In a recent interview with the Chicago Sun Times, White Sox pitching advisor Brian Bannister said he believed their organization would have one of the best pitching development programs within the next few years.
He also admitted they weren't there yet.
The White Sox are working with a hodgepodge rotation. Injures and underperformances have left them with Anthony Kay, Sean Burke and Luis Castillo. They have an overtaxed bullpen who are handling openings and bulk relief. It's not a realistic plan for a team hoping to thrive in the postseason.
The Sox have already exhausted most of their depth. Davis Martin was the team's ace earlier this season, but after the All-Star break, he made six starts to an 8.03 ERA before landing on the injured list. That number doesn't even reflect how rough his performance was in his last few games; he seemed incapable of escaping an inning, much less earning a win.
The Sox tried some of their top pitching prospects--Tanner McDougal, David Sandlin, Hagen Smith, and Noah Schultz have all gotten opportunities this year, either in the rotation or as relievers, but none of them have really been suitable. Smith has performed well enough, but has been limited to the bullpen.
The Sox added Castillo before the deadline, hoping to bring some reliability into their rotation. They also got Huascar Brazoban to improve their bullpen. Neither pitcher has been up-to-snuff, with Castillo giving up 12 earned runs in 18.1 innings and Brazoban giving up six runs in nine innings.
They'd struggled to get most of their starters through five innings. After Davis Martin was removed due to a rain delay on August 9th, the Sox pulled together a 5-3 victory against the Guardians. But it took seven total pitchers to do it, several of whom allowed baserunners. On August 13th, they used four more pitchers after Martin was ejected from the game in the third inning, but they eventually lost to the Reds after allowing nine runs to score. Martin gave up two runs; Erick Fedde gave up four in a three-inning appearance.
Davis Martin has been ejected from today's game vs. the Cincinnati Reds.
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) August 13, 2026
Erick Fedde is now in the game. pic.twitter.com/O3PKtnlCdK
On August 11th, Sean Burke, who has effectively replaced Martin as the team's ace, pitched seven three-hit innings with only one run scored, and the Sox had a solid 4-run lead over the Reds. Then relief pitchers Bryan Hudson and Grant Taylor blew up the game in two innings, and the game ended in a 5-4 loss.
On August 22nd, Castillo couldn't complete the third inning after the Mets got to him with eight hits, a walk, and two homers. The relievers couldn't stop the damage, and the Mets ultimately scored ten runs.
The White Sox impressive season has been fueled by their offense so far
The White Sox electric offense has brought the team above .500. While the club's pitchers have given up 527 runs, the hitters have scored 618. That's a good way to keep up a winning record. But now their pitchers are getting worse, their depth is getting thinner, the games are getting tighter, and the Sox are starting to fail at the margins.
When discussing his pitching program, Bannister said that building a strong offense is key to winning games, and that pitching is secondary. That’s a fine philosophy, but it will be tough to bring into the postseason. The Sox have been shut-out nine times this year. There are pitchers who can hold them scoreless, or at least limit the damage they’ll do. The Sox rank first in the AL Central, and should make the postseason unless they fall apart. That means they’ll be facing baseball’s best pitchers, and they can’t hope to score at the same pace against them.
They’ll also be facing hitters who are their equals. The Mets have one of the worst offenses in baseball, and they had a 16-hit game against the Sox pitchers. You could see a more formidable line-up taking batting practice on them.
They've caught a couple easy breaks. Tarik Skubal was traded outside the division. The fourth place Tigers have had a rough season. They managed to sweep the Tigers in a three-game series earlier this month, while also winning a recent series against the second place Guardians.
The White Sox enter Wednesday with a 2.5 game lead over the Guardians, and a 5.5 lead over the third place Twins. The playoffs will bring teams who have won much more challenging divisions, and who are--to the extent that this matters--much more familiar with playing in October.
The Sox have done well against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Dodgers, and the Yankees, proving they can hold their own against formidable opponents. But the postseason is unforgiving, and every game--and every player--matters. You can't have a championship-level club without pitching, even if Bannister is confident that position players matter most. And right now, the Sox don't have the pitching they need.
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