José Quintana returns to the South Side for what could be his final career start, with his former team chasing an AL Central title.
Left-handed pitcher José Quintana is a well respected player from Chicago White Sox history.
He was never the most dominant pitcher, and he won't to have his number retired by the franchise. But from 2012 through 2017, Quintana spent six seasons with the White Sox as a model of consistency.
In each of his first four full major league seasons, all with the White Sox, he threw more than 200 innings, made every scheduled start and posted an ERA no higher than 3.51.
His stuff never jumped off the page. He was never among the league leaders in strikeouts, and he made the All-Star team only once, in 2016. But Quintana was about as reliable a starting pitcher as you could ask for. That has largely continued even in his time away from the White Sox.
Since being traded to the Chicago Cubs halfway through the 2017 season in a blockbuster deal, Quintana has pitched for eight different franchises. As recently as 2025, he went 11-7 with a 3.96 ERA as a regular member of the Milwaukee Brewers’ starting rotation, one of the best teams in baseball that went all the way to the NLCS.
Looking for another opportunity as a rotation regular, Quintana signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies for the 2026 season. He started the year looking like his old self, posting a 3.97 ERA through his first seven starts despite pitching roughly half of those games at Coors Field. Quintana then had a rough outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks at the end of May and landed on the 60-day IL with a left elbow sprain, an injury that could have ended his season.
Fortunately, he’s back on the mound. Quintana returned for the Rockies on September 19 against the Seattle Mariners. But as much as White Sox fans may want to root for his continued success, he could stand in the way of his old team winning a division title this weekend.
White Sox Face Quintana on Saturday
Quintana is the Rockies’ probable starter on Saturday at Rate Field. While the White Sox have already clinched a postseason berth, they still have plenty to play for, with the AL Central title and a first-round bye hanging in the balance.
Now 37, Quintana could be nearing the end of his career, especially after the injury he suffered this season. If this is his final start, it’s fitting that he’ll make it on the South Side of Chicago. I’m not sure anybody imagined when he debuted in 2012 that Quintana would throw more than 2,000 innings, strike out nearly 2,000 batters and become one of the most reliable and underrated starting pitchers of his era.
He deserves some love and appreciation from White Sox fans on Saturday. But the minute that first pitch is thrown, the gloves come off. The White Sox offense needs to get after Quintana early and often and help the team take care of business.
It’s an ironic twist, and in many ways, it’s the beauty of baseball: An old White Sox friend could stand in their way of a division title this weekend.
