White Sox call up top prospect Rodon

Days after the Cubs called up their top of the line prospect, the Chicago White Sox decided it was time to call upon one themselves.

Left handed pitcher Carlos Rodon, who the White Sox drafted using the number three overall pick in the 2014 MLB draft, made his Major League debut on Tuesday.


Image courtesy of whitesoxpride.mlbblogs.com

As a freshman at North Carolina State University, Rodon was named to the All-America team along with being voted the Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year. His stellar freshman season led to a roster spot on Team USA's  collegiate baseball national team.

In 2013 Rodon helped lead North Carolina State to its first College World Series title since 1968. His success during the College World Series continued into the summer as he was also eventually named Team USA's top player in 2013. In 36 career innings for Team USA, Rodon only allowed three earned runs while striking out 42 batters.


Rodon was named the top player for Team USA in 2013.
Image courtesy of baseballamerica.com

During his short run in the minor leagues, he only appeared in 11 games. He had one win in that span while posting a 3.15 Earned Run Average (ERA) with 51 strikeouts over 34.1 innings.

The stat that stands out the most for Rodon during his minor league stint is the 13.4 strikeouts he averaged for every nine innings he pitched. The best pitchers in today's MLB usually average around 10 strikeouts per nine innings pitched over the course of a season. A wicked slider helps attribute to his high rate of striking hitters out. Just ask fellow left handed pitcher Chris Sale what it means to possess an elite slider, he may have idea or two.

Whether it be as a power arm out of the bullpen or eventually joining the starting rotation, Rodon will be a welcoming addition to a White Sox pitching staff that sports a team ERA of 4.19 which ranks in the bottom half in all of baseball.

He may not be put on a pedestal as high as that of crosstown prospect Kris Bryant, but Carlos Rodon has the makings to have just as big of an impact for the White Sox during the remainder of the season. I believe the old adage I'm looking for is "pitching wins championships"?