Still starting about every three games in 1972, Wood allowed the White Sox to mainly use a three-man rotation, with Stan Bahnsen and Tom Bradley starting every fourth day and other hurlers making spot starts in between. He was the Opening Day starter for Chicago in 1972, the first of five years in a row he would make the Opening Day start for the White Sox. He took a no decision despite allowing one run in nine innings, but he followed that up with shutouts in his next three games. On June 13, he threw another shutout, holding the Yankees to three hits in a 2–0 victory. He limited the Athletics to seven hits in a shutout on June 29, outpitching Hunter in a 4–0 victory. At midseason, he was selected to the AL All-Star Team for the second year in a row. Wood entered in the eighth with the AL up 3–2 but blew the lead in the ninth when he gave up an RBI-groundout to Lee May in the AL's 4–3, 10-inning loss. In August, he won five straight decisions, not losing until his ninth and final start of the month. On August 9, he threw a six-hit shutout against the Angels, supplying the only run with an RBI single against Nolan Ryan in the seventh inning. Three days later, he pitched 11 innings against the Athletics, allowing a career-low two hits in a 3–1 victory, his 20th. He began September with two straight shutouts, boosting his record to 24–12. However, he was winless in his last seven starts, losing five of the games. Wood's success in 1972 helped the White Sox, not projected to do well that season, take the AL West lead in August, though they finished the season 5.5 games back of the eventual World Series champion Athletics.
