Day 3/7 of my White Sox prediction series is upon us. On the third day I predict the most important pitcher for the White Sox in 2024. Michael Soroka. For me, the most interesting thing about Soroka is his size. The Sox haven’t had a consistent starter of his stature in quite some time. He uses 3-4 pitches consistently and is a former all-star. He clearly has talent and has struggled a bit with the injury bug lately. If he can return from his Achilles injuries and inflammation issues that plagued him last year, it would be a massive win for the organization. Ultimately, my formula for most important pitcher was simple: the player who pitches the most beyond their expected innings. I believe Soroka to be my guy.
Dylan Cease has the filthiest stuff in the organization but longevity in outings is not his strong suit. Filthy strikeouts will not win this team 80 games. Pitching into the seventh will win games. Probably the best part of Soroka is he comes from a winning organization. He knows how to do this and that is something all Sox pitchers could use.
Michael Kopech is lightning in a bottle when he is hot. He could make a run for this award if he stays hotter than cold. The same goes for Garrett Crochet. I’ll remain an optimist that he can fill in as a Reylo the last few years aka a long reliever/stretch starter (CC: Shohei striking out this afternoon). Moral of the story: the less our bullpen works, the better.
