It’s the rare starter who can navigate a career without TJS, and this spring it was this southpaw who got stung
Ky Bush
6´6´´
250 pounds
Age: 25
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 11
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -5.0 years
SSS rank among all left-handed starters in the system 3
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 7-4 ⚾️ 20 games (18 starts, 1 finish) ⚾️ 106 1⁄3 IP ⚾️ 3.30 ERA ⚾️ 1.166 WHIP ⚾️ 100 K ⚾️ 46 BB ⚾️ 2.1 Simple WAR
Ky Bush was selected by the Angels with the 45th pick in the 2021, and came to the White Sox in July 2023 as a part of the trade that sent Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to the Angels at the trade deadline. Bush earned the invite to 2024 Spring Training, but ended up being assigned to the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
Bush played the majority of the season with the Barons, and in 14 starts and 80 2⁄3 innings, he was one of the top pitchers in Birmingham’s stacked rotation, with a 2.12 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Ky also finished with a a highly respectable 3.57 FIP, and was fifth of all Barons pitchers in strikeouts with 78. Bush was hot out of the gate in April, making four starts and giving up just three runs, for a 1.27 ERA. He kept rolling right through May and June, roughly averaging a 2.40 ERA — even posting a 0.83 WHIP in June.
Bush’s consistent strong performance as a starter got him promoted to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in July, but he didn’t see the same success as he did in Birmingham. In his first appearance (out of the bullpen, as a “co-starter”), Bush gave up three runs on six hits, including a home run. He left with an 8.10 ERA after that game, and while he did moderately improve throughout his six outings Bush ended up with a 7.01 ERA in 25 2⁄3 innings with the Knights.
Bush was promoted to the Chicago White Sox on August 5, then went back to Charlotte at the end of the month, and subsequently BACK up to the big leagues in mid-September … only to be put on the IL to finish out the season. In four starts (17 innings) with the White Sox, Bush struggled to acclimate to MLB hitters, and ended up with a 5.60 ERA and a 6.28 FIP. He gave up two homers in 20 hits, and struck out 11 batters.
As it turns out, ending the season on the IL was a harbinger of very bad things for Bush, as he has succumbed to TJS and will sit out the entire 2025 season.
Bush’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Durability 59
K/BB 49
Walks 49
Strikeouts 46
vs. Power 42
Hittable 42
Average 47.83
Through no fault of his own, in a competitive starting pitching field Bush has lost a very key year. What could have been his chance to establish himself as a rotation mainstay becomes a yearlong stay on the sidelines that will be painful in more ways than one.
2025 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
14. Ky Bush, LHSP
15. Jeral Perez, SS
16. Jacob Gonzalez, SS
17. Caleb Bonemer, SS
18. Wikelman Gonzalez, RHSP
19. Aldrin Batista, RHSP
20. Sean Burke, RHSP
21. Nick Nastrini, RHSP
22. Blake Larson, LHSP
23. Tyler Schweitzer, LHSP
24. Alexander Albertus, 3B
25. Wilfred Veras, RF
26. Seth Keener, RHSP
27. William Bergolla, 2B
28. Samuel Zavala, CF
29. Peyton Pallette, RHRP
30. Jake Eder, LHSP
31. Juan Carela, RHSP
32. Javier Mogollón, SS
33. Nick McLain, RF
34. Ronny Hernandez, C
35. Casey Saucke, RF
36. Eric Adler, RHRP
37. Rikuu Nishida, 2B
38. Shane Smith, RHSP
39. Tim Elko, 1B
40. Zach DeLoach, LF
41. Riley Gowens, RHSP
42. Prelander Berroa, RHRP
43. Sam Antonacci, 2B
44. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
45. Jarold Rosado, RHRP
46. Ryan Galanie, 1B
47. Trey McGough, LHRP
48. Ricardo Brizuela, RHSP
49. Lucas Gordon, LHSP
50. Aaron Combs, RHRP (traded to Phillies on January 1)
51. DJ Gladney, RF
52. Abraham Núñez, CF
53. Andre Lipcius, 1B
54. Shawn Goosenberg, 1B
55. Caden Connor, 1B
56. Mario Camilletti, 2B
57. Jake Peppers, RHSP
58. Ryan Burrowes, SS
59. Garrett Schoenle, LHRP
60. Jackson Appel, C
61. Tommy Vail, LHSP
62. Bryce Collins, RHRP
63. Tanner McDougal, RHSP
64. Stiven Flores, C
65. T.J. McCants, CF
66. Gil Luna, LHRP
67. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
68. Zach Franklin, RHRP
69. Drew Dalquist, RHRP
70. Nick Altermatt, RHRP
71. Carson Jacobs, RHRP
72. Alec Makarewicz, 1B
73. Jacob Burke, CF
74. Calvin Harris, C
75. Terrell Tatum, CF
76. Phil Fox, RHRP
77. Reudis Diaz, RHSP
78. Jurdrick Profar, SS
79. Drew McDaniel, RHSP
80. Michael Turner, C
81. Caleb Freeman, RHRP
82. Braden Shewmake, SS (designated for assignment on January 1, claimed by Royals)
83. Connor McCullough, RHSP
84. Shane Murphy, LHSP
85. Mikey Kane, 1B
86. Daniel González, LHRP
87. Wes Kath, 3B
88. Pierce George, RHRP
89. Tristan Stivors, RHRP
90. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHRP
91. Chase Plymell, RHRP
92. Eddie Park, CF
93. Loidel Chapelli, 2B
94. Adam Hackenberg, C
95. Adrian Gil, 1B
96. Jared Kelley, RHRP
97. Lyle Miller-Green, 1B
98. Marcelo Alcala, RF
99. Drake Logan, LF
100. Cole McConnell, CF