The Chicago White Sox are going to have plenty of issues this season.
That is what happens when barely any upgrades are made to a roster coming off a historic 121-loss season in 2024.
Despite a frugal offseason, the White Sox are projecting to win more games this season, however that is not a very high bar to clear.
After a rough start to the spring training slate, things have calmed down for the White Sox. During most of the recent exhibition games, they have even resembled a professional baseball.
While it is spring training and these games do not matter, two troubling issues have the concern that they could carry into the regular season.
Jonathan Cannon is having a rough spring training.
His ERA is at 10.32 after another rough outing on Monday. Cannon is correct to point out that process matters more than results in spring training.
Jonathan Cannon, not pleased w outing pic.twitter.com/ubGwJzuIf1
— Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) March 17, 2025
However, his process in spring is getting behind in the count, walking guys, and giving up the long ball. Also, his fellow official starting rotation mates, Sean Burke, Martin Perez, and Davis Martin, spring training performances have had them looking ready to go for the regular season.
Cannon looks like he could use a few more starts before he is ready for the regular season.
The hope is these issues stay in Arizona as he is being counted on to improve upon his 4.49 ERA last season during 23 outings which included 21 starts.
The offense is still struggling to score runs.
The good news is the White Sox do not sit at the bottom in most of the spring training offensive statistical categories. That is a sign of progress after the White Sox were dead last in pretty much every offensive measurement at the start of spring training play.
However, the offense is still awful at getting runners to cross home plate. The White Sox are tied for 27th with the St. Louis Cardinals for runs scored. Only the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets have been worse at scoring runs.
The offseason plan was to get back to the Moneyball basics of adding players to the lineup who get on base. That is one reason Mike Tauchman and Austin Slater are on the roster.
The trouble is the Sox can have all the base runners possible and it will not matter if no one can drive them home.
The White Sox were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position against the San Francisco Giants on Monday.
The Sox had to settle for a tie against the Los Angeles Angels last week despite pounding out 11 hits and drawing six walks. The reason for not having a lopsided victory was the lineup went 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
If the White Sox want to avoid flirting with another historical losing season, the offense has to produce more runs. A major reason the Sox scored a pitiful 507 runs last season was being terrible with runners in scoring position.
The Sox ranked dead last in producing RBI in RISP situations. The lineup had a .219 average and a .604 OPS in those situations.
The bats have to produce better when runners get to second or third. So far in spring, the White Sox lineup is showing it will repeat last year's horrific offensive production.