He combined to go 4–2 with a 3.75 ERA in 17 appearances with six starts in his pro debut between the Rookie-Level Great Falls Voyagers and Class-A Kannapolis Intimidators in. Russell went 4–0 with a 2.37 ERA to earn promotion to Kannapolis on August 23. He made two starts at Kannapolis. In Russell made 24 starts for Class-A Kannapolis, going 9–7 with a 3.78 ERA. He ranked eighth among White Sox minor leaguers in ERA and finished second on the Intimidators in victories. Russell was rated by Baseball America as the number seven prospect and possessing the best fastball in the White Sox farm system entering the season. He was 10–6 with a 3.43 ERA in 27 starts between Class-A AdvancedWinston-Salem Warthogs and the Double-A Birmingham Barons. Russell ranked among the organizational leaders in starts, wins, ERA, strikeouts and innings pitched. Opponents hit.248, including a.210 mark by lefties against Russell. He began the season at Winston-Salem, going 7–3 with a 2.66 ERA in 17 starts. He was promoted to Birmingham on July 12, where he went 3–3 with a 4.75 ERA in 10 starts. He was 2–0 with a 3.65 ERA in 13 relief appearances with Scottsdale of the Arizona Fall League. In he went 9–11 with a 4.80 ERA and one save in 38 games, in 20 starts, in his first full season with Double-A Birmingham. Russell began the season in the starting rotation before moving to the bullpen on July 21. He was 7–9 with a 4.61 ERA as a starter and 2–2 with a 5.60 ERA in relief. He made nine quality starts. Russell pitched for Phoenix in the Arizona Fall League, going 2–0 with a 2.81 ERA in 11 relief appearances. Russell was again rated by Baseball America as the number seven prospect and possessing the best fastball in the White Sox farm system entering the season. On November 20,, Russell's contract was purchased by the White Sox, protecting him from the Rule 5 Draft. Russell split the season between the Triple-A Charlotte Knights of the International League and the Major League White Sox in. He was 4–0 with a 5.19 ERA in 22 relief appearances in his first season in the Major Leagues. The four wins came in his first 10 Major League outings and three of his four wins came at home and all against American League Central opponents. He made his Major League debut on June 17 against the Pittsburgh Pirates with one perfect inning pitched and his first strikeout against José Bautista. Russell earned his first major league win on July 1 as the White Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians 3–2 in 10 innings.
