Chicago White Sox Pitcher Davis Martin Competing to Start on Opening Day

Veteran free agent addition Martín Pérez and former top prospect Jonathan Cannon are the biggest names in the Chicago White Sox's rotation, but Davis Martin is contending to start on Opening Day as well.

Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin (65) delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

With Tommy John surgery fully in his rear-view mirror, Davis Martin is primed to take on a much larger role in the Chicago White Sox's rotation in 2025.

Martin is one of three candidates to start on Opening Day for the White Sox, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin. The 28-year-old right-hander will be going head-to-head with Jonathan Cannon and Martín Pérez.

Cannon was ranked as the No. 11 prospect and No. 6 pitcher in Chicago's farm system ahead of his MLB debut in April 2024. Pérez, on the other hand, was the White Sox's most expensive free agent acquisition of the winter at $5 million guaranteed.

Martin was Chicago's 14th round pick back in 2018. He slowly worked his way through the minors before finally reaching the big leagues in 2022, when he went 3-6 with a 4.83 ERA, 1.295 WHIP, 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.0 WAR across nine starts and five relief outings.

The righty was never held up as a top prospect in the White Sox's system, and he suffered a major setback when he had UCL surgery in May 2023. He performed admirably upon his return in 2024, going 0-5 with a 4.32 ERA, 1.460 WHIP, 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.9 WAR in 11 appearances – 10 of which were starts.

Going through a full spring training camp could prove valuable to Martin, who has finally carved out a comfortable role in Chicago. FanGraphs' latest projections have him taking the next step as well, with his 1.3 fWAR and 4.50 ERA both set to lead all White Sox starters in 2025.

Martin, Cannon and Pérez are left as the contenders to serve as Chicago's Opening Day starting pitcher in part because of how much talent the club has offloaded in recent years.

It started at the 2023 deadline, when the White Sox dealt Lucas Giolito to the Los Angeles Angels and Lance Lynn to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ahead of the 2024 campaign, Dylan Cease got shipped to the San Diego Padres, while Garrett Crochet got sent to the Boston Red Sox in December.

Giolito, Lynn, Cease and Crochet all either made All-Star appearances or contended for AL Cy Young in a White Sox uniform. Now, it's up to Martin, Cannon and Pérez to fill their respective voids.

Former top prospect Drew Thorpe will also be featured in Chicago's rotation in 2025, although the elbow surgery he underwent in September is likely to keep him off the Opening Day Roster.

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