Ellard, an 8th-round pick of the White Sox in 2021, made his major-league debut last season. The 6-foot-4 southpaw struck out 59 over 40.2 innings with Triple-A Charlotte before he was recalled in late-July to reinforce a bullpen that lost several high-leverage relievers via trades. Ellard pitched to a solid 2.75 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over his first 20 appearances with Chicago, compiling a 24:9 K:BB across 19.2 innings during that span. A few rough outings over the final week inflated his ratios, but the 27-year-old likely demonstrated enough potential to make the 2025 Opening Day bullpen. Ellard is a candidate for an important high-leverage role with the White Sox, but improving his control (11.9 percent walk rate) will go a long way towards earning those opportunities. Read Past Outlooks