Chicago White Sox: Davis Martin cracks list of top-10 starting pitchers in MLB

Prior to the 2026 MLB season, the Chicago White Sox named Shane Smith as their Opening Day starter, and they did so very early in Spring Training. At the time, it made sense. After all, Smith was an All-Star last year and, most everyone thought, the best pitcher on staff.

But how wrong they were! Smith was demoted to Triple-A before too long due to poor performance and then ended up on the injured list.

So far this season, Davis Martin has been the clear ace of Chicago’s staff. What is more, he is putting up numbers that rival the best pitchers in the game. Now that the season is one-third of the way done, it is also clear that he is no fluke.

Chicago White Sox RHP Davis Martin named the 10th-best starting pitcher in MLB

Every week, MLB.com releases its top-ten list of starting pitchers in baseball. The names on the list are recognizable to even casual fans, and this week saw Martin ranked 10th for his first appearance in the rankings:

“The biggest surprise in baseball may reside on the south side of Chicago, with the feel-good White Sox entering play on Wednesday in possession of a Wild Card spot. A big reason why? That would be Martin, a 29-year-old righty who entered the year with a pedestrian 4.32 ERA in 51 career big league appearances. This year has been a remarkably different story.

“He is 6-1 with a 1.61 ERA and a 268 ERA+ — which is to say, essentially, that he has pitched at a rate 168% better than league average. It is sustainable? Maybe not to that extent, but Martin does a lot of things right. He pounds the strike zone, confuses hitters with a three-fastball mix and also wields a plus changeup.”

Chicago would not be where they are right now without Martin, who has been a stabilizing force on what has been an otherwise shaking starting rotation.

If they can find a piece or two to add behind him, the White Sox could make even more noise.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox reason for Munetaka Murakami blunder revealed
• White Sox reconstruct lineup in aftermath of Miguel Vargas x-rays
• Recent White Sox ranking reveals how badly team misses Kyle Teel

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