White Sox's Noah Schultz Bounces Back After Rocky First Inning in MLB Debut

He seemingly had some first-start jitters

Apr 14, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Noah Schultz (22) delivers a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago White Sox's top pitching prospect, left-hander Noah Schultz, made his highly anticipated major league debut on Tuesday. And while it likely didn't begin the way he imagined, the 22-year-old showed some resilience and responded well to early adversity.

Schultz, Chicago's No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 44 overall prospect for 2026, suffered the loss in his first MLB start against the Tampa Bay Rays, who did most of their damage against the 6-foot-10 southpaw in a three-run first inning. After retiring the first batter he faced in the big leagues, the tall lefty walked the next two hitters before surrendering a one-run double. The Rays then pulled off a safety squeeze bunt where two runs scored after Schultz had a throwing error when trying to get the first runner out at the plate.

But the rookie seemingly settled in a bit after that, retiring the next two batters and picking up his first MLB strikeout to end the inning. He even sat down all three hitters in a row in the second inning before giving up another run in the third. The young southpaw then had a relatively clean fourth inning and struck out the only batter he faced in the fifth.

Overall, Schultz ended his first outing in the majors by throwing 4 1/3 innings and giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits and four walks, while striking out four in Chicago's 8-5 loss to the Rays.

What's next for Noah Schultz in 2026?

Feb 17, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Noah Schultz poses for a portrait during photo day at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It's unclear at this time if this was a spot start for Schultz in the majors or if the White Sox plan to give the big lefty another turn in the rotation. When Chicago announced its top prospect's promotion on Tuesday, though, right-handed pitcher Jonathan Cannon was also placed on the 15-day injured list with right hip inflammation. So, at the very least, it's possible Schultz could stick around in the big leagues while Cannon is sidelined.

In three Triple-A games this year before his MLB debut, the young southpaw had a 1.29 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched. First-start jitters probably played a role in Schultz's performance on Tuesday, so White Sox fans will likely hope to see him turn the page and move on from that outing if he remains in Chicago's starting pitching staff for the time being.