White Sox fans will get their first glimpse at the MLB level of right-handed pitching prospect Drew Thorpe. The 23-year-old Thorpe will make his debut after a dominant run in the Minors over the last year and a half, and two trades over five months.
A Look at Thorpe
It’s been an interesting past 12 months for Drew Thorpe, who dominated across two levels last season and found himself traded twice over five months.
A second-round pick out of Cal Poly in 2022, Thorpe rolled in the High-A South Atlantic League. Thorpe struck out 138 over 109 innings with Hudson Valley last season, which earned him the SAL Pitcher of the Year award. He ended 2023 with a 1.48 ERA and a 44:5 K:BB ratio across 30.1 Double-A innings.
Thorpe emerged as one of the Yankees’ best prospects but that wouldn’t last long. The righty was one of several pitchers sent to San Diego in the Juan Soto megadeal. And four months later, Thorpe was packaged to the White Sox in the Dylan Cease trade.
Back in Double-A, Thorpe’s been stellar yet again in 2024. The 23-year-old owns an impressive 1.35 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP over 60 innings. He’s struck 56 and walked 17 in that span.
Rated as the third-best prospect in the White Sox system by MLB.com, Thorpe owns a devastating plus-plus changeup that netted him many whiffs in the Yankees’ system. It’s a low-80s pitch that pairs very well with his low-90s fastball, and it’s an offspeed with tail and hard fade down.
His changeup is a major asset against left-handed hitters but he’ll work both lefties and righties with a low-80s slider with good horizontal break downward. Thorpe’s not a velocity pitcher but he does have control of the strike zone and a very good feel for his offspeed and breaking stuff.
Drew Thorpe will make his MLB debut with the White Sox on June 11, 2024, against the Mariners. Oddly enough, Thorpe will square off with Bryan Woo, his former teammate at Cal Poly.
Analysis
The White Sox haven’t had a great season by any means, as Chicago entered play with a 17-49 record. However, one positive is that the Sox do have a good farm, led by Colson Montgomery and some impressive starters.
Thorpe spent time in Birmingham with several of those names, including Jake Eder, Jairo Iriarte, and a hulking pitcher in Noah Schultz. Thorpe may not be the best of that bunch but he’s polished, to say the least.
If Thorpe can stick with the big club, it’ll be a positive step for a rebuilding White Sox organization.
Fantasy Outlook
As good as Thorpe is, it’s likely wise to wait before going all in on the right-hander right now. The White Sox aren’t a strong team, cutting down his win opportunities. Thorpe, who recorded an astounding 11.8 K/9 last season, only posted an 8.4 K/9 in 2024.
That’s not bad at all and long-term, Thorpe’s ability to control the strike zone makes him a name to watch for years. Just be wary in the interim.