If there's any reason for Chicago White Sox fans to be excited for the future of the organization, it's the abundance of talented young starting pitchers in the organization.
The White Sox have Shane Smith (25), Davis Martin (28), Sean Burke (25), and Jonathan Cannon (24) all pitching well in the big leagues and under club control through the 2030 season.
In the minor leagues, Top 100 prospects Noah Schultz (No. 13) and Hagen Smith (No. 30) look like future stars. The Sox also have fast-rising flamethrower Grant Taylor, who has a 1.96 career minor league ERA.
The potential is through the roof when it comes to the White Sox future. But the latest notes on the team's top pitching prospects show that the organization is in a scary place and currently flirting with disaster.
Hagen Smith's velocity problem
According to MLB.com's Scott Merkin, the White Sox are going to have Hagen Smith skip his next start with Double-A Birmingham.
"Smith's velocity was fluctuating in his last start on Saturday at Columbus, showing some signs of fatigue," wrote Merkin in his notes from earlier in the week.
Hopefully the dip in velocity is only fatigue and not injury related. The White Sox have already had their pitching depth pillaged by serious injuries to Drew Thorpe, Ky Bush, Mason Adams, and Juan Carela. All of those young arms were due for exciting 2025 seasons before going down. Chicago cannot afford to lose another one, especially Smith.
Either way, I must admit I'm a bit nervous about Smith getting through the season healthy if he is already fatigued in May. He has only thrown 25.2 innings over his seven (7) starts this season.
Grant Taylor to the bullpen
Merkin also noted earlier this week that Grant Taylor, Chicago's second-round pick in the 2023 Draft, will be making appearances out of the bullpen for Double-A Birmingham moving forward.
"The move helps manage the right-hander’s workload, while getting him some bullpen reps," Merkin wrote.
Taylor has been one of the most exciting arms in the farm system from the moment he was drafted. In 11 professional starts. Taylor has a 1.96 minor league ERA in 36.2 innings pitched. With a ridiculous pitch mix and ability to miss bats, Taylor has a 12.5 K/9 ratio across three minor league levels.
An arm that can generate swings-and-misses is always going to be attractive in the back end of a bullpen. But what exactly is the purpose of the White Sox "getting him some bullpen reps" at this stage in his career?
Given the success Taylor has had in the minor leagues, if the White Sox don't continue developing him as a starter, it would be legitimate malpractice by the organization. I've been a fan of Brian Bannister and what the organization has done with young pitchers in recent years, but Taylor is exponentially more valuable in the starting rotation than he is in a relief role.
Grant Taylor could be awesome in relief. That’s such an obvious statement. It would be organizational malpractice if the #WhiteSox don’t try to develop him as a starter first though. It really makes me question the decision makers.
— James Fox (@JamesFox917) May 13, 2025
There is a belief that Taylor could finish the season in the Major League bullpen once he gets closer to his innings limit for the year. Another thing I'm not sure I see the point of.
Have the White Sox learned nothing from Garrett Crochet? They rushed Crochet to the big leagues and threw him in the bullpen. By the time Crochet got a chance in the starting rotation, it was his fifth year with the team.
Crochet made the All-Star game and looked like a legitimate ace for most of 2024...and then the White Sox traded him because his contract was getting closer to expiring.
At least Crochet was brought up for the 2020 season when the White Sox were on track to make the playoffs and minor league baseball didn't exist. Rick Hahn has an excuse built in there.
Starting the clock on Grant Taylor, however, by making him a relief pitcher and calling him up to contribute for the worst team in the American League would be asinine. The Sox are not going to the playoffs anytime soon.
I'm not sure I see the vision. I want to see Grant Taylor continue working as a starting pitcher. Between the current plan for him and the fatigue that Hagen Smith is feeling, I'm nervous for two of the White Sox top pitching prospects.