AL DIVISION SERIES: WHITE SOX VS GUARDIANS

October 6, 2026

Grant Taylor

Rate Field

Chicago White Sox

Workout Day Press Conference

Q. When you look at the way that the pitching staff has been structured this year, it's been a lot of improvisation, it feels like. Going back early in the season and certainly down the stretch and the playoffs, it's pretty common for it to be that way. What was the communication like between the staff and the coaching staff even going back into spring training in terms of how you should think of roles in general?

GRANT TAYLOR: I think communication has been great. We had a couple meetings in spring training with the entire staff on what it might look like, letting us know there was probably going to be a lot of openers this year, just asking us to be available for whatever the team needed.

I think everyone responded to that pretty well. There continued to be great communication throughout the season on what they were asking of us and the different situations, if anything had changed on what you might be available for that day, they would let you know ahead of time.

I think the communication has been great, and it's kind of allowed a lot of our pitchers to pitch in uncomfortable situations with maybe pitching earlier in the game on a bullpen day or doing different things.

So when now in the postseason we're asked to do a lot of different roles in a lot of different situations, no one's surprised. We've been doing it all year.

Q. Grant, you guys are basically operating with Sean Burke as your starter. As Sean said, you have 13 pitchers, 12 pitchers, whatever role. Is that sustainable? If you keep winning, can you do it? Can you carry that out in a seven-game series the way you guys have been playing?

GRANT TAYLOR: I think so for sure. We've seen a lot of contributions from plenty of guys on both sides of the baseball. You're seeing some guys who traditionally have been starters throwing two innings, one out. You know, whatever it may be.

Everyone down there is ready to do what's necessary for the team, and we've been -- the past four games, we've been pretty good at it.

So I don't think there should be any doubt on whether we can keep going with it.

Q. Grant, can you take us through the 24-, 48-hour process for you, the recovery process to get you ready to be able to give the team the one and a third innings last night?

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah. So through the four innings on -- I can't remember; all the days are blurring now. But through the four innings, it was a day game, so had plenty of time to go home. Ate dinner with my fiancée and family, went to sleep as early as I possibly could, slept as late as I possibly could.

Coming to the yard, doing a bunch of recovery, got a massage. Just trying to stay hydrated, do as much recovery as I can, go to sleep as early as I possibly can, sleep as late. Just kind of maximizing the amount of rest time that I have.

And then kind of goes into the day of making sure your arm's ready, good to go, have conversations on what I'm available for, and was able to get the job done.

Q. I guess sort of when did you know that, all right, I can give the team one or one and a third?

GRANT TAYLOR: Kind of around catch play every day. We'll play catch, have a conversation with the pitching staff. That's kind of how it's been all year; hey, how are you feeling? What do you got for us? You kind of get a feel for what the team needs that day and what you're going to be asked to do.

So it's usually just a conversation throughout the entire year after you play catch on, you know, body feels good, I'm in a good spot. Let's do it.

Q. You were talking to your family and your fiancée. Your family has seen you pitch many different ways, many different levels throughout your career. What do they think about what you're doing? What have they said about 54 pitches, three days off, four innings, come back another day and go an inning and a third? Are they marveling at what you're doing right now?

GRANT TAYLOR: Yeah, obviously, they're pretty excited. They've told me they're proud of me so far. I think they want me to chill out a little bit just for health's sake. But we have postseason baseball games to win, so I'm going to keep the foot on the gas pedal, and I think the rest of the guys are too.

Q. How would you kind of describe the crowds here at Rate Field throughout the year and the kind of energy they've been able to give the ballclub?

GRANT TAYLOR: It's been unbelievable. I think I've just been amazed this year on the crowds that we've had compared to last year, even on midweek day games. Like we're still getting a lot of fans.

There's been plenty of sold-out crowds we've had this year. So I'm pretty excited for tomorrow and what the crowds are going to bring us. It's about time we gave them some postseason baseball.

Q. Grant, I'm sure we've asked you this before, but Munetaka Murakami, what has he meant to this roster from the day he arrived? Is it weird to think about the pressure he's under where he's a big story here but in Japan too, what he represents? What has he meant to the clubhouse and the team overall?

GRANT TAYLOR: He means a lot. I think kinda the best word to describe him in a baseball sense is just professional. He comes in early, gets his work in. He has plenty of guys behind him on his training staff and his chef and whoever it may be to help him get ready for games.

I think him bringing that mindset of he's here to win, he's here to get the job done. I've said it before; Mune didn't come to the States to lose ballgames. He came to the states to play in the postseason and be a part of a team that wins.

So him bringing that mindset over kind of transitioned us from a 100-loss team to a team that believed in ourselves to then be able to get to the postseason and win ballgames.

Q. How did he do that early on? I mean, he talked to us about that very early on, about he didn't come in here for part of a rebuild. He wanted to win. How did he make that imprint on the rest of the team so early on?

GRANT TAYLOR: I think it's how he kind of hit the ground running with his preparation, his training. There's a large language barrier there, but he was able to communicate with us through Kenzo on what he believed in and what his approach is and how he goes about his business.

I think this is a pretty impressionable group with how young we all are, so him obviously not having Major League service but having six years of professional baseball in Japan, winning Triple Crowns and MVPs and that whole deal, so you kind of see him having had success in professional baseball coming over and just the way he goes about his business, it's admirable to watch, and you kind of see, like, oh, this is how a successful professional goes about his business. And some guys look at it like that.

THE MODERATOR: Grant, thanks for coming in. Appreciate it.