2. Lucas Giolito
Lucas Giolito has to be a good pitcher for this team to have any success.
It is hard to believe that there was a time when Lucas Giolito was the ace of the Chicago White Sox staff. He was the best pitcher on the team from 2019 to 2021. It looked during those years like he was going to make a lot of money in his career while carrying the team.
Now, after 2022 was a disaster for him personally, we wanted to believe that one bad year wasn't going to erase all of the good that he has had in his career up to that point.
So far in 2023, however, it appears as if he is closer to being his 2022 self going forward than anything. It can be tough to watch when he is out there struggling because you know how good he was during those times of brilliance in the previous years.
There is a lot riding on Giolito getting better this season including his upcoming career in the league. If he wants to get a decent contract for 2024 (regardless of the team), he better find it before the end of the year. That 6.00 ERA and negative WAR aren't helping anyone.
It also could be a major difference in the Chicago White Sox having a good season despite their bad start. He must be better going forward.