The Chicago White Sox are calling up right-hander Drew Thorpe, one of their top pitching prospects, to make his major-league debut on Tuesday, manager Pedro Grifol told reporters Sunday (via NBC Chicago). The White Sox acquired Thorpe from the San Diego Padres in the Dylan Cease trade after the Padres acquired him from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto trade.
Thorpe, 23, was New York's second-round pick in the 2022 draft and he led the minors with 182 strikeouts in 2023. This season he has pitched to a 1.35 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 11 starts and 60 innings with the Double-A Birmingham Barons. He's been especially good lately -- two runs and 11 hits allowed in his last four starts -- and the White Sox are skipping Thorpe over Triple-A entirely.
The legend of Drew Thorpe (@whitesox) continues to grow.
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 6, 2024
MLB's No. 54 prospect twirled 6 sterling innings to bring his ERA to 1.35 in 11 starts for the @BhamBarons: : https://t.co/6aGgG6cFSj pic.twitter.com/oHXDnVSR8c
Rarely does a top pitching prospect get traded twice before making his MLB debut, let alone twice in one offseason. In Thorpe's case, he was traded as the prospect headliner for impact pieces. He was coveted. Soto is simply one of the best players in baseball and Cease was the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2022. Cease and Soto have both performed very well for their new teams.
Our R.J. Anderson did not rank Thorpe among the game's top 50 prospects entering the season. MLB Pipeline ranks Thorpe as the No. 54 prospect in baseball and No. 13 pitching prospect. Here's a snippet of their write-up:
Thorpe's 91-95 mph fastball hasn't wowed much in college or pro ball and would be a borderline below-average pitch if he didn't spot it so well. His high strikeout numbers are driven by a stellar changeup, a low-80s offering that he sells exceptionally well before it hits the brakes and fades just before the hitter's bat. He can get batters to chase the change in pitchers' counts, but they can just as easily be fooled in the zone. Thorpe's 82-85 mph slider has good depth, giving him an above-average breaking option.
Ideally, there'd be a tick or two or more of velocity here, but Thorpe's pitchability makes him at least a back-end starter in the big leagues. Recruited by Cal Poly as a two-way player, he has the athleticism and strength to repeat his simple delivery, pound the strike zone and eat up innings. His ability to sequence and command his pitches makes him more effective, and he immediately became the most advanced pitcher in Chicago's system.
The White Sox essentially have three starters: Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde, and Chris Flexen. Mike Clevinger is out with an elbow issue and Mike Soroka pitched his way into the bullpen. Others like Jonathan Cannon, Brad Keller, and Nick Nastrini have all made starts and mostly pitched poorly. If Thorpe pitches well, the White Sox figure to keep him in the big leagues.
Chicago enters play Sunday with MLB's worst record at 17-48. That is the franchise's worst ever record through 65 games, four games worse than the 1934 team's 21-44 start. The White Sox have been around since 1901.
Thorpe will make his MLB debut at T-Mobile Park in Seattle against the Mariners on Tuesday.