Looking back at the 5 starters who the White Sox failed to develop into an ace
The Chicago White Sox are a dumpster fire of an organization. After the month of August that they just had, things are getting worse and worse.
They don't do anything right as they just seem to keep going with the flow. That creates tension following loss after loss.
Part of the reason that this team is so bad is that the starting pitching hasn't been good enough. They haven't developed players into aces like we thought they were going to.
These are the five pitchers that we thought would be true aces that just never got there while on the White Sox:
1. Dylan Cease
The Chicago White Sox would have loved to see Dylan Cease be better.
Dylan Cease had his struggles when he first came into the league. He looked like a guy with all of the potential in the world but just needed reps to put it all together.
Then, 2022 came around. He was one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball for that whole season. In fact, he came in second for the American League Cy Young Award.
It really did look like the White Sox developed an ace. Of course, this season, he has not been good at all. In fact, it seems like he is getting worse and worse as the year goes along.
The White Sox would have been better off trading him. Now, his value isn't as high as it once was. They really messed this up.
It would have been nice to see Dylan Cease turn into one of those White Sox aces that lasts a decade. Unfortunately, he clearly needs a change of scenery to reach his true potential.
2. Lucas Giolito
The Chicago White Sox really did fail Lucas Giolito's career.
The Chicago White Sox, like they had with Dylan Cease, looked to really be developing an ace with Lucas Giolito. He was outstanding from 2019-2021.
Those three years made it seem like they were developing an ace. However, he really started to break down from there and now he isn't even on the team anymore.
If his development would have gone according to plan, the White Sox would have never needed to trade him to the Los Angeles Angels this year.
They also wouldn't have put him on waivers for the Cleveland Guardians to claim either. Now, the White Sox allowed him to end up as a division rival.
Giolito is a great pitcher but he never became that ace that the White Sox wanted to see him become. It is sad.
3. Carlos Rodon
The Chicago White Sox never allowed Carlos Rodon to become their ace.
The Chicago White Sox had a promising young prospect in Carlos Rodon a few years ago. He was good for them early on.
However, injuries and inconsistencies didn't allow him to complete his development in the traditional way. Of course, this seems to be the White Sox way.
Rodon had an elite year in 2021 as he was one of the best pitchers in the American League. Then, right when he was finally reaching his potential, the White Sox couldn't even extend him a qualifying offer.
He went on to play for other teams but the White Sox could absolutely say they failed to develop him into an ace.
It is a shame because Rodon would have been a great ace to have on the staff for a long time with this team along with the other failed aces.
4. Michael Kopech
Michael Kopech has not reached his potential with the White Sox.
Michael Kopech had the highest ceiling of anyone in the system when he was first acquired. His fastball moved like none of the pitchers they had.
Unfortunately, some injuries and off-the-field hurdles hurt his development. He was out of baseball for a few years and that didn't help.
The White Sox did him no favors. They brought him back to the big leagues as a reliever in 2021. He was amazing.
It looked like he could become an ace one day soon or a long-reliever who was great in big-time stretches.
He has had good moments and bad over the last two years but he is clearly never going to be an ace in Major League Baseball.
5. Garrett Crochet
The Chicago White Sox have done nothing for Garrett Crochet's success.
The Chicago White Sox drafted Garrett Crochet in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft. Of course, COVID-19 was at its peak during that time which caused some teams to make bad decisions.
One bad decision that the White Sox made was having him make his MLB debut in the same season that he was drafted.
He didn't even finish his final college season because of the pandemic and then they threw him in the big leagues with no minor league development.
Trying to succeed in the 60-game season was admirable because every team was viewing it that way but with Garrett Crochet specifically, that was bad.
Now, he is often injured and doesn't pitch very much with the team. He was drafted with the hopes of being a very good, perhaps even an ace, level pitcher one day. That is not happening.
Next. The 15 worst contracts in Chicago White Sox history. dark