Gamethread: White Sox at Cubs

We have made it to the final Spring Training game of the year. The White Sox (12-13) are visiting Sloan Park to face the Cubs (16-12) once again after yesterday’s exciting tie.

Michael Kopech, 26, will start on the mound for the White Sox. Entering this game, Kopech has a 5.40 in 8 ¹⁄₃ innings of Spring Training action. In 119 ¹⁄₃ innings in 2022, Kopech had a 3.54 ERA, a 3.94 xERA, and a 4.50 FIP, rendering him a 1.0-fWAR pitcher. The right-handed pitcher was phenomenal in April and May 2022 (1.29 ERA, 2.68 FIP), but he struggled down the stretch (4.77 ERA, 5.48 FIP from June onward). Staying healthy has not been easy for Kopech, but the White Sox would greatly benefit from him being able to take the mound consistently in 2023.

Here are this afternoon’s starting lineups:

Drew Smyly, a left-handed pitcher, will pitch for the North Siders. Smyly had a 3.47 ERA in 106 ¹⁄₃ innings in 2022.

The first pitch is scheduled to happen at 2:05 p.m. Central. We will see if the South Siders can even up their Spring Training record at .500.