White Sox Continue To Shake Up Pitching In The Minors
If there has been one bright spot for the White Sox this year, it has been the starting pitching, as they have bene on one of the best rotations in the MLB over the last month or so. But, the starting pitching success is not exclusive to the major league club, as there have been many starting pitchers in the minors having career seasons thus far.
This has created a good problem for the White Sox, as they now have multiple pitching prospects looking like they will be very solid major leaguers. Due to this organizational success, they have to make a number of promotions, as many are getting close to the major leagues. Let’s take a look at some of the most recent moves:
Jake Eder
After a rough start to his White Sox career last season after the trade, Eder has bounced back this season and has pitched very well. While his underlying stats won’t overwhelm anyone, he looks much more confident and his stats are inflated by a few bad outings.
Eder was promoted to the major leagues as the 27th man for yesterday’s doubleheader, but for whatever reason did not get in the game. However, it was still a promotion for Eder, as he was reassigned to AAA after the game.
Eder will look to continue making progress this season, as he is very close to actually making his major league debut. After a few solid weeks in AAA, we could see him get a real chance after the White Sox clean house at the deadline.
Ky Bush
One of the most underrated pitchers in the farm system this season, Bush has been dominant. After posting a 2.12 ERA over 14 starts in AA, Bush finally got the call to AAA.
The lefty had a solid first inning at AAA, but struggled in his last two. For some reason, they had him coming out of the bullpen, rather than starting, so that could have played a factor. Hopefully they let him start some games, as he could be a very good starter in the MLB. Like Eder, it is likely that Bush will make his MLB debut sometime after the trade deadline.
Riley Gowens
Potentially the best player in the Aaron Bummer trade, Gowens is having a great first season in the White Sox organization. In 13 starts in A+, he had a slightly elevated 4.35 ERA, but his other stats were phenomenal. He had a 1.04 WHIP, a .188 BAA, and struck out 85 batters while walking 26. This was a great start to the season and he earned himself a promotion to AA after the White Sox promoted Ky Bush to AAA.
Gowens would go on to have an amazing first start in AA, showcasing his elite stuff. While he is a bit further away from his major league debut than Bush or Eder, he could find himself in Chicago during some point in the 2025 season.
Other Notable Promotions
There have been some other notable pitching promotions in the system, as Lucas Gordon was promoted to High-A Winston Salem. As a 2023 draft pick, Gordon has impressed so far, and could be a quick mover through the system due to him being drafted as a college arm.
Gordon’s teammate Tommy Vail also earned a promotion, as Gordon will be joining him in High-A.
Like Gowens, Vail had a fantastic debut. On the season he has a 1.66 ERA in 38 innings. He is 25 years old so he could make his way all the way up to AA by the end of the season.
This is just the beginning of what will be a plethora of moves for the White Sox, as outstanding arms such as Aldrin Batista and Juan Carela are also due for promotions. It will be a crazy month for the White Sox farm system as there will be an influx of talent through the draft and the trade deadline.