Extreme makeover Chicago White Sox edition is in full throttle, and the biggest change is a new rotation.
Out are all the starting pitchers who made the 2024 Opening Day roster, and in are young, returning players eager to break out this year and new veterans.
While the roster isn’t final, the 2025 rotation will surely win more games and may even have a few surprises...
1. Martín Pérez
Pérez is the latest addition to the Sox and is the front-runner to lead the rotation.
He’s a lefty veteran who has pitched out of the rotation and bullpen in his 13 years in the league with the Rangers, Twins, Red Sox, Pirates, and Padres, most recently.
Last year, he was a starter in Pittsburgh and San Diego, finishing the season with a 4.53 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. In 2023, he put up similar stats as a reliever with the Rangers.
Experience alone will likely earn Pérez the top spot in the rotation.
His workhorse pitching style and versatility may be more serviceable at the back end of the rotation later, but he’ll be more valuable leading the rotation to start the season.
His one-year, $5 million contract is a bargain for a skilled pitcher who has an established solid floor and can be a mentor to young Sox pitchers.
2. Jonathan Cannon
Cannon will likely earn the No. 2 slot in the rotation due to his consistent pitching as a rookie last year.
He started on a turbulent path for his first three games, during which he held a 7.24 ERA and allowed 20 hits and 11 earned runs in just 13.2 innings, but eventually settled in for the rest of the season. He ended the year with a 5-10 record, a 4.49 ERA, and a 1.33 WHIP in 23 games, including two relief appearances.
Just because Cannon didn’t have a knock-out performance all summer doesn’t mean he doesn’t have what it takes to be a solid pitcher.
He keeps pitches in the strike zone and knows how to work smarter not harder with a pitch arsenal that isn’t fancy. And his memorable MLB debut performance--where he struck out three and only gave up three hits and a run in five innings--can’t be forgotten.
Cannon will stay in the top half of the rotation if he can bring the same reliability he had last year.
3. Davis Martin
Martin is a middle-of-the-pack pitcher with plenty of upside.
Drafted in 2018 by the Sox, Martin’s debut season in 2022 was standard for a rookie. He missed 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and returned last year with few improvements.
Although he cut his ERA from 4.83 to 4.32, Martin had 11 starts and obtained a 1.46 WHIP and a 4.1 BB/9 rate. Expectations should be similar this year, and hopefully, he stays healthy and pitches the full season.
While his stats aren’t stellar, they shouldn’t detract from what Martin offers.
His changeup and recently added cutter keep him from falling behind in the count, and his competitiveness and mental fortitude help him endure long outings.
Martin's willingness to learn and make adjustments will only help him gradually improve throughout his career. With plenty of weapons, Martin will be a solid No. 3 starter for the Sox this year.
4. Bryse Wilson
Wilson is another veteran who has been a starter and reliever for past teams.
Though he has played fewer years than Pérez, Wilson’s effectiveness and split between the rotation and bullpen are similar.
Last year with the Brewers, he mainly worked out of the bullpen but made nine starting appearances. In 34 games he maintained a 4.04 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, typically appearing for a few innings at a time.
Like Pérez, Wilson’s resume makes him best suited in the middle or end of the starting rotation. Because he’s more effective as a reliever, the fourth rotation spot is perfect for him to start the season.
The last time he served primarily as a starter, Wilson pitched 20 of 25 games out of the rotation and went 3-9 with a 5.52 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in Pittsburgh.
Worst case scenario he moves back to the bullpen or becomes a sixth starter.
5. Drew Thorpe
Thorpe is the youngest starter in the rotation and has plenty to learn.
Between June and July, Thorpe had a 3-3 record with a 5.48 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. He allowed 35 hits and 27 earned runs in 44.1 innings before he was placed on the 15-day IL with a right hip flexor strain for the rest of the season.
Though he also had a great debut for the Sox, he saw less success in his later starts.
As the No. 54 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects at the start of 2024, Thorpe looks to play like he did in the Minors.
He ranked second in wins, third in ERA, and seventh in WHIP in Double-A Birmingham last spring. Once called the Sox’s “most advanced mound prospect” by MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Thorpe will look to redeem himself as he brings up the rear of the rotation.