant. If they do that, then the offseason starts to look like a win - as long as the new starters hold up and don’t fade like Luis Castillo.
In Other News...
White Sox Face A Risky Murakami Decision This Winter
Munetaka Murakamis first season with the White Sox gave the club plenty to dream on, and plenty to think about. The rookie was named an All-Star and looked the part of a middle-of-the-order cornerstone at times, which is exactly why his situation has become one of the more important winter storylines for a team trying to build something sustainable.
Now the front office has to decide whether to commit to him with a major extension or entertain trade talks before the window gets any more complicated. Murakamis late-season downturn, including a quieter finish in both the second half and the playoffs, has only sharpened the stakes, leaving Chicago to weigh upside against risk as the offseason begins. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Biggest Bats Vanished When This Guardians Series Turned Ugly
The White Sox spent a season rewriting expectations, turning the kind of summer that had too often ended in disappointment into a playoff run as a Wild Card team. They even got through the first round by knocking out the Astros, a notable step for a club that had spent recent years trying to climb back toward relevance. But once the American League Division Series shifted to Cleveland, the offense that had carried so much of the regular season never quite matched the moment.
Chicagos power core never really found its footing when the games tightened up, and that mattered against a Guardians team built to punish any lapse. Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery had been the lineups big bats during the regular season, but October asked for more than reputation and resumes. The Sox can point to the progress they made overall, but the series also left them with a familiar postseason question: when the spotlight got brightest, who in the middle of the order was going to break through? [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Prospects Are Already Forcing Early Questions About The System
The White Sox have plenty of reason to watch the Glendale Desert Dogs closely this fall, with nine prospects in the Arizona Fall League getting an early chance to show where the system stands. The group has already been part of a rocky start for Glendale, but the action has also offered a useful first look at how Chicagos younger players are handling higher-level competition, with both position players and pitchers getting meaningful run.
Among the names drawing attention are Caleb Bonemer and Colby Shelton, who have helped the offense in key spots and given the White Sox a little more to track as the AFL schedule unfolds. Glendale finally broke through for its first win after a string of losses, and for Chicago, the broader takeaway is less about the standings than about which prospects are beginning to shape the conversation around the organizations depth. [Read more 🡒]