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White Sox: In-Depth Overview of Team’s Offensive Woes

By Brian Draus

Sep 4, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (79) celebrates with third baseman Todd Frazier (21) after hitting a three run home run during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 4, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (79) celebrates with third baseman Todd Frazier (21) after hitting a three run home run during the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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White Sox rank in bottom half of MLB in total offense. With another season of underwhelming offense, can the franchise reverse it’s fortunes next season?

As we all know, the Chicago White Sox have had trouble scoring runs over the past few seasons. Even though they have Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier, it makes sense to look at their key offensive statistics. How do they compare to the rest of the league? Let’s check it out:

Batting Average:

The White Sox sit 13th in the American League in this category as of right now, with a team average of .255. Keep in mind the team simply has too many below average hitters in their lineup when it comes to this statistic. This is troubling as the Sox offense are closer to the bottom of the AL in hitting.

Here are the top three teams: Boston (.286), Detroit (.266), and Cleveland (.265). All of these teams are postseason contenders.

Related Story: White Sox Power Outage Holding Team Back From Contention

On Base Percentage:

Here is another area where the Sox are below average. Sitting at 11th in the American League (.317), they do not hit for a high average nor do they get on base at a high clip. Looking at both of these statistics, it is going to be very hard for them to score runs. That being unless they hit home runs at an astronomical rate.

The top three teams in this category are: Boston (.351), Cleveland (.330), and Detroit (.329). Same three teams as in batting average, just in a different order.

Home Runs:

With all that has been mentioned above, the Sox need to launch homers in order to win. When a team doesn’t hit for a high average nor do they get on base a lot, they need to hit home runs in order to win. In the Sox case, that is not happening. As a matter of fact, they are even worse in this category than the two above. With 143 home runs, they are 13th in the American League, with only the Angles and Royals separating them from last in the league.

American League’s top three teams: Baltimore (219), Toronto (198), and Seattle (193). None of these teams are below .500.

Strikeouts:

The only statistic the Sox are a middle of the pack team is in this category. They have struck out seventh fewest, at 1,114 strikeouts in 2016. This is the only area the Sox aren’t awful in. They need to be elite contact wise if they want to win without going deep, however it is unlikely considering the ballpark they play in.

This is the least valuable statistic. The top three teams in least strikeouts are Los Angeles (839), Oakland (974), and Boston (1,009). The Angels and Athletics are both below .500, while the Red Sox lead the AL East.

Runs scored:

Just as it was in home runs, the Sox come in at 13th in the American League in this category (579 total, one off of 14th). Factor in everything above, it is going to be very hard for the Sox to score runs. Keep in mind one thing, if the Sox can’t hit home runs, they won’t be able to score runs. There is no way around that fact. Since they play in one of the liveliest parks in baseball in the summer, the team needs power in order to win. I am not implying they need to lead the league in home runs, but the Sox can’t be near the bottom in that category.

Here is the most valuable statistic: The top three teams are Boston (764), Cleveland (687) and Texas (685).  All of them are division leaders at this time.

Next: Is This Robin Ventura's Final Month as White Sox Manager?

Overall, just by looking at where the Sox rank in these categories spell out why the Sox are struggling to score runs. While the team may need better average hitters (which is true), they also need power hitters who can hit for a decent average. There is no way the club will compete unless these number flip upside down. When that happens, expect better results on the field. Until then, enjoy watching meaningless baseball in September Sox fans.

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