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White Sox All-Star Shane Smith's Path to Cy Young-winning ACE Status DEMANDS Three Improvements
Episode 1187
Shane Smith was an All-Star in 2025, but can the Chicago White Sox pitcher make the leap to elite ace status? The gap between dominant stuff and consistent excellence requires three critical improvements.
Todd Welter breaks down Smith's path forward, analyzing his stamina concerns after fading in June and July, his underutilized curveball that posted a 48.1% whiff rate, and the advanced metrics where he needs to match Cy Young caliber arms like Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes.
The discussion also examines the organizational dysfunction that followed Tony LaRussa's rehiring five years ago, when unclear leadership between Jerry Reinsdorf, Kenny Williams, and Rick Hahn contributed to the franchise's decline. Plus, the Sherman Johnson hiring from the Baltimore Orioles organization signals the White Sox's direction for their hitting coach position, with Ryan Fuller's network likely playing a key role.
0:00 Intro
1:04 Shane Smith's path from dude to ace
3:07 Stamina issues derailed Smith's rookie season
6:11 Pitch selection needs improvement for success
8:12 Comparing Smith to Cy Young winners
9:14 Tony La Russa hire marked franchise dysfunction
12:18 Jerry Reinsdorf's regret that changed everything
15:25 Would La Russa have succeeded in Chicago
17:28 Front office finally functioning with collaboration
19:29 Sherman Johnson hire signals hitting philosophy direction
22:32 Why Marcus Timms had to go
24:35 Joel McKeith makes sense as hitting coach
27:09 What the hitting coach role requires
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Published on 5 days, 13 hours ago