If Chicago White Sox fans thought that winning the first game of the season was a sign they could have a different type of season this year, they were sadly mistaken.
The White Sox have reverted to the team that set the all-time loss record and tied one of the longest losing streaks in American League history last season.
The Sox are riding a seven-game losing streak and have once again been bitten by the injury bug, which affected them throughout spring training.
Injuries have occurred to three key pieces in their lineup with Andrew Benintendi being the most concerning, as he was the only source of the White Sox offense to begin this season.
Now outfielder Mike Tauchman and catcher Korey Lee have gone down with injuries, with Tauchman hurting his hamstring again and Lee , tweaking his ankle as he was retreating to first base on a successful pickoff attempt.
This will be Tauchman’s second injury to his hamstring, as he was removed from the injured list from a previous hamstring injury.
With these guys out, the White Sox will need guys like Luis Robert Jr. and Andrew Vaughn to step up.
The White Sox need more production from the top of the order.
Robert Jr. and Vaughn both got off to slow starts to the season and haven’t contributed to the offense, as their bats have gone cold.
Both have hit under .200 in the White Sox's first eleven games and with only one home run hit between them in 75 at-bats (85 plate appearances).
The problem for them has been striking out, which they’ve done 22 times. If the White Sox are to end this losing streak, they’ll need Robert Jr. and Vaughn to step up and be the run producers the White Sox expect them to be.
The White Sox have been using Robert Jr. in the two-hole and Vaughn in the four-hole, and their lack of run production in spots that require guys to drive in the guys on base, is concerning. They will also need to start showing off their power, as they’re the only power threats the Sox have.
Increasing their trade values.
The lack of production from Robert Jr. and Vaughn is hurting the White Sox's chances of trading them somewhere so they can get a decent haul of players in return to help their rebuild.
Robert Jr. has been the subject of trade rumors since last season and remains with the team as Chris Getz and the White Sox couldn’t find a suitable partner during the off-season to trade him too.
A team could emerge as the season progresses, but Robert Jr. will need to start increasing his production and look how he did during the spring if the Sox are to get any value for him.
The same case can be made for Vaughn, as he enters his fifth season in the major leagues and will become a free agent in 2027.
Since debuting with the White Sox back in 2021, the former third-overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft hasn’t lived up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of the University of California, Berkeley.
In 572 career games, Vaughn has proven to be an average player, posting a career slash line of .251/.309/.413 for an OPS and OPS+ of .721 and 100.
This production would be great on any other ball club as a backup first baseman or a platoon bat, but on a team that’s rebuilding and trying to find cornerstone players to turn this franchise around, this production won’t cut it.
A long road ahead for the Sox.
It’s only the beginning of the season, but it feels like the White Sox have an eternity to go before the investable happens, which is getting the news they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs.
If the White Sox are to ward off that from happening in June or July, they’ll need Robert Jr. and Vaughn to be productive while Benintendi, Tauchman, and Lee heal up.
In the meantime, the White Sox will look not to get swept for the second straight series, as Jonathan Cannon will go to the mound for the Sox, and the Cleveland Guardians will throw right-hander Gavin Williams.
This will be a great first test for Robert Jr. and Vaughn to step up and lead the Sox to a victory.