White Sox: Is Michael Kopech ready to take the next step?

White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech has shown signs of amazing potential over the last couple of years and it excites many to see where he will be in 2023 if he can stay healthy throughout the entire season.

Kopech, in 2022, had a 2.2 WAR, a 3.54 ERA, and 119 IP for the club. Although it was the most innings he pitched in a major league season, more was needed to get the job done with his role as a rotation pitcher.

While some would argue Kopech had an all-around successful season, it wasn't what Michael had in mind.

His first half of 2022 allowed him to show off his talents to the highest level and he was being looked at by many inside the White Sox community. He is also being viewed with great interest by people involved in the general baseball world.

Michael Kopech was the most recent player interviewed on the White Sox Talk podcast and he had a lot to say about what his goals look like in the future. He also described what he feels he needs to reach his maximum potential.

The Chicago White Sox expect a lot from Michael Kopech in 2023.

Michael Kopech has already grown up while being a part of the White Sox organization and it's time for him to start building up to his potential. That will be followed by his maturity as a baseball player and as a human being.

Kopech wants to reach the best heights he can get to. That's why he loves the game he plays. Kopech claimed it's "hard to beat" a professional baseball player and that the grind makes it the best professional leveled community to participate in.

There is a window when it comes to reaching your potential as a baseball player and Kopech doesn't want to look back in life knowing he didn't accomplish meeting the highest mark. He wants to improve every day. You should see a motivated Michael Kopech throughout 2023.

Kopech is still learning how to grow in the MLB. He has the talent to be a more complete and athletic pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. He wants that outcome for everyone involved with his success.

Kopech believes that his career in the big leagues has made him more knowledgeable about baseball due to his years of young experience and the chemistry he's built with his teammates, also leading to his overall maturity growth.

Competition brings an abundance of energy out of people and that's the case with Michael Kopech. He plays the game with a competitive edge.

The mental side of the sport is something he struggled with during his early days. He can now realize to calm himself down and work with a one-pitch-at-a-time mentality. When he's not working with that, it leads to various detrimental acts toward his play.

Michael Kopech can be a factor in 2023 if he finds a way to stay consistent. If he can get all his talents working together simultaneously, Chicago can be looking at a flamethrowing starting pitcher with dominant/influential off-speed stuff.

Kopech has shown many times he can be an unhittable pitcher. It's time to begin consistently showing it.

Michael Kopech is expected to throw some innings in spring training games shortly and it will be exciting to see what version of Michael Kopech we get in 2023.

Michael Kopech is also expected to pitch in the White Sox home opener against the San Fransisco Giants after their four-game road trip to start the year with Jose Abreu and the Houston Astros.