Chicago White Sox’s Fedde Shines in Second Preseason Outing – Is He the Secret Weapon?

Photo of Erick Fedde’s triumphant return to the Big Leagues / USA Today Sports=Reuters=Yonhap News

Erick Fedde (31, Chicago White Sox), who used the Korean professional baseball league as a stepping stone to return to the Big Leagues, suffered a loss despite pitching well in his second preseason game in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Fedde started in an away preseason game against the Cleveland Guardians at the Goodyear Ballpark in Arizona, USA, on March 9 (Korean time). He allowed two hits and two walks, resulting in one run over three innings.

The White Sox lost 2-1 due to a weak offense, and Fedde suffered his first loss of this year’s preseason games.

Fedde pitched two innings in his first preseason game against the Los Angeles Angels on March 4. He allowed four hits and one run.

He pitched much better in his second appearance.

Fedde’s mid-preseason record is one loss in two games with an earned run average of 3.60.

Fedde, who made it through the first inning without allowing a run, put himself in a difficult situation by hitting Andres Gimenez with a pitch after one out in the bottom of the second inning.

Gimenez stole second base and scored on a single by Bo Naylor.

However, Fedde finished the inning without further damage by inducing the next batter, Will Brennan, into a double-play groundout to second base.

Fedde started the third inning shakily by walking leadoff batter Gabriel Arias. Still, after picking off Arias, he induced Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan into consecutive infield groundouts to finish his scheduled three innings.

Fedde made his Big League debut in 2017 and has a career MLB record of 21 wins and 33 losses with an earned run average of 5.41 in 102 games (88 starts), pitching 454 1/3 innings.

He played as the fifth starter for the Washington Nationals when they won the World Series in 2019. He also played as the fifth starter for Washington in 2022, but after struggling with a 6-13 record and a 5.81 ERA, Fedde spent the 2023 season with the KBO League’s NC Dinos.

Last year in the KBO League, Fedde won 20 games and lost 6 with an earned run average of 2.00 and 209 strikeouts. He won the Triple Crown of wins, ERA, and strikeouts and was named the regular season’s Most Valuable Player.

The White Sox signed Fedde for $15 million for two years, and Fedde will start the 2024 season as a Big League starter.