The White Sox are not expected to be good in 2025, so the season should be focused on player development, as they have a ton of young guys on the roster that could get significant playing time. This could be huge in the player’s development, as sometimes it can take a few seasons for players to get accustomed to the major leagues, but it could potentially be accelerated by consistent playing time.
There will be a lot of roster decisions to be made, especially in Spring Training, but much like last year, expect the roster to be consistently evolving to allow the younger players to get a shot at more playing time.
One of the spots on the team that currently has the most ambiguity is the bullpen, as there are many combinations that the team could break Spring Training with. However, every one of those combinations should include Jordan Leasure, as he showed promise in his first taste of the major leagues.
It seems that Leasure has become a forgotten name in the Chicago White Sox bullpen discussion, as he had a very intriguing season last year.
Leasure broke camp with the team and had a solid MLB debut where he would strike out one batter while giving up no runs. Then, in the month of April he would have six more scoreless appearances in a row, which gave him seven straight scoreless appearances to start his career.
Leasure would finish April out with a very solid 3 ERA. He followed it up with a fantastic May, as he had a 2.31 ERA over 12 appearances, striking out 12 over 11.2 innings. Leasure had a very solid 1.1 WHIP and hitters only hit .146 off him. The only issue he had was the walks, as he walked seven, but he was clearly able to limit the damage.
Jordan Leasure's 2Ks to help get out of an inherited bases loaded no-out jam. pic.twitter.com/TttYkpDGn3
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 10, 2024
Leasure would have a solid start to June before giving up a few runs in one inning. Then, out of nowhere, the White Sox optioned him to AAA to allow him to get some rest for his arm, as they gave him a lot of work out of the ‘pen. He did not pitch much in AAA, but was able to make his way back to the majors a month later in July, where he had a string of a few bad outings.
Leasure was then placed on the injured list and didn’t pitch in the majors after July 14th. This lead people to forget about him, but now healthy and ready for Spring Training, Leasure should be in the conversation for the setup role in the bullpen, potentially working his way to the closer spot.
Jordan Leasure escapes the no out, bases loaded jam ????
— Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) May 10, 2024
Leasure has very good stuff and he will likely pitch similarly to how he did early in the season, rather than right before he was put on the injured list. This will be a big year for him, but he should get every opportunity to show that he belongs in the majors.
