Chicago White Sox: 4 players showing out in World Baseball Classic provides hope for 2023

Lance Lynn is showing he is ready to dominate in 2023.

Lynn missed the first two months of last year with a knee injury. He struggled when he returned in June of 2022 on the mound. He posted a 6.19 ERA in three starts that month and then was even worse in July with a 6.54 ERA. He was much better in August and September, but Lynn was not the consistent dominant force as he was in 2021.

He is showing in the World Baseball Classic that he is ready to pick up where he left off at the end of the 2022 season.

He dominated Canada in his first start.

Lynn was shaky in his quarterfinal start against Venezuela, but he only allowed two runs despite having runners reach base in three of the four innings he pitched.

Lynn has eight strikeouts in nine innings pitched and a .78 WHIP. The White Sox needs this version of Lynn to stabilize the rotation.

Dylan Cease is the clear ace of the staff, but the rotation’s inconsistency last year is one of the reasons the Sox fell short of expectations in 2022. Lucas Giolito did not pitch well at all. Michael Kopech battled injuries.

General manager Rick Hahn added Mike Clevinger to the 2023 rotation, but he is coming off a bad season and offseason controversy. Having a steady and solid Lance Lynn in the rotation to back up Dylan Cease will give the Sox a very sound first and second starting option to contend for a division title.

Although, Lynn is missing out on a chance to log some Spring Training innings with the new pitch clock. The World Baseball Classic is not using the pitch clock that Major League Baseball is implementing this season. Lynn did at least get one Spring Training start before heading off to the WBC and he did all right.