The day White Sox fans have been waiting for is finally here.
In another benchmark moment on the timeline of this rebuilding process, top-ranked pitching prospect Michael Kopech will make his major league debut Tuesday night in a game against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Kopech, acquired in the rebuild-jumpstarting trade that sent Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox, has been the subject of much attention at Triple-A Charlotte this season. After he dominated at the Double-A level in his first season in the White Sox organization, striking out 155 batters in his 22 starts, he’s had an up-and-down 2018 campaign. But boy has he been electric of late.
He was dominant in his first five starts of the season, with a 2.86 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 27 innings of work. But over a two-month stretch from early May to early July, he had a 5.69 ERA with 47 walks over 12 starts. But Kopech got things back on track in a big way. He’s allowed just nine earned runs and struck out 59 batters compared to just four walks in his last 44 innings over seven starts. He posted a 3.70 ERA on the season at Charlotte.
Kopech’s long been advertised as a flamethrower with blow-em-away stuff, and that has obviously grabbed the imaginations of White Sox fans dreaming of him anchoring the rotation of the future. Kopech’s the highest-profile of the team’s wealth of starting-pitching prospects that includes Dylan Cease, Dane Dunning and Alec Hansen, among others.
But Kopech’s arrival — as well as that of outfielder Eloy Jimenez, who could also be up before season’s end — will bring the most excitement. The 22-year-old is ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the game by MLB Pipeline.
It’s a strong indication that Hahn’s rebuilding effort is moving along as planned, even if the big league squad is struggling in the win-loss department. Kopech’s promotion is changing the storyline surrounding this team from waiting for the youth movement to watching it in action.