White Sox: Who Will Be The Next Ace on The South Side?

Rodon was selected third overall in the 2014 MLB draft out of North Carolina State. The left-handed pitcher was expected to get to the majors quickly and he did just that. Rodon made his MLB debut in 2015 and hasn’t looked back since. Over three major league seasons, Rodon has compiled a 20-21 record with a 4.15 ERA.

The 24-year-old has shown flashes of ace potential, but recently he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Before the start of the 2017 season, Rodon was placed on the disabled list after just making one start in Spring Training. The Sox put Rodon on the 60-day disabled list to start 2017 with left biceps bursitis.

Rodon wouldn’t make his first start of the season until June 28 against the New York Yankees. While Rodon got a late start to his 2017 campaign, he would have quality starts for the Sox in July and August. In fact, Rodon pitched four consecutive quality starts in August for the Sox. His best start of the season came on Aug. 4 against Boston. In that game, Rodon pitched eight innings while allowing just two earned runs and recording 11 strikeouts with no walks.

Although Rodon had a solid August, he couldn’t finish his season healthy as he was again placed on the disabled list in September. Rodon would end 2017 injured with left shoulder inflammation. For the year, Rodon finished 2017 with a 2-5 record and 4.15 ERA. Certainly disappointing for a pitcher that didn’t pitch the first two months of the season.

If Rodon is ever going to become the next ace of the Sox, he will not only need to remain healthy but he will need to be consistent on the mound. While Rodon had a strong month of August, he struggled in his first full month of the season in July. Rodon pitched just two outings of six innings or more in July. Rodon had a strange outing against the Cubs on July 25 where he recorded 11 strikeouts but didn’t last more than four innings.

Rodon has a lot of potential to be an ace for the Sox, but he hasn’t put it all together yet. He’s also in danger of missing the start of another season in 2018. With the Sox having plenty of pitching depth in the minors, Rodon could see himself as the team’s third or fourth pitcher in the rotation in a few years. In order for Rodon to realize his potential, he will need a dominant season on the mound soon.

Giolito was once a highly-touted  prospect in baseball when he was in the Washington Nationals organization. After being a part of the trade that sent Adam Eaton to the Nationals, Giolito struggled in his first few months with Triple-A Charlotte.

Despite pitching a seven-inning no-hitter with the Knights, Giolito had trouble maintaining consistency on the mound to start the 2017 season. The 23-year-old pitcher didn’t post consecutive quality starts until June. By July, Giolito’s ERA was at 5.40 to start that month and it looked like he might not get promoted to the Sox until September.

However, Giolito would turn his 2017 campaign around as he recorded five quality starts in his final eight outings with Charlotte. Giolito would get promoted to the Sox in late August and made his South Side debut on Aug. 22. Although he gave up three home runs to the Twins in his Sox debut, Giolito would finish his first season with the team in impressive fashion.

Giolito finished 2017 with three consecutive quality starts and didn’t give more than three earned runs in any outing after Aug. 22. The 2012 first round draft pick showcased his dominance on the mound for the Sox with solid starts. Giolito didn’t miss many bats however, as he only had one start where he recorded double-digit strikeouts. He posted 10 strikeouts against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sept. 3.

If Giolito is going to become the next Sox ace, he will have to do a better job of recording more strikeouts. Giolito finished his first season with the Sox with a 3-3 record, 2.38 ERA and 34 strikeouts in seven games. While in Triple-A, Giolito only had two outings with double-digit strikeouts. With his first full MLB season coming up in 2018, Giolito still has plenty of room to develop into a potential ace for the Sox.

Kopech was part of the return the Sox got from Boston for Chris Sale last offseason. After a solid 2017 with Double-A Birmingham, Kopech was promoted to Triple-A to finish this past season. The 21-year-old had a good finish to his first year in the Sox organization, and is close to pitching in the major leagues in 2018.

The Sox top pitching prospect showed he could handle starting a full season as he dominated in Double-A through 2017. With the Barons, Kopech compiled an 8-7 record with a 2.87 ERA in 22 starts. In his final six starts for Birmingham, Kopech not only recorded a quality start in each outing, he also had double-digit strikeouts in three of those starts.

Kopech only made three starts for Charlotte after he was promoted, and didn’t last longer than five innings in any of those outings. The 2014 first round draft pick didn’t give up more than two earned runs in any of his three starts with the Knights, and recorded seven strikeouts in his final outing of the season for Charlotte.

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In order for Kopech to become the next ace of the Sox, he will need more time to develop in the minors along with pitching more innings. Kopech pitched a career-high 134.1 innings this past season. He could exceed that total next year, but once he’s in the major leagues, he will need to pitch 200 innings or more per season at the top of the rotation. Kopech has a lot of potential and it will be interesting to see when he’s promoted to the Sox in 2018. The Sox have been patient in promoting their top prospects, and Kopech won’t be making his major league debut until he proves he’s ready.