27-year-old right-hander Tyler Davis goes from undrafted college first baseman to an MLB bullpen in under three years as the White Sox continue to cycle through relief arms.
For the Chicago White Sox bullpen, the 2026 season has been one big game of musical chairs to this point, and there’s no sign of it slowing down.
The White Sox made another roster move on Thursday morning as they prepared for the series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the afternoon.
Chicago selected the contract of 27-year-old right-handed pitcher Tyler Davis while designating Lucas Sims for assignment.
Davis has quite the story on his path to Major League Baseball.
As a freshman at Wichita State in 2018, he was a key part of the Shockers’ pitching staff, posting a 3.66 ERA in 51.2 innings. He then transferred to Panola College to develop as a two-way player, spending one season there before moving on to Sam Houston State University.
At Sam Houston State, Davis gradually evolved into a regular two-way player and eventually a full-time first baseman in 2023.
Between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, his final two years in college, Davis pitched just four innings. He went undrafted but was picked up for the 2024 season by the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League, giving him a chance to play independent baseball and get on the radar of professional organizations. He did exactly that. By June of 2024, the White Sox had signed Davis and began moving him through their minor league system.
He pitched at four different levels that season, reaching as high as Triple-A, though he spent most of his time in Low-A Kannapolis. In 2025, Davis spent the entire year with Double-A Birmingham, posting a 3.17 ERA across 41 appearances and 54 innings. He was featured in the Arizona Fall League and assigned to Triple-A Charlotte to begin the 2026 season.
So far in 2026, Davis is 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA in 7.1 innings at Triple-A. The numbers may not jump off the page, but the underlying stuff has been impressive. His fastball is averaging 96.4 mph, and he ranks in the 83rd percentile in swinging strike rate among Triple-A pitchers. He’s also in the 86th percentile in zone contact rate. In other words, Davis can attack the strike zone and still miss bats because his stuff plays.
That’s how you go from an undrafted free agent and former college first baseman to the major leagues in less than two years.
Whether or not he sticks at the big league level remains to be seen. The White Sox have already cycled through arms like Tyler Schweitzer and Duncan Davitt this season, calling them up only to send them back down shortly after debuting.
It’s possible they’re simply borrowing Davis to get through the remainder of this Arizona series.
Regardless, reaching the big leagues is a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment that nobody can take away from him. And when it’s all said and done this season, I do think the White Sox bullpen will ultimately be decided by merit. There’s plenty of opportunity to establish yourself, and the cream will rise to the top. If Davis handles his business and performs, there’s no reason he can’t stick in Chicago for a while.