The 2026 White Sox should have a different approach to Spring Training than the 2025 team. Coming off a historically bad season, the 2025 White Sox never expected to contend, but were instead looking for some signs of hope. The starting rotation was decimated by injuries to Drew Thorpe, Ky Bush, and Mason Adams before the season even began, and the front office struggled to patch together a starting rotation. The White Sox improved by 19 games in 2025, and while the team has a long way to go, they’ll approach the 2026 season with a bit more confidence. The team is getting healthier and more impressive young pitchers are getting closer to the big leagues. Because of this, the competition in the starting rotation is sure to be fierce.
Aside from all-star Shane Smith and reliable Davis Martin, the White Sox rotation seems up for grabs. The team is likely to add at least one veteran presence, but there seems to be a fairly large group competing for relatively few spots. Two White Sox starters from a year ago appear to be in that group, and will need to earn their way into the rotation.
Chris Getz also said that Jonathan Cannon and Sean Burke will be competing for rotation spots next season.
— Kyle W (@K_Williamsmedia) November 13, 2025
But he said the organization still has "faith that both of those guys can be helpful and help us win games."
RHP Sean Burke
Named the White Sox Opening Day starter in 2025, Burke impressed at times but struggled to stay consistent at the major league level. Burke has always been a case of projectability and tools over results. He never put up eye-popping numbers in the minor leagues, but the White Sox felt confident that he was turning a corner in his development. His five-pitch mix graded out well in spin rates and overall quality, but he’s always struggled with location. Those issues continued to plague Burke in 2025. His 10.6% walk rate and 10.4% barrel rate were certainly higher than he would’ve liked. Burke’s ground ball rate was in the bottom 20% in the league, so he relied too heavily on fly balls, especially tough in a hitter-friendly environment like Rate field. He showed positive signs toward the end of the season, including a ten strikeout outing in his final start of the year against the Nationals. Burke will head into 2026 without a rotation spot guaranteed, but with a chance to earn one with a strong spring. At 26, it’ll be an important year as Burke looks to establish himself as part of the long-term future of the White Sox.
RHP Jonathan Cannon
One of the biggest disappointments of the 2025 season, Cannon took a substantial step back after showing promise in 2024. He made 23 appearances with the 2024 team and posted a 4.49 ERA. A couple rough outings inflated that number, and the White Sox felt good about Cannon’s future as a mid-rotation starter. Unfortunately, 2025 wasn’t kind to Cannon, whose 5.82 ERA in 22 appearances led to a midseason demotion to Charlotte. Looking deeper at the numbers isn’t exactly confidence-inspiring. Cannon’s stuff isn’t overwhelming, and he’s at his best when he gets his sinker down in the zone and gets ground balls. Unfortunately, his ground ball rate was only 37.6%, and opposing hitters posted a hard-hit percentage of 45.4% against Cannon, which ranked in the bottom 13% for pitchers. To put things simply, he didn’t miss enough bats, get enough ground balls, or induce enough soft contact. He got rocked in 2025. Fine-tuning his location is going to be key to turning things around. He’ll likely never be a big-time strikeout pitcher, but will need to bring up his ground ball rate to be effective. Cannon will need a strong spring to earn a spot in the 2026 rotation, and at this point, it feels like he’s an underdog.
The White Sox will have several other names in the mix for rotation spots this spring– Yoendrys Gomez, Tanner McDougal, Shane Murphy, and Duncan Davitt to name a few. Top prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith shouldn’t be too far behind. Midseason returns of Ky Bush, Drew Thorpe, and Mason Adams could further complicate the picture in the second half. If the team elects to add a veteran starter or two, it will reduce the number of open spots. Regardless, it’ll be a tough competition in Spring Training, and it’ll make for something to watch.