The Chicago White Sox have become one of baseball’s biggest surprises, and one familiar name from the Toronto Blue Jays’ recent past is helping keep that run going.
Jordan Hicks, who once worked out of Toronto’s bullpen, is in the middle of a quiet rebound season with the White Sox in 2026. Chicago sits atop the American League Central at 52-46 and has won five of its last six games, and Hicks has been part of the steadying force behind that push.
After a rough 2025 split between the San Francisco Giants and Boston Red Sox, when he went 2-7 with a 6.95 ERA, Hicks has looked far more like himself this year. The 6-foot-2 right-hander owns a 3.71 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 29 appearances for Chicago, numbers that have made him a dependable piece in the bullpen.
The strongest sign of progress has come recently. Hicks did not allow an earned run in three June outings and has still not given one up in seven appearances so far in July. That kind of stretch has made him especially reliable as the White Sox continue trying to prove people wrong and stay in the playoff race.
For Hicks, the turnaround matters after last season’s struggles. For Chicago, it’s another reason this team has been able to keep climbing.
His path to this point has included a notable stop in Toronto. The Blue Jays acquired Hicks from the St.
Louis Cardinals during the 2023 season in a deal that sent Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse to St. Louis.
At the time of the trade, Hicks had posted a 3.67 ERA in 40 games for the Cardinals.
He gave Toronto solid work after the move, making 25 appearances with a 2-3 record, a 2.63 ERA and 22 strikeouts. That brief stint was enough to make him a useful deadline addition for the Blue Jays before he left in free agency the following offseason, signing a four-year, $44 million contract with the Giants.
Now, after uneven stretches with San Francisco and Boston, Hicks is back on track in Chicago. If this version sticks, it could mean a lot for both the White Sox and for a pitcher looking to keep his resurgence rolling.
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