Jul 23, 2025; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Jonathan Cannon (48) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

White Sox Reportedly Have Their Starter for Spring Training Opener vs. Cubs

Originally posted on Chicago White Sox on SI
By Elias Schuster | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 3:05 PM ET

The competition starts now for the Chicago White Sox.

Manager Will Venable made clear that there are several spots in the team's starting rotation up for grabs. He even went as far as to say that he expects 10 players to be under consideration throughout Spring Training. And this does not include high-level prospects like Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith.

With that in mind, it comes as little surprise that Venable plans to start the evaluation in Game 1. The Sox are reportedly set to start Jonathan Cannon for their Spring Training opener on Saturday against the Cubs, per MLB's Scott Merkin.

While the 25-year-old may have a slight edge on some of the competition, he is also trying to prove that he has learned from last year's demotion. After serving as one of the Sox' top pitching prospects and making his debut in 2024, Cannon started the 2025 campaign as a mainstay in the rotation. Nonetheless, a shaky couple of months led to a trip back down to Triple-A in August. Once he was finally called back up in September, he didn't start another game.

Jonathan Cannon to Audition in White Sox Opener

Jonathan Cannon's stuff is impossible to ignore.

He offers an incredibly appealing five-pitch arsenal, which is headlined by the strong movement in his sinker and cutter. While he may not be the hardest-throwing arm in the Sox system, Cannon has the potential to be their most polished and controlled starter. He is very good at keeping the ball in the zone and limiting his walks. Nonetheless, the execution has yet to catch up to the promise.

In Cannon's 22 appearances last season, he recorded just a 5.82 ERA. Batters were consistently able to turn on his pitches and execute with runners in scoring position. His hard-hit percentage sat at 45.7 percent, which ranked in just the MLB's 13th percentile.

Cannon: "When you are in the big leagues, there are always people behind you, people on your team. There is always competition. In this league, if you are not doing a great job, you are not going to be doing it for very long."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) February 18, 2026

Again, there is no denying the versatility and command that Cannon has to offer, and he surely has what it takes to be among the league's better ground-ball pitchers. But Cannon has to find a way to force more outs if he wants to reclaim a consistent spot in the rotation.

Saturday will be his first opportunity to bump his stock, and he will have to do it against a talented crosstown lineup. The Cubs' deep arsenal of quality at-bats could tell Venable a lot about where one of his craftest pitchers stand.

This article first appeared on Chicago White Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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