Sunday, February 23

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The early mound focus related to White Sox Spring Training has been directed at Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, which is understandable for the top two left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. 

But don’t sleep on Grant Taylor. The right-hander only features 19 1/3 innings between the Rookie-level Arizona White Sox and Single-A Kannapolis on his 2024 professional resume, having been selected in the second round of the 2023 Draft while recovering from Tommy John surgery and then dealing with a lat injury last season.  

Taylor also has the stuff and the makeup to be a top-of-the-rotation starter. His live BPs have drawn as much buzz as those from Schultz and Smith, with Taylor set to make his Cactus League debut Sunday in Surprise against the Royals. 

 
“Gosh, he’s got some big stuff. He threw a live session the other day and it was 97-99 [mph] and cutters and sliders,” said general manager Chris Getz of Taylor. “For Grant, it’s about being healthy and keeping him in the routine of being a starting pitcher, because we know that the stuff is going to play. 

“It’s just a matter of the recovery between outings and when the time comes, he’ll get his chance. Really, it’s about getting his workload in a place where we can just let him go at the Major League level and not have to worry about a buildup.”

There will be a measured innings limit for Taylor this season, but he feels good and ready to go. The learning process already has begun within his first big league Spring Training. 

“Learn a lot. Compete a lot. It will be a lot of fun to face some of the bats,” Taylor said. “This is where you want to be.  

“Top of the league, you want to be in the big leagues. You don’t want to play in the Minor Leagues so I think it will be fun to see where I match up. Learn from mistakes and get better.” 

Although Taylor did not crack MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, he has received that honor from Baseball Prospectus and FanGraphs. Taylor certainly appreciates the recognition but has kept everything in proper perspective. 

Those Top 100 lists don’t guarantee Major League success, after all. 

“I try to stay away from looking at all that. I don’t want that to be in my mind as I’m working,” Taylor said. “I want to work like I’m the last guy on every list. At some point you have to go do it in The Show. I want to turn all that prospect [notice] into a really good big leaguer.” 

What does Taylor pitch like when truly on his game? Think “power control,” according to the 22-year-old, although he doesn’t consider himself a command pitcher.  

“I’m not trying to hit a gnat flying through the air,” Taylor said. “Throw my power stuff in the zone and make you hit it. Everyone has mapped out a good plan. You want to stick to it and make sure I show up healthy, ready to go.” 

If things play out into the future, Taylor, Schultz, and Smith could be anchoring the White Sox rotation when the team hits its competitive window out of this latest rebuild. Currently, their lockers sit in the same row in the middle of the White Sox clubhouse at Camelback Ranch. 

Getting to the Major Leagues also would put Taylor across from Paul Skenes, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year, Taylor’s one-time pitching mate at LSU and friend. The two talk on the phone a couple of times per month but text more frequently, with Taylor picking his brain on baseball information. 

“He’s pretty smart. He’s not a bad guy to run some stuff by,” said Taylor of Skenes. “It’s funny because when we first met him at LSU, none of us knew initially he was going to be on [Late Night with Seth Meyers]. 

“We all saw him in the fall competing and it was like, ‘This dude is going to be really special.’ To me he’s still just the goofy kid that I met at school. He’s doing all these awesome things on and off the field, and I’m super happy for him.” 

Drew Thorpe threw his second bullpen Friday morning, as he works his way back from an offseason soreness setback connected to Sept. 7 surgery to shave down a bone spur in his right elbow. 

“He feels great right now,” said Getz of Thorpe, who seems unlikely to break with the team. “We want to appropriately build him up and we’ll make a decision at the end of spring on how we want to deploy our starting rotation. He’s certainly in the plans this year for the long term.”

• I’ve partaken six times in my hotel’s free breakfast, with scrambled eggs being the choice on five of those occasions and mini cheese omelets on the sixth. I have an issue really knowing how much eggs to take, as I always take too much. 

• It was a good night had by all when the White Sox beat writers went to dinner Thursday at Firebirds in Peoria. We finished just in time to watch Connor McDavid score the game-winner in overtime during the USA/Canada hockey game -- probably not a good idea to leave McDavid open in the slot. Firebirds gets my highest recommendation. 

• I didn’t watch all of SNL’s 50th anniversary show, but what I saw was very funny. Steve Martin’s monologue, Eddie Murphy impersonating Tracy Morgan, Bill Murray on Weekend Update and Adam Sandler’s poignant song were my favorites.  

• More U-turns happen in Arizona, or better yet, in Glendale, then all other 49 states combined. I have no data to support this hypothesis, but I believe it to be fact. 

“He’s got weapons that can get both-sided hitters out. He’s got the mentality to do it. And he’s pitched in big moments at the Major League level. He’s got traits that indicate he could be good in any role in the bullpen, including the back end.” -- Getz on Mike Clevinger potentially closing for the White Sox, despite adding it’s too soon to make that call 

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