This might make Chicago White Sox fans blue.
The Athletic released its list of the top starting pitchers in the game on Wednesday, voted upon by a panel of 20 experts in scouting, player development and analytics.
These are the best starters baseball has to offer. But don't take our word for it — we asked MLB scouts, execs and analysts for these rankings.
Presenting, the 2025 edition of our Aces project: https://t.co/scsFwzKTx4 pic.twitter.com/cA8LcjlGA1
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 19, 2025
Each qualified pitcher received a score from No. 1 through 5, with the experts ranking where they’d place the pitcher in a rotation; then, the players were divided into Tier 1 (the inner circle), Tier 2 (the aces), Tier 3 (the perhaps future aces), Tier 4 (the No. 2 and 3 pitchers in the rotation) and Tier 5 (the pitchers who round out the rotation but aren’t considered elite.)
An honorable mention category was included.
And the sad news for the White Sox? Five of its former pitchers were included on the list of baseball’s best. What a rotation they could have made in Chicago.
Honorable mention: Reynaldo Lopez, Atlanta Braves.
Lopez, 31, spent parts of seven seasons with the White Sox before being traded with fellow right-hander Lucas Giolito to the Los Angeles Angels at the 2023 deadline for promising prospects Edgar Quero and Ky Bush (out for season, Tommy John surgery).
With the White Sox, he had a 33-34 record and a 4.38 ERA. With the Braves in 2024, he was 8-5 with a 1.99 ERA and a National League All-Star.
Tier 5: Carlos Rodon
The left-hander was Chicago’s first-round draft pick in 2014 and played seven seasons for the franchise before signing as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants in 2022. A 2021 All-Star, Rodon, 32, was 75-63 with a 3.85 ERA for Chicago. Last year with the New York Yankees: 16-9, 3.96
Tier 3: Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres
The 29-year-old right-hander was fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting after a preseason trade sent him to San Diego. The White Sox received four players in return, including promising pitchers Jairo Iriarte and Drew Thorpe. Cease pitched five seasons with the White Sox (43-35, 3.83) and his record could have been better if the bullpen had been able to hold leads for him.
Tier 2: Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox shelled out a bundle – promising prospects Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, Braden Montgomery and Wikelman Gonzalez – to acquire left-hander Crochet this past offseason, but The Athletic said they got themselves a 25-year-old ace. The No. 11 overall pick of the 2020 draft by the White Sox, Crochet started his career as a reliever and transitioned to a starter last season. He finished 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA, often the victim of Chicago’s anemic offense.
Tier 2: Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves
The 36-year-old Sale was the ace of the White Sox before he was traded to the Red Sox. He spent seven seasons in Chicago, making the American League All-Star team five times, and was 74-50 with a 3.00 ERA. In his six seasons in Boston, he missed nearly two full seasons with injuries but enjoyed a rebirth in 2024 with Atlanta: 18-3, 2.38 ERA and National League Cy Young Award.
The White Sox have an exciting crop of pitchers in the minor leagues nearing their readiness for the big league roster. Chicago will hope they develop to their potential and reach the status of the five former White Sox. The team will need to start winning on the field to hang on to these pitchers and not trade them for prospects.
THE OPENER: Right-hander Sean Burke has a day he will never forget at White Sox camp CLICK HERE:
GOOD NEWS: A strong crop of players could be headed to Chicago soon to bolster the White Sox, thanks to shrewd drafting and trades. CLICK HERE:
JOKE’S ON THEM: A minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs hilariously trolled Shohei Ohtani, but he got the last laugh. CLICK HERE:
