After a whirlwind offseason and a waiver claim by the Cubs, left-hander Ryan Rolison is showing increased velocity and renewed promise this spring — and the White Sox may regret letting him slip away.
It’s never easy to let a talented player slip through your fingers. It’s even worse when that player resurfaces with your crosstown rival.
That could be exactly what has happened to the Chicago White Sox with left-handed pitcher Ryan Rolison, who now finds himself with the Chicago Cubs and is already turning heads in spring training.
Rolison was a first-round pick of the Colorado Rockies in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Ole Miss. His minor league career featured its share of ups and downs as a starting pitcher before he transitioned into a bullpen role in 2024. After pitching well across 20 outings in Triple-A Albuquerque in 2025, Rolison finally earned the call and made his MLB debut with the Rockies on May 13, 2025.
The rookie campaign, however, was rocky. Over 31 appearances, Rolison posted a 7.02 ERA and ranked near the bottom of the league in expected batting average, strikeout rate, barrel rate, and chase rate. It was the type of stat line that leaves an organization searching for answers.
Early in the offseason, Rolison was designated for assignment, setting off what became a whirlwind winter. On November 19, the Rockies traded him to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations. On December 12, the White Sox claimed him off waivers after Atlanta designated him for assignment as well. Then, on January 7, the Cubs put in a claim of their own after Rolison was squeezed off Chicago’s 40-man roster.
This time, he has stuck. Rolison remains on the Cubs’ 40-man roster and, through two spring training outings, has looked sharp. He has thrown two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and no walks. He has yet to record a strikeout this spring, but overpowering hitters has never been his calling card.
Instead, the early intrigue lies in the adjustments.
Working with the Cubs’ pitching lab under Tommy Hottovy and Tyler Zombro, Rolison has made mechanical tweaks that have produced a noticeable jump in velocity. As a rookie with Colorado, his fastball averaged 92.9 mph. In his first two outings this spring, it has averaged 95.5 mph — a significant increase at the major league level.
The gains extend beyond the fastball. His changeup is now averaging 90.6 mph, up 3.3 mph from last season, while his curveball is sitting at 82.4 mph — roughly three mph harder than before.
Those may sound like marginal improvements, but in the big leagues, the margins are everything. A few ticks of velocity can change the shape of at-bats, tighten timing windows, and alter the quality of contact.
According to Cubs insider Bruce Levine, Rolison has already caught the attention of manager Craig Counsell early in camp. If the early returns continue, he could emerge as a sleeper candidate to make the Cubs’ roster and carve out a role on the North Side this season.
And if that happens, the implications for the White Sox could sting. Rolison is still just 28 years old, carries former first-round pedigree, and comes with multiple years of club control. If he develops into a productive, multi-inning left-handed reliever for the Cubs, this could quietly become one of the most regrettable decisions of the White Sox’ recent offseason — the kind that lingers, especially when it plays out across town.