Bruce Levine believes Grant Taylor could anchor the White Sox rotation as their 2027 Opening Day starter — but the organization may see his long-term value differently.
2026 is shaping up to be a formative year for the Chicago White Sox — particularly when it comes to the pitching staff.
Chicago enters the season with a surplus of young starting options, both at the big league level and at the upper levels of the minor leagues waiting in the wings. There is no shortage of arms. What remains to be seen is how many of those arms will prove to be reliable, long-term answers.
That uncertainty is what makes this season so compelling.
As with any legitimate position battle, performance will ultimately dictate opportunity. Over the course of the 2026 regular season, expect the White Sox rotation to evolve organically. If Shane Smith, Davis Martin, and Sean Burke deliver productive campaigns at the major league level, they will continue to receive chances to solidify their roles.
If top prospects such as Noah Schultz or Hagen Smith force the issue with dominant stretches in Triple-A, the organization will almost certainly reward them with rotation spots and big league innings.
The same can be said for the wave of young pitchers on the cusp of breaking through. There are so many that it’s difficult to name them all — and there may be more on the way as certain arms transition from relief roles into starting opportunities.
We’ve already seen that path play out. Garrett Crochet made the move from bullpen weapon to starter with the 2024 White Sox, eventually emerging as an All-Star before being traded to the Boston Red Sox.
This spring at Camelback Ranch, word is that Mike Vasil has aspirations of earning a starting role. He likely won’t be the last young arm to make that push.
And then there’s Grant Taylor.
A prominent voice who knows the organization well recently made a bold prediction about Taylor’s future — one that would undoubtedly excite most White Sox fans.
Bruce Levine, MLB analyst and insider for 670 The Score, has declared Taylor his pick to be the White Sox Opening Day starter in 2027 — not merely a member of the rotation, but the ace taking the ball to open the season.
“He wants to be a starter. He believes he's a starter. He was on that great staff at LSU along with Paul Skenes. His arm is right there. It's the best arm in the White Sox organization. He just has not been able to build innings,” Levine said earlier this week on Mully and Haugh. “Everything that I see about the pitchability of him tells me that he's a starting pitcher.”
Levine’s projection leans on the White Sox’ history of converting elite arms into frontline starters. Chicago once transitioned both Chris Sale and Garrett Crochet from bullpen roles into starting positions, developing each into one of the American League’s premier pitchers.
While general manager Chris Getz and others in the front office have often compared Taylor to Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres, perhaps Levine sees Taylor as more of the next Crochet — even if he operates from the right side.
That sentiment has gained traction among a segment of the fan base this offseason.
I see it differently.
Taylor’s profile currently fits best in the bullpen. In 2025, he ranked in the 98th percentile in extension — a trait that can be devastating in shorter bursts but may present durability concerns over the course of a 150-plus inning season. That kind of delivery can play up in relief; sustaining it every fifth day is a different equation.
White Sox senior advisor to pitching Brian Bannister has conducted extensive research on Taylor’s arsenal and biomechanics and has reached a similar conclusion: at least for now, the bullpen maximizes both Taylor’s effectiveness and long-term health.
Could that change? Certainly. Mechanical refinements over time might allow Taylor to build the durability necessary to handle a starter’s workload. But the organization also believes he has the potential to become one of the most explosive and valuable relievers in baseball — perhaps even a future closer. If he can help the team win games in high-leverage situations without compromising his health, that path may be the more prudent one, especially given the organization’s depth of young starting options nearing MLB readiness.
Still, Levine’s take is undeniably intriguing.
There’s no debate that Taylor’s ceiling is highest as a frontline starter. And based on how dominant he has already looked this spring, it’s difficult to put firm limits on what he might become.
That, ultimately, is what makes this conversation so fascinating.