The growing pains in Noah Schultz’s rookie campaign continued on Tuesday night as the Chicago White Sox rookie turned in another difficult outing.
The 22-year-old couldn’t escape the fourth inning, giving up five earned runs across 3 2/3 innings against the Texas Rangers while needing 80 pitches to record just 11 outs. The Rangers wasted little time putting Schultz on the ropes. Wyatt Langford led off the game with a single, setting the tone for a night in which Texas collected 11 hits off Schultz, including a home run by Brandon Nimmo.
The abbreviated outing continued a concerning trend for Schultz, who hasn’t completed six innings since May 1 against the San Diego Padres. In 12 starts this season, he has failed to make it through five innings six times. The White Sox have also lost five of his last six starts.
Being a rookie pitcher comes with peaks and valleys. Even a top pitching prospect like Schultz is no exception. But as the White Sox continue to make a charge toward the playoffs, the growing pains Schultz is experiencing carry added weight.
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Entering Wednesday, the White Sox and Cleveland Guardians remain tied at the top of the AL Central standings, with just two games separating them from the Seattle Mariners for the American League’s final wildcard spot.
Obviously, the lingering knee issues remain a concern. Schultz spent a month on the injured list with right patellar tendinitis after dealing with a similar issue in the minors last season. That injury worsened when he tried to pitch through it, forcing him to miss several weeks.
Health aside, the upside remains undeniable. Schultz has a deceptive low three-quarters arm slot, a wipeout slider and a fastball that can touch the upper 90s. Yet through much of his rookie season, the results haven’t reflected that elite arsenal.
One thing that has stood out is his extension, or lack thereof. Schultz’s delivery is surprisingly compact considering his 6’10 frame. He starts from a neutral position, rotates his upper half as he uncoils toward the plate, but takes a relatively short stride.
It is important to note that height alone doesn’t determine the extension release point, due to varying mechanics. However, pitchers with longer frames and larger wingspans, like Schultz, typically have the ability to create more extension. Releasing the ball closer to home plate is a significant advantage because it reduces the amount of time hitters have to react, allowing a pitcher’s fastball to play several miles per hour faster than its radar-gun reading.
However, Schultz has not fully leveraged the advantage his frame provides. While pitchers 6-foot-10 or taller typically average between 6.8 and 7.2 feet of extension, Schultz’s average extension is just 6.3 feet, ranking in the 30th percentile among MLB pitchers.
That likely isn’t going to change anytime soon. Schultz was viewed as a very polished pitcher when he was called up from Triple-A Charlotte, and significantly lengthening his stride would require an overhaul of the mechanics that helped him reach the majors in the first place.
But almost nothing has gone right for the 22-year-old. His expected ERA, strikeout rate, walk rate, whiff rate and ground-ball rate all rank near the bottom of the league, and he has yet to come close to replicating the swing-and-miss numbers he consistently produced in the minor leagues.
Schultz’s rookie struggles are understandable, but unfortunately life is all about timing. The White Sox are no longer in a rebuilding phase where development can happen without consequence. If they want to make a playoff run, they need Schultz to bridge the gap between being a tantalizing prospect and a dependable major league starter.
