The Chicago White Sox are in a gritty fight to snag a postseason spot, holding a 3.0-game lead over the Houston Astros for the third and final Wild Card. They’re also just 1.0 game back of the Cleveland Guardians for the AL Central lead, which would come with a sweet first-round bye. But let’s be real, even if they claw their way in, they’ve got a glaring, glaring problem: their pitching rotation is ranked dead last among ALL postseason contenders. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel put them 15th out of 15, and trust me, it’s not unfair.
This Pitching Staff Is Just Not It
It’s tough to hear if you’re a White Sox fan, but McDaniel’s ranking as MLB’s No. 15 rotation among contenders, dead last behind even the Cubs and Padres, is totally justified. You just can’t argue with it. Sean Burke and Davis Martin are supposedly the top two starters, but neither of them gives you that ace vibe. Burke, the most trustworthy arm they’ve got, would be a solid No. 3, but he’s being asked to be a No. 1, and that’s just a recipe for disaster against the league’s best. Then you’ve got Anthony Kay rocking a 4.41 ERA, and honestly, he hasn’t been special at all. Erick Fedde’s 3.90 ERA looks okay on paper, but he’s simply not someone you can trust when October baseball hits. And let’s not even get started on David Sandlin, whose ugly 6.29 ERA means they’ll absolutely try to avoid starting him if they have any choice. That’s a brutal lineup card right there.
A Familiar Face Among The Struggles
This rotation depth issue hits different when you look at Luis Castillo. Remember him? Our guy here in the Emerald City, who was an absolute force for the Mariners. Well, since he was acquired by the White Sox, he’s been a massive disappointment. A *massive* disappointment. Us Seattle fans know what he’s capable of, which makes his struggles with the White Sox even tougher to stomach, not just for them, but for anyone who saw his dominant days at T-Mobile Park. Add to that young guys like Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz, who are interesting prospects for sure, but you can’t really trust them to give you lengthy starts right now. McDaniel even noted that with this weak rotation, the White Sox are probably going to have to lean HEAVILY on their bullpen. Good thing their pen boasts the seventh-best bullpen ERA in baseball, because they’re gonna need it.
The White Sox have definitely hit a rough patch in the second half of this 2026 season, dealing with offensive woes and that overworked bullpen. But when you look at it, this questionable starting rotation is the real kicker, the one thing that will likely sink their postseason hopes this October. After a few rough years before 2026, making the postseason would be a win for them, but White Sox fans probably shouldn’t hold their breath for a deep run. This last-ranked starting rotation among contenders is just too big a hurdle to overcome.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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