With the White Sox rotation searching for answers, top pitching prospect Hagen Smith is making a compelling case for his MLB debut.
If the Chicago White Sox have any chance of maintaining their current pace and being a legitimate contender deep into 2026, they're going to need to withstand a very difficult June schedule. They'll also need better performances from a laboring pitching staff.
The White Sox are 2-4 in the month of June so far, and in those four losses, they've allowed 30 total runs to the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia Phillies.
The Sox are going to need more from their starting rotation in particular. After a dazzling debut, right-hander David Sandlin has gotten knocked around in each of his last two outings, and it's becoming more evident that he could still use some time to develop in the minor leagues before joining Chicago's rotation full-time.
After an unbelievable month of May, Anthony Kay got hammered for seven hits and six earned runs in four innings against the Phillies over the weekend. Some of the regression hinted at by his underlying metrics may be starting to arrive. And it's anybody's guess what Kay is going to be for the White Sox moving forward.
Erick Fedde was great his last time out, tossing five scoreless innings against the Twins and earning his first win of the season. But his ERA still sits at 4.94, and I wouldn't bet on Fedde being able to repeat that success, especially against steep competition like the Braves, Yankees, and Dodgers over the next few weeks.
So what is Chicago to do? The trade deadline is still far enough away that it would be difficult for Chris Getz to pull the trigger on a deal for a notable veteran. The best shot the White Sox have at helping their starting rotation tread water is by making an internal promotion, and left-handed pitching prospect Hagen Smith is starting to look up to the challenge.
Perhaps it's time the White Sox gave Smith an opportunity in the big leagues.
Smith had a great start to the 2026 season but was only pitching short outings of about three innings at the beginning of the year as the White Sox looked to build up his arm and preserve his innings with Triple-A Charlotte. Then, just as it seemed like Smith had started to figure out the minor leagues, he hit a rough patch in May.
Over his first four starts of the month, Smith threw 14.1 innings and allowed 11 hits, 14 walks, and 12 earned runs. That raised his season ERA to 4.54, but he has since started to dial in his control and dominate opposing hitters.
In his last three outings, Hagen Smith has thrown 14 innings with just three earned runs allowed and 25 strikeouts. That has lowered his season ERA back down to 3.78 over 13 starts and 47.2 innings. He also has a 13.6 K/9 this season, which is the highest mark of his professional baseball career.
On Sunday afternoon, Smith threw 92 pitches in a scoreless outing and recorded 19 swings and misses over 4.2 innings pitched. Those 92 pitches were a career high, showing not only that he can miss bats in a hitter-friendly environment, but also that he's stretched out enough to work deeper into games if he can become more efficient.
Yes, there are still some things he needs to work on, but given the current state of the White Sox and the confidence Hagen Smith is pitching with right now, it makes sense for his next start to also be his MLB debut.
