The Chicago White Sox are the biggest feel-good story in baseball right now, but they're far from satisfied with that status. Two years after a dreadful 121-loss season, they'll finally play in October again.
So, it only makes sense that Will Venable rewards those who helped them cross the finish line and clinch a playoff berth. If that's the case, then David Sandlin should draw strong consideration to get the ball in the postseason.
The right-handed hurler is coming off the best performance of his White Sox career. Of course, whether he starts or not will also depend on the final standings and whether they can avoid the Wild Card round, but he should at least throw his name in the hat.
The Chicago White Sox found something special in David Sandlin
Sandlin has been a lucky charm of sorts for the Southsiders. His wins came in 22-1, 15-2, and 9-1 blowouts, though the team has a 3-5 record when he's taken the mound. Run support hasn't been an issue here, as they've outscored their opposition 68-44 when he pitches.
At first glance, his 5.58 ERA is far from impressive, though the underlying metrics are more compelling. He has 40 strikeouts against just 13 walks in 40.1 innings of work, boasting a 24.0 percent strikeout rate, a 4.41 FIP, .307 xwOBA, and a 317 wOBA, so his raw numbers should be slightly better; he's just been unfortunate.
He has impressive velocity and control, though he can be vulnerable to the long ball. But with an extensive pitching repertoire, hitters might not be able to figure him out early on, giving the team a strong chance of much-needed quality starts in the playoffs.
The White Sox shocked the baseball world with an unexpected postseason run. And now that they're playing with house money, they might as well keep everyone on their toes by making a somewhat surprising addition to the rotation.
Granted, this might still be a long shot. The White Sox will most likely roll with their four-man rotation of Sean Burke, Davis Martin, Alex Kay, and Erick Fedde. But even if he doesn't get the nod to start, he's more than likely to take the mound at some point, maybe in long-relief duties.
Whatever the case, Sandlin has been a bit of a late-bloomer, and even though Venable's team might be all set with their rotation for now, he's just 25 years old and should be a big part of this team's future.
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