Rodon's 2016 wasn't too different from 2015: low-4.00 ERA through the first four months before a sprint of quality work to the finish line that featured the upside that made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 draft. One major difference between the two seasons was a big improvement in his walk rate, but it came at the expense of his command as he allowed more hits and nearly twice as many home runs. The season still stands as a worthy building block for a 24-year-old lefty trying to fulfill his frontline upside. His elite slider was even better in 2016, and his changeup took a big step forward, but not enough to offset his fastball getting less effective. Velocity is great, but a good fastball requires much more (namely, command). His walk gains came via the fastball, but it was also responsible for the home run troubles. This is exactly the kind of profile you want to bet on, though: The cost doesn't require major gains to pay off, but the upside is massive.

Rodon’s transition to the majors was rocky, and while he struck out 64 through his first 60 innings as a starter, he also walked 37 over that same stretch. However, he learned on the job and was stellar in the season’s final two months - he posted a 1.81 ERA and .198 BAA over his final eight outings. Rodon entered the big leagues with a big league-ready slider, and the pitch was as good as advertised. Ninety-seven of his 139 strikeouts came off the slider, and his upper-90s fastball was also impressive. He could take the jump if he polishes a third pitch. Rodon should slot behind Chris Sale and Jose Quintana in the White Sox’s rotation.

Rodon entered his junior year at North Carolina State as the prohibitive No. 1 overall pick. However, concerns about his workload budged him from the top spot in the 2014 June draft, and he fell to the White Sox at No. 3. It took much of the summer for the two sides to agree on a contract, which may have worked out better for his overworked arm. His plus fastball and slider blew away college batters, and the White Sox want him to add a changeup to the mix. Even without a refined third pitch, he ranks as one of the top prospects in the system and could be in the mix for a rotation spot out of camp, though vice president of baseball operations Ken Williams said in December that a multi-innings bullpen role is more likely for Rodon in 2015.