Ky Bush
Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking: 11
Charlotte Knights

Ky Bush was selected by the Angels with the 45th pick in the 2021, and came to the White Sox in July 2023 as a part of the trade that sent Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López to the Angels at the trade deadline. Bush earned the invite to 2024 spring training, but ended up being assigned to the Double-A Birmingham Barons.

Bush played the majority of the season with the Barons, and in 14 starts and 80 2/3 innings, he was one of the top pitchers for Birmingham with a 2.12 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Ky also finished with a a highly respectable 3.57 FIP, and was fifth of all Barons pitchers in strikeouts with 78. Bush was hot out of the gate in April, making four starts and giving up just three runs, averaging a 1.27 ERA. He kept rolling right through May and June, roughly averaging a 2.40 ERA — even posting a 0.83 WHIP in June.

Bush’s consistent strong performance as a starter got him promoted to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in July, but he didn’t see the same success as he did in Birmingham. In his first appearance (out of the bullpen, as a companion reliever to Mike Clevinger), Bush gave up three runs on six hits, including a home run. He left with an 8.10 ERA after that game, and while he did moderately improve throughout his six outings Bush ended up with a 7.01 ERA in 25 2/3 innings with the Knights.

Bush was promoted to the Chicago White Sox on August 5, then went back to Charlotte at the end of the month, and subsequently BACK up to the big leagues in mid-September … only to be put on the IL to finish out the season. In four starts (17 innings) with the White Sox, Bush struggled to acclimate to MLB hitters, and ended up with a 5.60 ERA and a 6.28 FIP. He gave up two homers in 20 hits, and struck out 11 batters.

Four games are quite the small sample size, and Bush was rushed through Triple-A, so the offseason will be a great opportunity to fine tune his mechanics and command.

Congratulations to Ky Bush on a great 2024 season!

2024 Sox Populi White Sox Minor League All-Star Team
Edgar Quero (C) (Player of the Year)
Caden Connor (1B)
Wilmer Difo (2B)
Brooks Baldwin (SS)
Mason Adams (RHSP)
Aldrin Batista (RHSP)
Ky Bush (LHSP)
Noah Schultz (LHSP) (Pitcher of the Year)
Drew Thorpe (RHSP)
Eric Adler (RHRP)
Adisyn Coffey (RHRP)

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Birmingham Barons rotation photo (Ky Bush, middle): Birmingham Barons