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The Chicago White Sox are 53-46 on the season. Not only is this immensely better than anyone thought they would be at this point in the year, but it is also good enough for first place in the American League Central Division. Whereas many thought that Chicago would, once again, be among the worst teams in the league, they are now among the best.
The reason for this has primarily been the high-powered White Sox offense. All season long, they have ranked among MLB leaders in team home runs. Unfortunately, their starting pitching, by in large, has not been able to match how impressive their batting order is.
In order for them to continue stacking wins and secure a postseason spot, they need the pitchers they already have to step up.
Chicago White Sox LHP Anthony Kay gets called out in latest MLB power rankings
One of the pitchers that Chicago hoped would be a reliable starter for them in 2026 was Anthony Kay. After playing two seasons in Japan and seeing some success, returned to MLB by signing with the White Sox.
He has not been as good as the team had hoped, as The Athletic wrote in their weekly power rankings:
“After two seasons in Japan, where he posted a 2.84 ERA in 48 games, the White Sox signed Kay to a two-year, $12 million contract with a mutual option for the 2028 season. So far, his return stateside has been a mixed bag of sorts.
“Entering Monday, Kay had a 4.24 ERA over 20 games (18 starts), though xERA (5.34) and FIP (5.08) suggest he’s been a bit worse than advertised. There have been some highlights, like six scoreless innings against the Guardians in June, as well as some lowlights, like a six-run blowup against the Phillies, also in June.
“Kay also leads the league with 18 hit-by-pitches. Any more and he’s putting himself in territory with guys named James McJames and Phenomenal Smith.”
The White Sox, by the way, were slotted in at tenth in the power rankings. These particular rankings not only listed each MLB team in order from best to worst, but also identified the player on each team that needs to improve the most.
Obviously, they believe the White Sox player that needs to show some improvement is Kay.
The fact of the matter is that Chicago likely is not going to land one of the big-name rental starting pitchers on the trading block. In order for their staff to improve, pitchers like Kay need to realize the potential the team saw in them.
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