With Young Starters Faltering, Bryce Wilson May Get His Shot

When Bryce Wilson signed with the White Sox this offseason, his goal was to reestablish himself as a starting pitcher. After failing to crack the starting rotation in Spring Training, he may soon be given that opportunity. 

After making MLB history with four scoreless outings the first time through the rotation, White Sox starters, particularly Sean Burke and Jonathan Cannon, have struggled in recent weeks.

Burke’s Troubles Mount

Burke, who was named the team's Opening Day starter, was tagged for five runs on Tuesday and was pulled from the game after just 3.1 innings after allowing five hits and a pair of walks. Following his quality start on Opening Day, Burke owns a 7.56 ERA in his last three starts and has gone 0-3 during that stretch. 

The most concerning trend has been Burke’s sharp decline in strikeouts. He’s recorded just 10 punchouts over 16.2 innings this season, compared to 22 in 19 innings last year. After averaging nearly 13 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors, that rate has dropped to just 5.4 per nine at the big-league level.

Adding insult to injury, Burke’s numbers could be even worse. His expected ERA is 9.37, which ranks in the bottom two percent of the MLB, while opponents' .317 expected batting average ranks in the bottom eight percentile. 

It’s too early to press the panic button just eight games into Burke’s MLB career, but he could benefit from a brief stint in Charlotte to help refind his form. By sending him to Charlotte, the White Sox could still allow Burke to keep his weekly routine as a starter while also taking some pressure off the rookie before giving him another crack in the big leagues. 

Time for a Reset?

Meanwhile, Cannon has only made it through the sixth inning in ten of 26 career starts and currently owns a 5.79 ERA through three starts this season. After posting a solid 7.7% walk rate last year, he has already issued free passes to 13.6% of the batters he’s faced this season.

The short starts have put added pressure on an already shaky White Sox bullpen. Wilson could present a short-term solution to this problem and allow both Cannon and Burke a breather. 

The White Sox inked Wilson to a one-year deal worth $1.05 million with an additional $250,000 in potential performance bonuses. He told MLB Network over the offseason that his goal was to make at least 32 starts this season. While the number isn’t likely to happen, Wilson has shown he can be an innings-eater. 

The 26-year-old owns a career 4.61 ERA in 413.2 innings, spread across seven MLB seasons. Last season, he tossed 104.2 innings for the Brewers and posted a 4.04 earned run average. However, only nine of his 34 appearances were as a starter. 

Wilson doesn’t draw many whiffs, with just a 17.1 percent career strikeout rate. However, he makes up for it with his command of the strike zone. His career 7.4 percent walk rate is below the major league average. In 2023 he managed to limit opponents to a .211 batting average en route to a career-best 2.58 ERA. This past season, Wilson did have a bit of luck on his side. His expected ERA was 5.35 due to a hard-hit percentage of 44.3, which was among the worst in baseball. 

While Burke and Cannon both present more upside than Wilson, inserting him into the rotation for a brief stint could prove beneficial for their young arms.