Erick Fedde has quietly become one of the White Sox’s most reliable pitchers during their push for the AL Central title.
The Chicago White Sox starting rotation has received plenty of criticism throughout the 2026 season, and oftentimes, that criticism has been justified.
The White Sox have not had a starting pitcher complete six innings since August 21, a fairly outrageous statistic that shows just how unreliable that group has been at times and how overworked Chicago's bullpen has become.
There have been plenty of instances throughout the year when Chicago's starting pitcher never gave the team a realistic chance to win. Over time, the lack of length from those rotation members has started to take its toll.
But we also can't pretend that the starting pitching is the only reason for Chicago's recent struggles. In fact, it's not even the primary reason the White Sox have failed to put away the AL Central during their recent slump.
This week in Cleveland, Sean Burke, Davis Martin and Anthony Kay combined for 14.1 innings while allowing only one earned run. The White Sox lost the series because of bullpen failures, defensive miscues, and the offense struggling with runners in scoring position.
Erick Fedde Continues to Deliver
There's one member of the White Sox pitching staff who hasn't received nearly enough credit for how well he's pitched in 2026, and that was on display again Thursday night.
Right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde delivered 4.2 innings of one-run baseball as the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 3-1 and reclaimed their spot atop the AL Central.
The performance lowered Fedde's ERA for the season to 3.90. But even that number doesn't fully show just how solid he's been for months.
Dating back to the beginning of June, Fedde is 8-4 with a 2.96 ERA over 85 innings. That includes 21 total appearances in which the White Sox are 13-8.
Fedde was pushed to the bullpen in early August after the White Sox acquired Luis Castillo at the trade deadline. But over time, it became blatantly obvious that Fedde was needed in Chicago's starting rotation, whether that meant being used as a traditional starter or pitching bulk innings behind an opener.
Since returning to that role out of necessity on August 18 against the Chicago Cubs, Fedde has recorded a 1.57 ERA and has not allowed more than two runs in a single appearance.
Fedde Finds a Way Without Overwhelming Stuff
The stuff definitely doesn't overwhelm. His fastball averages 94 mph, and Fedde has one of the lowest chase rates in baseball.
Hitters don't expand the zone against him, and he rarely misses bats. But his sweeper has a Stuff+ rating of 111, making it a very solid offering. He throws the pitch 38% of the time, helping him rank in the 97th percentile in breaking run value.
With that one pitch anchoring his arsenal, Fedde has consistently recorded outs for the White Sox and kept them competitive every time he takes the mound. For a White Sox team that will ultimately go as far as its offense can take it, that consistency is invaluable.
Fedde won't win any awards. He won't receive any national recognition for his performance this season. But for a veteran pitcher who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with Chicago during the offseason, it's hard to imagine where the White Sox would be without his 3.90 ERA over 138.1 innings.
That's a solid member of a starting rotation, any way you look at it. Fedde is a veteran arm who always finds a way to make the big pitch and never seems rattled by a big moment.
If the White Sox end up righting the ship and securing the AL Central title for the first time since 2021, Erick Fedde will be a major reason why. He deserves his flowers accordingly.
