White Sox Top Pitching Prospects Vying For Opening Day Roster

It is no secret that Nick Nastrini and Drew Thorpe are two of the White Sox best pitching prospects. They have several things in common: they were both acquired by the White Sox within the last year, both are right-handed, both have incredible facial hair, both are near MLB-ready, and both will likely be in the White Sox starting rotation for years to come. The big question the organization must answer is whether or not they will make the opening day roster. The decision of whether or not these pair of young right-handed pitchers will make the team will impact not only the White Sox for this season but potentially years down the line.

Spring Training Stats

Nastrini has had a fantastic spring thus far. In 11 innings, he has 11 strikeouts with an 0.82 ERA and 0.82 WHIP. Thorpe pitched very well with the Padres earlier this spring, though he did not fare well in his White Sox debut this afternoon. It is fair to chalk up that performance to nerves. There is no doubt that Nastrini would open the season in the big league starting rotation if the criteria were based on spring training stats, talent, and needs on the MLB roster. The same argument also applies to Thorpe, despite his rough performance today. The White Sox are dearly lacking quality starting pitchers, and both Nastrini and Thorpe are unequivocally two of the better rotation options in the organization at the moment. However, the decision of whether or not they will make the team is not that cut and dry.

Lack Of Experience

Both pitchers are relatively inexperienced. Nastrini only has four career starts at the AAA level, while Thorpe has none. The inexperience of these pitchers might play a role in whether or not they make the opening day roster, especially in the case of Thorpe. The White Sox may decide to keep them in the minors to start the season for more seasoning and development, which is reasonable. 

Service Time Considerations

Service time is another factor in the equation. Should the White Sox keep Nastrini and Thorpe in the minor leagues for a few weeks to open the season, the team could gain another year of control of their services. These service time manipulation tactics are not new. Arguably, the most notable example is when the Cubs decided to keep Kris Bryant in the minors to open the 2015 season to gain the extra year of team control, even though he had a monster spring and was good enough to make the opening day roster. The Cubs' decision to use service time manipulation on Bryant was controversial and criticized by many, but they did it regardless.

Given the inexperience of both Nastrini and Thorpe and Jerry Reinsdorf's reluctance to pay quality pitchers in free agency, keeping both of them in the minors to open the season might be a sound strategy. It would be nowhere near as controversial as the Cubs' handling of Bryant. Nastrini is likely more MLB-ready than Thorpe, but both pitchers are on a similar trajectory regarding their timelines. Gaining an extra year of control for both these pitchers could benefit the White Sox in the future when the team will hopefully be better, and each pitcher is in their prime.

Positive Outlook

Asked about his chances of making the opening day roster after his start yesterday, Nastrini replied: "Ultimately, whatever the organization feels like they need to do and gives them the best chance to win, I'm going to buy into that." Thorpe echoed similar sentiments. After his trade to the White Sox, he stated: "I've been told I'm in the race for a spot, and I couldn't be hungrier to earn that spot. So I'm pumped." Both players have an optimistic outlook, regardless if they make the team out of spring training.

Future Studs

If the White Sox will win anything over the next handful of seasons, Nastrini and Thorpe will likely be at the forefront of those efforts. Whether or not they make the opening day roster is a key storyline to follow for the rest of the spring. My educated guess is that Nastrini will make the opening day roster while Thorpe will not. In any case, both pitchers will be in Chicago sooner rather than later. The White Sox decision as to whether or not they will break camp with the team will give insight into how they view the 2024 season and the trajectory of the team moving forward.