The White Sox can officially get the ball rolling on free agency, at least until the Dec. 1 expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement triggers a lockout. Several Sox players from 2026 are about to hit the market , and Chris Getz will need to decide whether they're worth bringing back.
One player Getz won't need to decide on, however, is 28-year-old right-handed relief pitcher Tyler Davis , who made his MLB debut this past season. Davis split between the Sox and Triple-A Charlotte and even pitched in the two playoff games the Sox played at home.
Perhaps it was because Davis wasn't on the big-league roster the entire season that he was often overlooked. But a quick glance at his numbers indicates that he was arguably their most underrated player by the time their season ended.
Sep 6, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Tyler Davis (63) reacts after the game against the Minnesota Twins at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tyler Davis pitched in 31 regular-season games for the White Sox this season, as opposed to 23 games for Charlotte. He had an equal number of strikeouts between the two levels at 27 apiece, but his ERA was better with the Sox at 3.66 instead of 6.12 in Triple-A. The same went for WHIP, where the Sox saw him post a 1.16 as opposed to 1.40 in Charlotte.
Although both of Davis' playoff appearances came with the Cleveland Guardians already in front on their way to victory, he was as effective as he could be in mop-up duty. He didn't allow a run over three innings and gave up one hit and one walk apiece in those outings. None of the hits he allowed went for extra bases.
Though the majority of his appearances came in losses and in low-leverage situations, Davis did not give up an earned run in 24 of those appearances. The Sox lost every game in which he served up an earned run, so all he had to do was keep opposing hitters in check to give his team a chance.
Davis won't be remembered like many other players who made the 2026 season so special. The situations he spent most of his time in meant people weren't likely to even notice who he was half the time.
Even so, Davis' contributions to the 2026 Sox shouldn't be forgotten. Everyone on the team had a role to play in this breakout year, and he served his role well, despite being relatively anonymous. It also should give this team even more confidence in their bullpen moving forward. At 28 years old, Davis proved that he should be a part of this big league squad moving forward.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/whitesox/onsi as One Underrated White Sox Player Who Proved His Worth in 2026 .
