An early letter grade for every Chicago White Sox starting pitcher
The Chicago White Sox are one of the worst teams in the major leagues right now and it's not a coincidence due to the performance of their starting pitching staff.
Pitching wins baseball games and starting pitchers need to do their job regularly if their club wants a chance to see postseason baseball.
The White Sox are 13-25. While there have been other issues than just the rotation, that still gets heavily targeted simply because they were supposed to get significantly better results than they have through 38 games of the regular season.
Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Michael Kopech, and Mike Clevinger are the starting rotation for the Chicago White Sox this year. Here is a letter grade for each of them through a month and a half into the 2023 MLB season:
Dylan Cease - D+
What many thought was going to be the best season of Dylan Cease's career has turned out to be a dramatic drop-off from his 2022 runner-up Cy Young season.
Cease isn't throwing as hard, his off-speed arsenal isn't being commanded, and the opposing team's lineups have taken advantage of that.
On top of his mechanical issues, his walk rate has caused damage throughout his eight games started.
Cease had quality start after quality start last season but this year, he only has one which was all the way back on Opening Day.
A D+ is an appropriate rating for Cease not only because of how high his expectations were but also because he has yet to find a way to get through five innings of baseball without a lineup squaring up everything he throws their way.
He is a much better pitcher than he has shown in 2023 and if he continues to play how he has, the White Sox will have to look toward another player as a true ace in their rotation.
Lucas Giolito - B+
Lucas Giolito has found a way to figure it back out. While he may not be back to his all-star form, he sure is getting there. Giolito is a 1.3 WAR player in 2023. He has 50 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched. That is really nice for him.
His BB/9 is also the lowest it has ever been in his career at 2.1. Giolito has proven he made adjustments during the off-season.
He is now considered the "ace" for the Chicago White Sox right now given how horrific his other starting pitcher teammates have been.
Giolito came into the 2023 season with something to prove and if his numbers stay relatively around where they are now or even better, the White Sox may have the option to trade him for a haul in return by the trade deadline.
Lance Lynn - F
Lance Lynn is statistically the worst pitcher in all of baseball right now. That should be enough to explain the F rating.
He has a 7.51 ERA, a 1.60 WHIP, a -0.2 WAR, and an ERA + of 66, according to baseball reference's website.
There isn't much else to say other than the fact that he hasn't even come reasonably close to doing his job. He has been a massive letdown for the Chicago White Sox and it's at the point where the organization might have to eat some money and let him go.
Lynn was looked at as one of the key players on this pitching staff heading into the season. Now, the club can't manage a way to win games with him when he's on the rubber and his efforts are the most to blame for that.
Lynn is a straightforward human and he knows he hasn't been great so it will be interesting to see how many more chances he gets to change his 2023 season around.
Lynn has been a very successful pitcher over the years but his time in the MLB may be coming to an end in the not-so-distant future.
Michael Kopech - D-
Kopech was supposed to be a flame-throwing top half of the rotation starting pitcher and through his five years on the Chicago White Sox, we have only seen glimpses of it. Through 7 starts, he has a 5.97 ERA with a 1.56 WHIP.
The long ball has killed Kopech in 2023 as he has given up 12 home runs in 37.2 innings pitched. He is also walking at 5.3 BB/9 which is one of the highest walking rates in all of baseball.
Whether it's all in his head or he is still dealing with a dead arm, Kopech hasn't found a way to consistently be the best version of himself and it's haunting the White Sox's pitching staff in 2023.
It may be time for Kopech to return to the bullpen, where he has found success in the past. It's only a matter of time before the door of opportunity as a starting pitcher closes for him.
Mike Clevinger - D
Clevinger came to Chicago on a prove-it one-year deal. So far, he has proven he's the same pitcher he was last season with the San Diego Padres which is a little bit below mediocrity.
Clevinger is the same type of pitcher on the rubber when he's playing through injury and when he's completely healthy which in his case, is not ideal.
While he has had a few excellent outings, he's still 2-3 with a 4.84 ERA. He also only has 33 punchouts in 35 innings pitched.
Clevinger is at his best when his slider is moving across the plate and his fastball is flying through the top half of the zone. He hasn't shown that many times this year and his numbers suggest that.
Clevinger most likely won't be brought back as a Chicago White Sox pitcher and like they have tried out an abundance of times in the past, Clevinger will be added to that big name of lists that couldn't bounce back on a one-year deal as a White Sox player.
Next. The 15 worst contracts in Chicago White Sox history. dark