The Chicago White Sox has a lot of very nice pitchers. Their starting rotation of Lance Lynn, Carlos Rodon, Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, and Dallas Keuchel did their job quite well in 2021. The only one who struggled for a large portion of time is Keuchel. Keuchel is also a World Series champion former Cy Young winner so they might allow him to try and bounce back.
A lot of people wonder who the ace of the staff is. Cease, Giolito, Lynn, and Rodon all had stretches where they looked like the ace in 2021. They even have Michael Kopech who has ace stuff in his arm and very well could be one day.
However, Giolito is the clear ace of the staff. He is the team’s best starting pitcher right now. Of course, it will be interesting to see what Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet become but Giolito is that guy right now. He has been one of the best pitchers in the American League since his breakout season in 2019.
Giolito was off to a slow start in 2021. It took him a minute to adjust to this season following a very good 2020 year. He also wasn’t at his best in the postseason but he also wasn’t awful like pretty much everyone else. When the biggest moments are presented, right now, Giolito is the best option.
Lucas Giolito is a great option to be the Chicago White Sox ace going forward.
This is a guy who might have the best changeup in Major League Baseball. When he mixes that with his breaking stuff and fastball, he is very hard to hit. He has the stuff to be amongst the league leaders in strikeouts each season. He was right near the top again in 2021 and only trailed Dylan Cease on the White Sox.
We mentioned Kopech and Crochet as potential aces one day. Rodon was ace-like in 2021 but he might not be back in 2022 as he is a free agent. He is also someone who normally deals with lots of injuries so it will be interesting to see where his career goes from here.
Lynn is an ace in his own right after how he has pitched so far in his carer but calling him their number two going forward is probably the right move. The Houston Astros have his number for whatever reason and they were the team that eliminated the White Sox in 2021. Going forward, the Sox need Lynn just as much as Giolito in whatever role they have for him.
Cease is in a similar boat as Lynn expect much younger. He had ace-level stuff in 2021 but he needs to show it over a larger body of work. Next year is big for him as he looks to take the next step. Having someone like Giolito there ahead of him should really help him.
Yes, Giolito is the ace. However, it is really good news that the White Sox has a lot of great pitchers there to make it an argument. We need them to show up again in 2021 and be ready for another big playoff push. Maybe they can even add another very good pitcher this summer in free agency to help Giolito and company.