The 2017 Chicago White Sox pitching rotation is not a unit that will excite fans and strike fear in their opponents. The team is likely going to to trade Jose Quintana before the end of the year, leaving a group of uninspiring candidates to fill the rotation.
Miguel Gonzalez, James Shields and Derek Holland have all had flashes of greatness before, but are not pitchers you'd expect to see on a playoff team. If the team trades Quintana, Rule 5 Draft pick Dylan Covey would likely take his spot. Covey has never appeared above Double A.
Keeping Quintana would make the White Sox pitching rotation much more bearable to watch. However as the team rebuilds, it appears as if the team's ace is a goner. Luckily the South Side has a rising star amongst the pitching ranks.
Carlos Rodon has been in the MLB for the past two seasons, appearing in 54 games and 304.1 innings. He holds a career 18-16 record with a 3.90 ERA and a 307/125 K/BB ratio.
Rodon was the White Sox first pick, third overall, in the 2014 MLB Draft. While he hasn't necessarily failed, he hasn't lived up to the lofty expectations of being the third overall pick.
The 2017 season will be make or break for Rodon. Regardless of if the team has Quintana or not, Rodon needs to prove that he could lead a rotation. The team brought in an influx of pitching talent in Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech and Reynaldo Lopez. Chicago is expected to have a rotation full of aces, 2017 will give Rodon a chance to prove he belongs.
Rodon will have his work cut out for him, but atleast one MLB Analyst thinks he won't just succeed, but thrive.
Scott White of CBS Sports recently broke down who he believes could break out in 2017. Among the names were Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, Cubs shortstop Addison Russel and of course, Carlos Rodon.
White wrote that while Rodon has struggled in the past, he finished 2016 strong. In Rodon's final 11 starts of 2016 he walked just 2.7 batters, compared to the 4.0 in his first 43 starts. Overall he held a 3.11 ERA with 9.5 strikeouts per game, averaging 102 pitches per start over his last 11 starts.
White believes that it'll come down consistency for Rodon, which is completely true. He needs to pitch with the same form on every throw while throwing strikes in the process.
Baseball America had a great breakdown of Rodon's pitching inconsistencies prior to the 2014 Draft.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BjRlm495H0
Rodon showed he could be an elite ace at times, but it'll come down to his mechanics. If he can consistently throw strikes like he did to end the 2016 season, there's a chance he reaches his 3rd overall pick potential.
To finish out his praise of Rodon, White wrote:
Rodon is a top-shelf talent with an elite slider and true three-pitch arsenal. If what we witnessed late last year was him turning the corner in terms of control, then all he needs is the expected innings increase for a third-year starting pitcher to overtake Jose Quintana as the White Sox's top starting pitcher.
In a rebuilding year, Rodon will have ample opportunity to prove himself. If he pitches like he did to end out 2016 then he could potentially lead the team's rotation of the future.
White Sox fans are already salivating over Giolito, Kopech and Lopez in the same rotation. However Carlos Rodon is just 24 years old, and has the potential to break out.
If CBS Sports prediction comes true, the Chicago White Sox should have arguably the best pitching rotation in baseball very, very soon.
Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14
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