No, the White Sox probably won’t make the playoffs this season. But, they’ve been pretty brutal to watch for a very long time. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2008. White Sox fans haven’t even seen an above .500 season since 2012. Since that last winning-record season, White Sox fans have endured a loss totals of 99, 89, 86, 84, 95, and 100. And, although the White Sox aren’t really in contention right now (36-37 at the time of writing), they’re far more competitive than they’ve been in recent years. And, they’re close to making the next jump.
The Offense Is Surprisingly Competent
Now, this isn’t a playoff ready lineup. Their young stars still need another year or two, and there are some glaring holes (Yonder Alonso). They might rank 12th in batting average and 10th in stolen bases, but they rank in the bottom third of the league in most other major offensive categories. If you’ve watched them at all these past few years, you can recognize that this group of batters is better than anything we’ve seen recently. They string together hits and generate enough runs to win.
Tim Anderson is having a career year. Yoan Moncada is finally looking like the “can’t-miss” prospect he was touted as. Jose Abreu is still a prolific run producer. Eloy Jimenez is hitting everything he can out of the park. James McCann advanced to the final round of voting for AL catchers. Leury Garcia is a competent lead-off man. Sure, there are some weaker spots in the batting order, but those will be filled by the influx of minor league talent that should be arriving at 35th and Shields over the next two years. The front office called up 2016 first-round pick Zack Collins. Luis Robert is flying through the minors. Nick Madrigal is impressing.
In short, the White Sox offense should be just fine for the next few years. They’re fun to watch.
Starting Pitching Isn’t Playoff Ready
When the rebuild started, many White Sox fans salivated over the prospect of a starting rotation full of great pitchers. There was homegrown Carlos Rodon, Michael Kopech (acquired in the Chris Sale trade), and Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez (acquired in the Adam Eaton trade). Dylan Cease and Dane Dunning could be in the mix as well. Although fans knew they’d need time to develop, this collection of young studs isn’t the strength of the team, as fans initially hoped.
Carlos Rodon and Michael Kopech are both out for the season with Tommy John surgery. Reynaldo Lopez shows no signs of the pitcher he was last year, running wild with an ERA well above 6.00. Dunning hasn’t pitched at all in the minors due to injury. Cease is impressing in AAA, and of course, Lucas Giolito is almost a lock for the All-Star game.
There’s still good news about White Sox pitching, however. The White Sox have the second fewest blown saves in the league (four), helping them to the third-best save percentage (81.82%). Their bullpen ERA is good enough for 12th in the league as well.
But still, the White Sox only have one reliable starter at the Major League level. They’re rolling out a collection of starting pitchers behind Giolito comprised of Lopez (6.23 ERA), Ivan Nova (6.01 ERA), Manny Banuelos (6.90 ERA), Dylan Covey (4.58 ERA), and Odrisamer Despaigne (8.71 ERA). Oh, boy. This leads to a starting team ERA of 5.47, bad enough for 26th in the league. In short, the White Sox need serious starting pitching help before they can ever hope to make the playoffs.
What The White Sox Need To Do
The White Sox should probably stand pat at the trade deadline. They won’t make the playoffs. Their hitters are just fine and will continue to be better. Any missing links can still be filled by free agency (only smaller contracts, though, they should save the spending for the rotation). The bullpen can probably be tweaked a little but will remain serviceable. However, the White Sox should be looking to beef up their rotation. Giolito is a fine starting point, but there are four holes behind him.
Dylan Cease should be up later this year but will need time to develop. Michael Kopech will return to the field in 2020. So should Carlos Rodon, but with his injury history, it’s unclear what his future is with the team. The White Sox should try to get a top-tier free agent pitcher such as Gerrit Cole or Madison Bumgarner. They have the need and the money to spend. They might be able to find a bargain bin sleeper or two as well.
Fans have cited 2020 as the season the White Sox will finally make their grand return to October baseball. And, in the midst of an impressive 2019 season, that notion is closer to reality than some think.