Chicago White Sox: What is wrong with the offense?

So far, the Chicago White Sox offense has been, well offensive … for White Sox fans to watch.

The team as a whole is hitting .241 and only has 12 home runs (before Friday’s loss). The 12 home runs is a league-low, and their average is middle of the pack. Does this team have enough power to score runs if they don’t get their average into the Top 5 in the league?

In my opinion no, but they have only played one month of the season. Another factor to look at would be the weather. The Sox seem to hit better when it is warmer, due to the fact that the ball travels better at U.S. Cellular Field.

Is this just a problem of cold weather? Or will this continue throughout the year?

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One big concern I have is the fact that they are dead last in the league in runs with 64, 11 behind the Texas Rangers. While I doubt they will be this bad all year, the fact that they haven’t been able to use their speed is a concern.

One major issue has been Adam Eaton, who is hitting .192 with a .241 OBP (before Friday’s loss). When your leadoff hitter doesn’t get on base, it is hard to score runs. It seems as though Robin Ventura is going try Micah Johnson at the top of the order, which will be interesting.

May 1, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago White Sox right fielder Avisail Garcia (26) hits a double in the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Here is one point I want to make that makes me think they could potentially turn it around. Five of the nine batters in the starting lineup are hitting below .220, something that is not likely to continue. While the Sox may not have a lineup of .280 hitters, there should be some improvement. Not to mention only Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia are hitting above .290, so few players with a high average is something no one predicted.

While many pundits praised the Sox for the amount of speed in the lineup, they haven’t been able to put it to use. The team as a whole has only swiped four bags in one month, which is well below the capabilities of what they can do. The Sox may not have the best base stealers in the league, but this team should steal more than four bases a month.

All-in-all, I expect the pitching to be solid for the most part. That has improved greatly, especially the bullpen. The offense needs a kick start in the worst way, and maybe putting Johnson and Ramirez at the top of the order will do it.

While the team needs to get it’s act together quickly, they will not win consistently unless they score around five runs per game. The pitching has been very good for the most part, but it’s time for things to start clicking on all cylinders or forget about any pennant chase.

Next: Chicago White Sox April Wrap-Up

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