Yep, you read that right — your eyes are not deceiving you
The White Sox starting rotation has risen to the top of national media attention, and for once, it’s not in an insulting way.
Coming off their 2024 season, when Chicago had the sixth-worst rotation ERA and fourth-worst WHIP, the unlikeliest of players have banded together to put up an impressive start to 2025. Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, Davis Martin, Martín Pérez, and Shane Smith have a combined 0.63 ERA in their five starts, putting the Sox rotation at the top of the league in ERA.
Until Smith pitched, the Sox were the only team in the league that hadn’t surrendered an earned run.
The @WhiteSox starting rotation has not allowed an earned run through 23 innings on the mound this season.
They are the fourth rotation since 1913 to go their first four games without giving up an earned run!
h/t @SlangsOnSports https://t.co/MpB67EHx77
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) March 31, 2025
Even better, South Side starters have given up the fewest hits (13) and second-fewest runs (4) in the league. Their 0.87 WHIP ranks third-best among all 30 teams, and they are one of two teams whose starters haven’t given up a home run this year.
Taking a closer look at this starting rotation, it’s incredible how well the Sox’s pitchers have done. If FanGraphs calculated that the average number of innings per starter is 5.24, and 30 starts is the benchmark for the typical number of starts per pitcher, Burke, Cannon, and Martin’s 256 2⁄3 combined thrown innings pre-2025 add up to less than a year-and-a-half of pitching experience. No other team in the league has that little experience in their one through three rotation spots. Additionally, Smith, Chicago’s fifth starter, has no experience whatsoever in the big leagues.
And from a pitch arsenal standpoint, the starters don’t throw the flashiest pitches. Smith’s fastest pitch in his debut was a 97.3 mph fastball, which is only slightly above the 95 mph baseline that hitters are well-adjusted to these days. The second-fastest hurler is Cannon, who throws a 94.7 mph four-seamer. Burke, Cannon, Martin, Pérez, and Smith validate that substance matters more than style.
Despite having the least amount of experience, the rotation is pitching better than either the star-studded Dodgers or Yankees staff.
At some point, this five-game stretch of excellence will cease, but until then, it’s time to stop doubting and start believing in the Sox. This roster isn’t full of frills, but the starting pitchers are blanking opponents, and the lineup, for the most part, is doing its job to provide run support. That’s more than what we’ve asked for in months.
Stop pinching yourselves, White Sox fans. Wake up and enjoy this weird and wild fever dream before it ends.