Kyle Kubat Pitches His Way Onto The Radar

The White Sox are a much better team than they were last season, when they lost 100 games for the first time since 1970.

Considering the state of the rotation, Rick Renteria deserves a few manager of the year votes.

Lucas Giolito has been the only reliable starter. Reynaldo Lopez and Ivan Nova have two of the highest ERAs in the big leagues, while Carlos Rodon is out for the season following Tommy John surgery.

Needing near-term rotation help in Chicago, the White Sox are keeping a close eye on 26-year-old lefthander Kyle Kubat.

“Kyle is having an excellent season,” farm director Chris Getz said. “He throws strikes and mixes and matches his four pitches well. He’s prepared, smart and one of the better competitors we have in the organization. He attacks hitters with strike one and is not afraid of contact.”

The Royals signed Kubat as a nondrafted free agent out of Nebraska in 2015, then sold him to the White Sox during spring training in 2017. Even after the trade, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Kubat was initially not viewed as much of a prospect.

That changed quickly this season as he has climbed the minor league ladder. Kubat opened the season at high Class A Winston-Salem and was promoted to Double-A Birmingham after four starts and then to Triple-A Charlotte after eight more.

All told, Kubat had gone 7-2, 2.27 through 13 starts with 60 strikeouts and 12 walks in 75.1 innings.

“It’s just being able to stick to a routine, stick to what I do best and making sure I don’t go out there and be someone I’m not,” Kubat said. “I pitch to contact and try to get you out and get the game over as fast as possible.”

Now Kubat has reached Triple-A, one level away from Chicago.

“Anyone who reaches Triple-A, or Double-A, is on the major league radar,” Getz said. “(Kubat) continues to make a positive impression within our organization, and age is rarely ever an issue. If we think you can help at the major league level, we’re going to keep you around.”

CHI-LITES

— After the White Sox called up catcher Zack Collins from Charlotte, catcher Yermin Mercedes was promoted from Double-A Birmingham to Triple-A.

— The White Sox released left fielder Nicky Delmonico after he had been demoted to Charlotte and had season-ending shoulder surgery.

— Chicago addressed a glaring lack of pitching depth in the draft, selecting high school righthanders Matthew Thompson in the second round and Andrew Dalquist in the third.