The White Sox improved by 19 wins from the 2024 to the 2025 season, marking significant improvement. Additionally, the White Sox played much better than a 60-102 team for most of the second half, as they had some important contributions from the rookies on the roster.
As we dissect the 2025 season, we will take a look at how each player performed, as well as their outlook for 2026 and beyond. The next player we will take a look at will be Grant Taylor.
Taylor was selected from LSU in the second round of the 2023 MLB draft. He would have likely been a first round pick if it were not for his Tommy John surgery that made him miss his last season in college. Taylor would not pitch in 2023 due to that injury and he made his minor league debut in 2024.
Taylor would also have his 2024 minor league season cut short due to an injury, but he was very impressive in his abbreviated season. Taylor picked up where he left off in 2025, as he had a 1.01 ERA in 26.2 innings in AA. He struck out 37 batters in that time frame, with hitters only hitting .135 against him. This led to his promotion to Chicago, as he made his major league debut on June 10th.
In his major league debut, Taylor threw a clean inning against the Houston Astros. He followed that up with a very respectable June, as he had a 2.70 ERA over 10 innings, striking out 10 while just walking one batter.
Taylor then hit a bit of a rough stretch over the late summer months as he had a 6.10 ERA over 10.1 innings in July, striking out 17 batters while walking six. Hitters hit fared well against him, as they hit .256 off of him in July. In August, he had a 10.80 ERA over 8.1 innings, striking out 12 batters while walking six. He had a 2.59 WHIP and hitters were hitting .429 against him, making it a month to forget.
Taylor rebounded in September, as he had a scoreless month. In eight innings, he struck out 15 batters while walking just two. Opposing hitters only hit .172 against him, as he clearly made an adjustment from August.
Overall, Taylor had a 4.91 ERA over 36.2 innings. He finished with a 1.42 WHIP and 54 strikeouts to just 15 walks. Taylor had a decent BB/9 ratio, as it was only elevated due to a rough stretch where things weren’t going his way.
Grant Taylor.
More stuffed up than a nose in allergy season. pic.twitter.com/eTqLdLjukr
— Dylan Barnas (@NotCease) June 28, 2025
Taylor showcased his elite arsenal and his ability to get consistent swings and misses, as displayed by his 13.25 K/9 ratio. Taylor is just 23 and had only 46 minor league innings under his belt. I would grade him out as a B+, as outside a tough August, he was truly elite. It is very difficult to make the jump from AA to the major leagues and Taylor proved he belongs.
Moving forward, Taylor should find himself in a back end of the bullpen role. However, he was a starter in college and in the minor leagues. Depending on how some of the other starting pitcher prospects perform, he could find himself back in the rotation sooner rather than later.
