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White Sox Opening Day rotation: Grant Taylor gets the ball, and Chicago’s rebuild officially turns toward the mound

CLEVELAND — The Chicago White Sox spent 2025 proving they weren’t just “better,” they were different — 31 more wins, a roster that looked younger by the week, and a fan base that could actually see the outline of what’s coming.

Now it’s Opening Day 2026, and the message is loud and clear: the next step in this climb is going to be written in innings.

Manager PJ Bishop is handing the first pitch of the season to Grant Taylor, a 23-year-old flamethrower who looks like the kind of arm you build a staff around. Behind him? A mix of upside, one stabilizing veteran, and two high-variance bets that will determine whether this is a .500 push… or another year of “almost.”

The 2026 Opening Day starting rotation (in order)

1) Grant Taylor (RHP)
This is the headline. Taylor isn’t just “promising,” he’s already punishing. His fastball lives in the upper-90s (touching 99) and plays like a statement, and the results last year backed up the hype: 1.59 ERA, 71 strikeouts in 56.2 innings, and the kind of swing-and-miss profile that changes a series.
Opening Day assignments are symbolic — and Chicago’s symbol is a power pitcher who looks ready to be the face of the next era.

2) Jack Flaherty (RHP)
The Sox didn’t just add a name — they added a governor. Flaherty, signed to a two-year, $18 million deal, brings something this rotation needed badly: a track record of taking the ball and navigating a lineup multiple times. He’s coming off a 159-inning season, and for a young team trying to stack weeks of consistent baseball, that matters.
He’s not here to be the savior. He’s here to be the adult in the room.

3) Mike Vasil (RHP)
Vasil earned the ace treatment last year — and earned it the hard way. He logged 176.2 innings with a 3.21 ERA, won 11 games, and made the All-Star team, carrying a staff that was talented but still learning how to live through the grind.
Bishop said earlier this winter that Vasil “earned his All-Star bid,” and the next challenge is building a better staff around him. This is that staff — or at least the first draft of it.

4) Jonathan Cannon (RHP)
Cannon’s 2025 was a warning label: 5.67 ERA, 24 home runs allowed in 93.2 innings. The stuff isn’t the issue — the margin for error is. He’s an extreme fly-ball type, and when his misses leaked over the plate last season, they didn’t come back.
But this is also why he’s here: the Sox believe the adjustment is real, and if he turns those loud mistakes into routine outs, this rotation suddenly gets deeper in a hurry.

5) Tyler Schweitzer (LHP)
Schweitzer is the wild card — a lefty who took his lumps last year (7.51 ERA in 56.1 innings) but still has a path to value if he can locate, steal strikes early, and keep games from snowballing.
For a young team, the fifth spot isn’t about perfection. It’s about surviving turns through the order and handing the game to the bullpen with a chance to win.

The bigger picture: “Pitching is coming” isn’t a slogan — it’s the plan

Bishop’s offseason theme was blunt: the White Sox are young, and the next leap is about closing the gap in tight games. Chicago knows the difference between “nearly .500” and “playoff team” often comes down to protecting those 1–3 run leads — and that starts with starters who don’t force the bullpen to cover five innings every night.

This rotation isn’t finished. It’s a snapshot of where the rebuild is right now:

One potential frontline monster (Taylor)

One steady veteran anchor (Flaherty)

One proven workhorse coming off an All-Star year (Vasil)

Two development swings (Cannon, Schweitzer)

On Opening Day, the White Sox aren’t pretending they’ve arrived. They’re telling you how they plan to get there.