White Sox' Starting Rotation Coming Into Focus After Will Venable Makes Big Decision
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The Chicago White Sox are ten days away from jogging out of the American Family Field dugout.
It will easily be the organization's most highly anticipated Opening Day in years. While postseason expectations may be tempered, the franchise is well-positioned to take a legitimate step forward. Players like Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, and Chase Meidroth represent an encouraging young core that started their MLB journey in 2025. Meanwhile, players like Braden Montgomery, Sam Antonacci, and William Bergolla Jr. help make up a farm system that is looking better by the day.
Nonetheless, if there is anything for White Sox fans to be more than playfully optimistic about, it might be their deep arsenal of arms. Former Rule 5 pick Shane Smith is fresh off an All-Star campaign and set for an Opening Day start. Anthony Kay is the team's latest reclamation project, returning to the majors after a stellar year overseas. Mike Vasil is making a strong case for a rotation spot sooner rather than later with a 1.64 ERA this spring. Seranthony Dominguez could be one of the best closers in baseball. Grant Taylor could be one of the best late relievers in baseball.
And that's to say nothing of all the talent in the minors expected to make their debut this season!
Chicago is overflowing with high-upside pitchers, which is why there has been some extra buzz about this year's starting rotation. A potential five-man unit has come into focus over the last handful of days, especially with manager Will Venable sharing important news this weekend. To be sure, this group is bound to change as some of the club's top prospects hear their name called up. But it's feeling increasingly safe to guess who will be on the mound for the first few weeks of the 2026 season.
Do the White Sox Have Their Five Starters?
Of course, Shane Smith has already earned his spot at the top of the order. Results this spring have been very mixed, but Smith's 2025 campaign proved worthy of receiving the first Opening Day start of his young career.
Anthony Kay and Davis Martin also appear locked into a rotational role. The former signed with the team this offseason for starting-caliber money after his wildly successful run in Japan's Nippon Baseball League. As for Martin, he went 7-10 last season with a decent 4.10 ERA over his 142.2 innings pitched. The 29-year-old is a rock-solid veteran who should provide the needed consistency.
The third and fourth spots have seemingly been wide open this camp. Sean Burke was the 2025 Opening Day starter and had a rougher season than anyone expected. He really struggled with his command at times, eventually leading to a demotion to Triple-A come August. While Burke would be called back up to the bigs, he served out of the bullpen to finish the year.
Nonetheless, the Sox clearly value Burke's stuff, and his experience alone could earn him a spot to start the year. Might Mike Vasil or a Triple-A arm snatch that spot sooner rather than later? Perhaps, but it feels like Burke's to lose for now. This is especially true after Venable shared this weekend that Sean Newcomb will start 2026 in the bullpen, per Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Newcomb undoubtedly came in competing for a starting spot, but his career has seemingly been trending in this direction. He looked awesome in relief for the Athletics' last season, registering a 1.75 ERA in 51.1 innings pitched. If Burke struggles or an injury arises, Newcomb could very well be first in line to enter the rotation. However, it's hard to imagine Newcomb would remain there for an extended period of time.
Speaking of which, we may be able to say the same thing about Erick Fedde. A White Sox success story, Fedde left the majors for Japan, only to rebuild his stock and join the Sox for a very strong 2024 season. Things have gone south for Fedde since, as he's suited up for three different teams.
Still, Chicago clearly values his experience, and he's put together a solid spring with a 3.12 ERA and seven strikeouts over three outings. Will he be in the rotation all season long? Probably not. But having him there early this year could help the Sox get off to the start they're looking for.
So, this is what we're looking at with ten days to go ...
Shane Smith – RHP
Anthony Kay – LHP
Davis Martin – RHP
Sean Burke – RHP
Erick Fedde – RHP
Who are some dark-horse candidates that could steal starts in the near future? If Vasil's latest injury isn't a real concern, I do wonder if Venable would take the risk and give him an early go. Chris Murphy is also someone who has thrown very well in Arizona and offers a level of versatility that may prove valuable down the road. And what about Jordan Hicks? One of the fastest throwers in the game, we have seen plenty of teams talk themselves into giving him a shot in the rotation. Heck, Venable said he could envision Hicks seeing some starts just last week!
If one thing is for sure, do not expect the five names above to stick. Aside from Smith and Kay, it really does feel like we could see several spots tweaked over the next handful of months. Once again, this is an organization with a handful of options at its disposal, and this is the year to start testing them out.
Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
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