chicago_suntimes
If Sean Burke's emergence continues and Davis Martin stays healthy, and the White Sox acquire the impact starters they covet, the possibility exists that Grant Taylor could join a rotation that becomes a strength next season.
That potential still pales next to the hype surrounding the LSU rotation Taylor was set to lead alongside Paul Skenes before Tommy John surgery cut short his collegiate career.
"If I had both of those suckers, that might have gone down as one of the greatest pitching staffs of all time," said University of Georgia head coach Wes Johnson, who oversaw LSU's pitching staff in 2023. "You know who else was committed to come to LSU that we ended up losing was [Jacob] Misiorowski. The Brewers gave him his money."
Before Johnson left his role as Twins pitching coach in 2022 to join LSU, he had already coached both of Taylor's older brothers at Arkansas. Even without having pitched a game under Johnson, Taylor calls him "very pivotal in my life and my career," and traces of their work together remain in the way the right-hander's wrist moves on his curveball and how he coils on his back hip before exploding toward the plate.
But just as familiar to Johnson is the mindset Taylor displayed during his multiple marathon relief appearances in the White Sox playoff run. That same nature will be present as Taylor adapts to starting in the majors, compiling innings loads he has never approached before.
"One of the things I love about Grant is something you can say about a lot of good players," Johnson told the Sun-Times. "The great ones can take their mind and push it to an uncomfortable place, and then challenge themselves there. Grant is one of the best at it that I've had in a while."
Taylor's game reflects that. His fastball velocity ranks in the 96th percentile among MLB pitchers. His extension—the distance he stretches from the pitching rubber to release the ball—is in the 95th percentile, despite that category being dominated by taller, lankier pitchers than the burly, six-foot-three Taylor.
After a lat strain in Low-A in 2024 and post-start soreness in Double-A in 2025, some in the organization questioned whether Taylor pushed his body too far to hold up as a starter. In his amateur assessments, Johnson said the right-hander drives more force into the ground with the front leg of his delivery than any pitcher he has ever measured.
Beyond his 32.5% strikeout rate against big league hitters, the White Sox are justifying Taylor's move to the rotation with his clean health history in Chicago and his ability to reliably harness his power. Also, staying healthy as a reliever is not necessarily easier.
"There are some tremendous benefits with player health and production when going to the rotation, if they have certain attributes that will react well," said general manager Chris Getz. "Based on what we've learned about Grant and what Grant has learned about himself in the major leagues, we felt it was the right time."
"I've gotten really good at my routine," Taylor said in mid-September. "It's just being able to find that extra edge to take things up a notch every single day."
Even as Taylor's results waned in the Division Series against Cleveland, seemingly alongside extremely heavy usage, he largely maintained his velocity and insisted he physically felt up to the task at every turn. Was that a testament to a 24-year-old whose consistency has grown over the last 18 months and who has met the team's criteria for graduating to starting? Or is it a testament to a pitcher wired to push the limits of possibility until the day he has to be dragged off the field? With Taylor, both are in play.
Key Analysis
Taylor's rare combination of elite physical tools and mental fortitude sets him apart. His ability to embrace discomfort and challenge himself aligns with the demands of a starting role, and the White Sox are betting that his health and routine will hold up. As Johnson put it: "There'll be a transition there, but boy, I tell you what: man, that sucker's built different—mentally and physically."
Originally reported by chicago_suntimes.