Chicago White Sox: Should Michael Kopech Transition to Closer?

Michael Kopech is one of the most promising pitching prospects in MLB. Kopech was dealt to the Chicago White Sox in the Chris Sale trade, and he is quickly seeing himself rise in value.

Michael Kopech has become one of the most valuable pitching prospects in baseball. He is a key piece of the Chicago White Sox rebuild, potentially being their ace of the future. Kopech has already seen his stock rise, rising from 30th to 16th. This ranking is according to MLB Pipeline, which conducts a top 100 prospects list.

The greatest tool in Kopech’s arsenal is his high velocity. Kopech reportedly has hit 105 mph, averaging in the high 90s. However, Kopech’s biggest tool may also be his downfall, as it is hard to consistently pump out high 90s fastballs. This velocity has caused Kopech to sometimes struggle with location, and that can be seen by his minor league numbers.

Despite averaging 11.5 strikeouts every nine innings, Kopech has failed to limit base runners. His hits per nine innings is a respectable 6.2, but his walks per nine is a staggering 4.6. This hasn’t directly caused a horrible ERA, but it will be an issue as Kopech progresses up to higher talent levels. This high walk rate suggests that Kopech may get burned out fast, thus bringing into question whether or not he should remain a starting pitcher.

Either Kopech needs to manage his output so he doesn’t burn out so fast, or he needs to make a switch to a lesser workload. This would allow Kopech to pitch at his very best, and while White Sox fans likely want to see him atop their rotation, it may be best if he is at the back-end of that bullpen. As bold a statement as it is, Kopech can learn from the best closer to ever live in Mariano Rivera.

Rivera had some games started in the minor leagues, and his numbers are similar to those of Kopech. A good example of this was Mariano’s rookie year with the Yankees in 1995. Mariano started 10 games that season, with his walk per nine rate being 4.0. While Mariano needed time to develop his dynamic cutter, Kopech may want to take a similar route.

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Kopech will likely come up as a starting pitcher, trying to mimic another hard-throwing guy in Noah Syndergaard. However, if Kopech continues to exhibit the struggles he has shown with command, it may be best for him to make that transition. As hard a pill that would be to swallow for Sox fans, it may be the best option.