Stunning starting pitching statistic reveals true key to White Sox success in 2026

It should surprise nobody that teams perform better when their starting pitchers work deeper into games. Aside from the fact that a starting pitcher going deeper into a game is a sign that they’re pitching well, length from a starter can help take the strain off the bullpen and ensure that they’re fresh for the late innings. For the White Sox, innings have been a big topic of conversation over the season’s middle months. Even before Davis Martin was placed on the IL, the White Sox were struggling to get innings out of their starters, and it’s led to their bullpen leading baseball in innings so far. Earlier this week, a statistic came to light that expressed just how important starting pitcher length will be for the White Sox moving forward. 

If that 45-18 record seems good, that’s because it is. In fact, it’s the best winning percentage in baseball in that category. The unfortunate thing is, the White Sox have the least 5+ inning outings from their starters in baseball. So they’re getting five innings from their starter less than half the time, but when they do, they’re very likely to win the game. It seems like the path forward should be obvious: get their starter through five innings as often as they can. 

The White Sox recent strategy hasn't prioritized starter innings

That might seem like a no brainer, but it directly contradicts the strategy the White Sox have used heavily over the past few weeks. Especially since Davis Martin’s injury, the White Sox have relied on their bullpen to eat innings even more than usual. Rather than calling up Drew Thorpe or Shane Smith, the White Sox elected to roll with Erick Fedde and Jose Urquidy in bulk. Both can, and did,  provide quality innings but aren’t likely to consistently provide the length the White Sox need. Urquidy’s six-inning outing on Wednesday was incredibly well-timed, but it’s highly unlikely that he’ll continue that trend the rest of the season. 

Both Fedde and Urquidy bring veteran experience, and in Urquidy’s case, playoff experience, to a young team that can really use it. But can either of them be relied on to give you five quality innings per start? I’m not sure. Drew Thorpe seems like a natural fit to step into a rotation spot over the next couple weeks given his track record of strong control, and the team has higher upside options like Shane Smith and David Sandlin in Triple-A, though both have had command issues at times and have been victims of increased pitch counts. 

With less than 40 games to go in the regular season and a postseason berth in their sights, the White Sox should do everything they can to put their team in the best position to succeed over the season’s final few weeks. In the case of the White Sox, that success is directly related to the length of their starting pitching. Chris Getz, Will Venable, and the staff should do whatever it takes to prioritize it.

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