The Chicago White Sox have a bright future ahead of them. With loads of talented position players and pitching prospects, the team is poised to compete in the next couple of years.
With players such as Colson Montgomery, Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel, Munetaka Murakami and many others in the minors, the White Sox will have a talented roster very soon.
However, it may not look that way at the moment.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter came out with a prediction of 2026 starting rotations for every team. The White Sox have an intriguing rotation, but they still have work to do.
Who Does Reuter Predict to be in the Chicago White Sox Rotation?
Reuter predicts the starting rotation as this:
1. RHP Shane Smith
2. LHP Anthony Kay
3. RHP Davis Martin
4. LHP Sean Newcomb
5. RHP Sean Burke
While experience is certainly lacking in this predicted rotation, there is plenty of upside.
Smith was the White Sox’s All-Star in 2025, pitching to a 3.81 ERA with 2.3 bWAR. He is poised to be the ace of this rotation.
While a 3.81 ERA for an ace might not sound encouraging, it was mostly due to a bad stretch in June and July. In the second half of the season, Smith had a 3.17 ERA, compared to a 4.26 ERA in the first half.
Kay is coming off a great season in Japan and signed with the White Sox this winter. He should play a pivotal role this season as a starter.
Martin is coming off his first healthy season, pitching in a career-high 142.2 innings. While the ERA wasn’t exactly pretty (4.10), he was largely effective and consistent throughout 2025.
Newcomb and Burke are surprising additions to this list.
Newcomb is expected to be a reliever after a wildly successful season as one in 2025 with the Athletics and Red Sox, pitching to a 2.19 ERA in 43 games out of the bullpen.
As for Burke, he struggled with control in 2025 with 63 walks in just 134.1 innings and a 4.29 ERA.
Despite naming Burke and Newcomb to the rotation, there may have been some names that Reuter left off.
Other Names in Play
Reuter lists RHP Jonathan Cannon, LHP Chris Murphy, LHP Noah Schultz and RHP Tanner McDougal as other names in play for the rotation.
While Cannon is the only one with experience of those mentioned, he should not be in the rotation after a disastrous 2025. During last season, he pitched to a 5.82 ERA in 22 games (17 starts).
While Schultz and McDougal have not made their major league debuts yet, they are definitely in play to be on the opening day roster due to their ability they’ve shown in the minors. Hagen Smith should also be in play.
Murphy should come out of the bullpen after not starting a single game in his career thus far.
A couple of names that Reuter may have forgotten are Drew Thorpe and Mike Vasil.
Coming off Tommy John surgery, Thorpe may not be ready for opening day, but he should be a major part of the starting rotation after a successful six-game stretch before his arm gave out. During that stretch, he pitched to a 3.58 ERA before trying to pitch through his injury.
Vasil is also coming off a successful year with a 2.50 ERA in 101 innings, mostly out of the bullpen, and could be elevated to a starter role.
Whatever way you look at it, the future certainly is bright for the White Sox. And you don’t have to look very far for it.
White Sox Rotation Prediction Includes Intriguing Arms, Leaves off Others