The Chicago White Sox have spent much of the season leaning on a bullpen that looked like one of the club’s biggest strengths. Now, with the AL Central race tightening against the Cleveland Guardians, that same unit may be the thing standing between Chicago and a real October push.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield put the issue bluntly: "Chicago White Sox. Fatal flaw: Bullpen is out of gas (see Cleveland series)," Schoenfield writes. "The White Sox are running on fumes."
That warning lands because the bullpen has been asked to carry too much for too long. Chicago’s starting rotation has been shaky all year, and the second half has only made the problem worse. Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Anthony Kay, Erick Fedde, David Sandlin, and Luis Castillo have all turned in underwhelming, if not terrible, second halves, leaving the relief corps to cover the gaps and keep the season alive.
The workload shows it. The White Sox bullpen has logged the most innings in baseball, a direct result of the rotation’s inconsistency.
Bryan Hudson has posted a 2.77 ERA in 65 innings. Grant Taylor has a 2.34 ERA in 80.2 innings.
Sean Newcomb owns a 2.95 ERA in 85.1 innings. Jordan Hicks has a 4.17 ERA in 45.1 innings.
Trevor Richards has a 3.60 ERA in 70 innings.
Those five have also led the way in appearances, but the raw volume only tells part of the story. Taylor, Newcomb, and Richards have all been used for multiple innings at a time, which has pushed the strain even higher than the usual reliever workload.
For much of the year, Chicago’s bullpen has been among the best in MLB. But with the group now worn down, there are real questions about whether it can stay sharp enough to help the White Sox lock up a postseason spot - and whether it can hold up if they get there.
In Other News...
White Sox Just Suffered The Kind Of Loss Fans Dread Most
For a night that started with a jolt of free offense, the White Sox ended up walking away with the kind of loss that lingers. They jumped on the Tigers for six unearned runs in the first inning and looked to be in full control, only for Detroit to answer with nine straight and turn an easy-looking game into an 11-8 defeat.
Kevin McGonigles triple helped fuel the comeback, but the other turning point was harder to ignore for Chicago. Center fielder Tristan Peters left with an injury, and from there the White Sox never fully steadied themselves, leaving a frustrating result that trimmed their division margin and kept the Wild Card cushion thin. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Let A Brutal Collapse Shake Up The AL Central Race
The White Sox had built what looked like a comfortable cushion behind Miguel Vargass two-run homer and an 8-2 lead, only to watch Detroit chip away and then completely flip the night. Hao-Yu Lee tied it with a home run, and the Tigers kept applying pressure until they had scored nine unanswered runs in an 11-8 win that suddenly made the four-game series feel a lot more precarious for Chicago.
The most damaging stretch came in the eighth, when Detroit put up five runs and finished the rally with a go-ahead run after a pickoff by Bryan Hudson. What had been a lopsided White Sox advantage turned into another reminder of how quickly a game can change in the AL Central, and now Chicago has to regroup after letting one slip away in a way that could linger beyond just one loss. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox May Have A Sean Burke Decision Taking Shape
A young pitchers strong season can change the conversation quickly, and Sean Burke has put himself into that category for the White Sox. Washingtons reported move toward extending Cade Cavalli only adds another point of comparison for Chicago, where Burkes performance this year has looked similar enough to invite a broader look at how the organization handles its emerging arms.
The White Sox have made clear their present extension focus is elsewhere, but that may not stay true for long if Burke keeps trending the way he has. For a club trying to sort out its next core, the idea of locking in young pitching later could become a more realistic and more important part of the roster plan. [Read more 🡒]