White Sox have a surprising pitcher emerging

Anthony Kay is giving the White Sox something they weren’t supposed to have in April – a starter who can miss bats and hold a lead. And it’s not Noah or Hagen.  On Thursday at Kaufmann, Kay went 5.2 shutout innings in a 2-0 win – 3 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and a 100-pitch grind that still ended with zeros. That outing pushed his early line to 14 2/3 innings, 2.45 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 11 strikeouts.

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The Fastball Is Playing Up

Let’s start with the cheese. Sox Machine clocked Kay’s heater at 96.3 mph on average with a 98.4 mph top end, and Kay admitted the obvious: “Yeah, you have a little bit more confidence when it’s 97, 98, compared to 93, 94.”

That velocity plays because it’s not just straight gas—Statcast has his 2026 four-seamer at 95.8 mph with 15.1 inches of induced vertical break and 7.2 inches of arm-side run.

The Sweeper Is the Difference-Maker

But the real reason this is interesting (for me, and hopefully for you, friends) is the sweeper. Baseball Savant shows Kay’s 2026 sweeper averaging 82.9 mph with 13.2 inches of glove-side break, plus an induced profile built for ugly swings -0.6 inches IVB with that same big sweep.

And it’s not just movement porn. His sweeper has a 37.5% whiff rate in 2026, and it’s been his best bat-misser by a mile.

Not a Fluke Start

That’s why Kay’s start in Kansas City wasn’t a fluke. He showed he can beat hitters with power early, then finish them with shape. He started a bit wobbly while hunting the location, then figured out how to locate his slider and stabilized the second time through.

That’s not a box score accident.

Exactly What the White Sox Need

Is Kay suddenly a frontline ace? I wish. But if you’re the White Sox, you’ll damn sure take it. You need innings, whiffs, and a guy that can force hitters out of sitting dead red.

Right now, Kay is giving them exactly that.

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