The last couple of weeks have had a lot of highs and lows for the White Sox. They're missing some of their big names due to injuries, but that didn't stop them from winning two series against some of the best teams in baseball, the LA Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.
Then, they learned that the good times don't last too long after they dropped a series to the New York Yankees and got swept by the Detroit Tigers.
Though they found a bright spot in pitcher Davis Martin early in the season, it became clear he is not the answer to lead the top of the rotation through an entire season and into October. He just doesn't have the experience. Martin started with an 2.41 ERA before that outing against the Yankees and finished with a 3.31 mark, allowing nine earned runs and three homers. He rebounded in his next outing, but two out of his last four starts have featured a total of 15 earned runs on 18 hits and three walks.
Martin's outings showed that if fans were concerned about the pitching before, they should be even more concerned now. The rest of the group is shaky behind Martin, so if he exposes some of his flaw then they will be even weaker.
That said, even with pitching not being a strong point for them, the Sox are fueled by the power of a young team that loves to hit dingers. So it's clear where their priorities lie at the trade deadline and the offseason.
White Sox need pitching to survive 2026 season and build on success
The Sox have been hitting new milestones and slowly climbing power rankings, but the national media isn't ready to declare them real contenders yet.
The team has big games ahead to prove themselves, mainly a series against the Guardians, which could have them atop of the division if they win. After, they have another divisional series against the Royals. The good news for them is that those those matchups are at home and they have a 25-12 record this season when playing at Rate Field.
June hasn't been kind to the Sox, and it's been even worse for pitching. In April their team ERA was 3.82, in May it was 3.87, and in June so far it's spiked to 5.18 heading into Monday's game. Their pitching needs become more apparent as the season goes on, making the case for some trades to happen soon.
If the Sox aren't able to acquire pitchers to help out their rotation, then they will be in trouble. The Sox need to go out and get someone who is better that or will complement Martin. Without a reliable bullpen, it won't matter how many home runs Colson Montgomery hits if the pitchers keep getting shelled.
If they get the job done against the Guardians and Royals, that would be great. But those are not prolific offenses that will test Chicago's pitching. And they shouldn't wait and see how things unfold against better units across the league. Chris Getz needs to start doing his homework now, and the good news is that the sky's the limit with who might be available leading up to Aug. 3.
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