Prior to the beginning of the season, many baseball scouts and analysts, including this writer, felt the Chicago White Sox had the best bullpen in baseball.

While the bullpen has been a bit inconsistent, the White Sox have featured starting pitching that has been better than advertised.

Even with only a one month sample size, the White Sox veteran rotation, with some youth sprinkled in, has kept their team in games, giving them a chance to win. They have been remarkably consistent and steady.

Manager Tony La Russa will now rely on his pitching staff, speed on the bases and defense to compensate for the recent loss of budding star Luis Robert. Robert will be out an estimated 12-16 weeks with a Grade 3 hip flexor strain, which is a complete tear.

The club has already been playing without injured slugger Eloy Jimenez, who has not played at all this year. Pitching is even more important.

When totally healthy, the White Sox starting rotation consists of left-hander Carlos Rodon, right-hander Lucas Giolito, righty Dylan Cease, left-hander Dallas Keuchel and veteran righty Lance Lynn.

Lynn, 34, has returned from almost two weeks on the injured list with a mild right trapezius (a triangle shaped muscle in the back) strain.

Perhaps the biggest surprise and most positive story of the White Sox rotation is the success of crafty 28-year-old Carlos Rodon.

Rodon was a 1st round selection by the White Sox in the 2014 First Year Player Draft out of North Carolina State University. He was the 3rd player selected in that draft, earning a $6,582,000 signing bonus, the highest total of that year. His bonus was $860,500 over the recommended slot.

Rodon threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians April 14, 2021. But for hitting Indians catcher in the foot with a runaway slider, Rodon would have had a perfect game.

Rodon missed most of the 2020 season while recovering from 2019 Tommy John surgery. He made only four appearances in the short 60-game season, pitching only 7.2 innings.

Rodons near perfect game wasnt his only gem so far this season.

Rodon won his first four 2021 games, throwing 25 innings and yielding only seven hits and three runs. He walked nine while striking out 36. Rodon yielded only one home run in those four starts.

Rodon has fashioned his mastery with a very simple repertoire of a fastball that sits at 95 miles per hour, a slider, and a changeup. Upon a very rare occasion, Rodon will sneak in a curve.

Rodon has been changing the eye level of the hitter and altering the hitters balance by using any of his pitches in any count. He isnt predictable. He gets ahead in counts and controls the at-bat, putting the hitter on the defensive, trying to protect the strike zone.

If Rodon maintains his existing dominance, he can be a very valid American League Cy Young Award candidate.

Lucas Giolito is in a prime, age 26 season.

Giolito was obtained by the White Sox on December 7, 2016, in a trade between Chicago and the Washington Nationals. The White Sox sent outfielder Adam Eaton to Washington for Giolito, and pitchers Dane Dunning and Reynaldo Lopez.

The Nationals selected Giolito in the first round of the 2012 June Draft out of Harvard-Westlake High School in California. He was the 16th player taken overall, and he earned an over-slot signing bonus of $$2,925,000.

In his first six starts so far, Giolito threw 30.2 innings, yielding 27 hits and 19 runs.

The improvement in Giolitos changeup has earned him the reputation as a legitimate consistent All Star and Cy Young Award candidate.

Giolito threw a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates last August.

An All Star in 2019, Giolito has had some sparkling outings so far this year, but hes experienced some hiccups as well. For example, in a start against the Boston Red Sox in mid-April, Giolito lasted only one inning. He yielded eight hits and eight runs, seven of them earned.

Giolitos fastball sits at 93 miles per hour, but it is his devastating changeup that has earned raves from opposing hitters. Using that pitch more than a third of the time (34.5%), Giolito has been keeping the hitter guessing. Its tough to adjust from 93 miles per hour to 81 miles per hour when a pitchers arm slot and delivery remain the same. The hitter doesnt know when the changeup is coming, but he looks for it. And he may be guessing wrong. It may be the fastball, or the effective slider or curveball. Giolitos complete repertoire and solid command give him a great advantage against the hitter.

Giolito is averaging 12 strikeouts per nine innings, the same as last year.

A 6th round selection in the 2014 Draft, the Chicago Cubs chose Dylan Cease out of Milton High School in Georgia.

On July 3, 2017, the Cubs traded Cease to the White Sox along with slugger Eloy Jimenez and position players Bryant Flete and Matt Rose for pitcher Jose Quintana. It may be among the most lopsided trades in baseball history, with the White Sox gaining two high impact players in Cease and Jimenez.

At the age of 25, Cease is beginning to realize the upside and potential scouts saw in his early development years.

Finally getting a chance to pitch in their rotation, the White Sox have been patient as Cease has become more consistent repeating his delivery and commanding all his pitches. From start to start, Cease has shown growth and improvement in his first four games.

Cease has pitched 24.1 innings, striking out an average of 10.7 hitters per nine innings. However, he has walked 4.4 hitters per nine, still a bit too high for comfort.

Cease uses a fastball/slider/curveball combination as the bulk of his repertoire. He is averaging 96.8 miles per hour on his fastball, which he is now more able to locate at any quadrant of the plate. He also throws an 85 miles per hour slider to keep the hitter off balance.

Cease also throws a changeup to offer a complete arsenal of pitches. He mixes and matches pitches well.

On a standard scouting scale of 20-80, this scout graded Ceases fastball at a grade 70 when he was scouted early in his development. Thats rare air.

Cease had trouble commanding that pitch early in his career, but the improvement in throwing more strikes is a credit to his hard work and his pitching coaches. His curveball was an above average offering early in his career, and that pitch has improved as well. He can buckle the knees of even the best hitters.

If Cease continues to improve, the White Sox will have a reliable pitcher in their rotation for years to come. He is turning on the switch and becoming a very credible starting pitcher with even more to offer in his tank.

Dallas Keuchel is seen as a ground ball throwing machine. In fact, more than 55% of balls put in play against Keuchel are hit on the ground. That statistic is made even more critical when one figures the double plays his pitches help induce.

Keuchel is in his age 33 season, his 10th as a major league pitcher.

Keuchel was originally chosen by the Houston Astros in the 7th round of the 2009 draft out of the University of Arkansas.

After becoming a free agent in October 2018, Keuchel signed with the Atlanta Braves in June of 2019. The White Sox signed him as a free agent this past December.

Keuchel was an American League All Star in 2015 and 2017. He won 20 games for Houston in 2015.

Keuchel throws a sinking fastball 53.6% of the time. At 89 miles per hour, hitters hit on top of the ball and pound it into the ground. Even in this era of the uppercut swing, Keuchels pitches are tough to elevate. He also throws a cutter, a wicked changeup and a slider. His changeup is a terrific out pitch that compliments his sinker.

Keuchel has made six starts this year, throwing 31 innings.

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Lance Lynn as the 39th player taken overall in the 1st round of the 2008 draft. He earned a $930,000 bonus, the exact value of the slot.

Now in his 10th big league year, Lynn has pitched for the Cardinals, Twins, Yankees, Rangers and now the White Sox.

Listed at 6-5, 270 pounds, Lynn appears to be even larger than those numbers may indicate. In a word, hes huge.

The White Sox traded promising young starting pitcher Dane Dunning to the Texas Rangers to get Lynn as an anchor for their rotation. He fits well with the other starters and provides what could be the final piece to the White Sox rotation.

Returning from injury May 4, 2021, it remains to be seen if Lynn can stay healthy all season. His back muscle is an issue, and he may put undo stress on his 33-year-old frame.

Lynn relies on his 92.7 miles per hour fastball for more than 76% of his pitches. He also throws a slider, a curve and a changeup, but those pitches take a back seat to his fastball.

If any of the starters falter or suffer an injury, right-hander Michael Kopech is waiting in the wings.

A flame throwing, former 1st round pick of the Boston Red Sox, Kopech is only 25-years-old.

Kopech throws his blazing 96 miles per hour fastball more than 62% of the time. He then mixes in a quality slider as his primary secondary pitch. A curve and changeup round out his repertoire.

While Kopech remains a work in progress, he is a tremendous option as a long reliever or emergency starter for a pitching staff loaded with quality.

Kopech will be a member of the White Sox rotation for years to come. He has to continue to refine and repeat his delivery and improve his command. But all the ingredients are in place for Michael Kopech to be a very good major league pitching success

Injuries to offensive threats Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez puts more pressure on the Chicago White Sox starting rotation.

The club is fortunate to have depth, quality and consistency in the their starting pitching to help keep them in games.