White Sox Season Review: Grading the Bench Players

The White Sox had to rely heavily on their bench when several players went down. Justin Morneau and Carlos Sanchez highlighted a bench that really didn’t produce for the team all season.

The Chicago White Sox had a lot of issues this season and the bench was no exception. The bench wasn’t very deep and really didn’t do a whole lot for this team. A good bench can definitely help a team win additional games because you can afford to give key players the night off. It just seemed like there were different Sox teams playing this season.

Most of the time, when bench players were in, they played okay. Teams that are deep tend to be very successful and don’t seem to miss a beat. Both the Cubs and Indians had guys that could contribute off the bench, which made them very hard to play. The Sox could definitely use some help in this category, but they did have some guys contribute.

Having a more productive bench may not have changed this team’s fortunes, but it could have helped. The Sox had some injuries that seemed to take them off guard. 2017 can only get better. Until then, let’s take a look at the grades for the bench players.

IF Carlos Sanchez

Carlos Sanchez is the first player we will look at. Sanchez made his debut in 2014, appearing in 28 games and hitting .250. Not bad for his first taste of the bigs. I could be in the minority, but I really like his game. He is a young, exciting player. He also hits from both sides of the plate, which is a bonus for this team. This season, he hit .208 with four home runs and 21 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .236.

To no one’s surprise, he does hit better against right-handed pitching. Against right handers, he hit .223 with three home runs and 17 RBIs. He also had nine doubles and a triple. Against lefties, he hit .167 and had one home run and four RBIs. Obviously he doesn’t hit as well right handed, as he does lefty, but that should be expected.

Sanchez does have some speed, as we saw him come in as a pinch runner in key situations. The things that impresses me the most about him is his glove. He played great defense at 2B and also filled in at 3B and SS. He made some highlight plays at all three positions, and turned some great double plays. At second base, he had a .977 fielding percentage.

Last season, he played in 117 games, all at second base and his fielding percentage was .990. For his career, it’s .988. If anything, he has value as a defender. He can be a guy the team brings in if they need to improve their defense in the infield. Sanchez is an okay hitter and a solid defender. He has a lot of talent and it’s possible he could one day be an every day second baseman. The only concern would his bat.

Grade: B

RF Jason Coats

Jason Coats in the next player we will analyze. Coats didn’t play in many games for the Sox. In 28 games, he managed just 10 hits in 50 plate appearances. By no means was he a key player off the bench. Coats was rarely used after he joined the team in June.

He had trouble adjusting to major league pitching. We can’t hold that against him completely, as it was his first trip to the majors. He definitely did the job against left handed pitching though. Coats had a home run and four RBIs against lefty pitching. In 25 appearances, he had nine hits, including four doubles. Against right handed pitching, he only mustered one hit. Clearly, he is a much better hitter against southpaws, which is fine. Typically lefties struggle against right-handed hitters.

However, I would like to see him start hitting righties more effectively. It is somewhat embarrassing that he went 1-for-25 for a .040 batting average against them. If Coats wants to take the next step in his career, he needs to be better at the plate. And not just against lefties. That will be a key for him if he wants to continue his major league career. He is still relatively young (26), so that shouldn’t be an issue. He just needs to get more experience against major league pitching. I would expect to see him in spring training with the team and maybe competing for a platoon spot.

That being said, he wasn’t all that productive at the plate but he did play decent defense. Had he played poor defense it would have been really hard to give him the benefit of the doubt. I’m willing to give him a shot on the roster next season, but he does have some things to work on.

Grade: C

CF J.B. Shuck

Next up, J.B. Shuck. Shuck was thrust into the everyday center field role when Austin Jackson went down with an injury. One thing you could tell is he can definitely flash the leather. All you need for proof of that is to look at this picture of his sliding catch against the Cleveland Indians. Shuck was much more valuable in the field than he was at the plate.

In fact, he was terrible at the dish. In 81 games, he hit .205 with four home runs and 14 RBIs. His on-base percentage was a dismal .248 and he slugged .299. For a guy that’s playing in 81 games, he needed to hit better. There was a drop off in offensive production in center when he was in the game. It would’ve been better if they had someone who could also step in, so he didn’t have to do the majority of the playing.

Shuck just didn’t have a great approach at the plate and he looked lost. I would like him to get more experience against major league pitching and work on that approach. If he wants to be an everyday player, he needs to have a better bat. Yes, he plays excellent defense but he needs to be a complete player. Especially for a team that is offensively challenged like the Sox are. He is a nice platoon player, but not someone the team would be comfortable relying on everyday. He should be a bench player until he can become a more consistent hitter. 

Grade: C

C Omar Narvaez

Last and certainly not least, we come to catcher Omar Narvaez. In my opinion, Narvaez was the most productive bench player the Sox had. Narvaez was brought up from the minors on July 6. He made Dioner Navarro expendable shortly after. And boy did he impress. At just 24, he showed he could handle a major league pitching staff. Narvaez showed he was comfortable calling the game and was on the same page with his pitcher.

Best of all, he didn’t do poorly at the dish. He batted .267, which led all White Sox bench players. The rookie also showed he had a great eye. In 101 plate appearances, he drew 14 walks while striking out just 10 times. That’s pretty impressive for a guy making his major league debut. His on-base percentage was .350, whichwas the best among the bench. It’s clear he has a bright future ahead of him.

With Alex Avila being a free agent, I wouldn’t be opposed to the team trying him out as their starting catcher. Sure, they would need to bring in another veteran as the backup, but Narvaez has shown he has all the tools needed to step into that starting role. He definitely earned the respect of his starting pitchers and I think he is a bright talent. His power numbers really weren’t there, but they can easily add a power-hitting bat in the outfield. This organization just needs to keep developing him and suddenly catcher may not seem like an area of concern.

Grade: A