2021 was a great year for our White Sox. A solid regular season with very little competition for the American League Central title was capped by a first round exit in the playoffs. We saw great progression from key White Sox players such as Luis Robert and Andrew Vaughn led to great success, even with the former getting injured. Not only will they need to stay healthy in 2022, the White Sox will need their continued success.
As I covered in my article about 3 questions that the Sox need to answer for 2022, the White Sox need to step up their rotation. That will remain the same; the key to success for the Sox in 2022 will be the sustained success of the pitching rotation. Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Lance Lynn, and Dallas Keuchel anchored the rotation in 2021. Not only did that combination lead to some of the best pitching in the American League, it also led to success in a time where much of the Sox’s lineup was injured.
The Sox peeked midseason in 2021, which was partly due to their injuries. However, it could have been a lot worse had the pitching rotation been lackluster. The White Sox let Carlos Rodon go into free agency, which isn’t as bad as one might think. Rodon has a breakout season last year; however, it is also important to remember that he has never completed a full season in the MLB.
Ever since 2019, Lucas Giolito has become one of the best pitchers in the league. He finished another solid year in 2021 although he didn’t start the year well. Lance Lynn was excellent, as he finished with an ERA of 2.69 and a WHIP of 1.070. He will be the key for this rotation even thought Giolito and Cease will play a major part.
In conclusion, the starting rotation will play the biggest role in the White Sox’s 2022 season. Their performance will likely be the difference between a deep playoff run and another first round exit.
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