White Sox: Best moments in first half of 2018 Spring Training
Baseball is all about the moments and the Chicago White Sox have had several outstanding moments in Spring Training.
Of course, none of these White Sox Spring Training moments will go down in history, but they have provided plenty of excitement for the upcoming season.
Let’s take a look at a few of them:
The big home runs
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One of the most unexpected and timely moment was Luis Robert‘s Grand Slam home run against the Cincinnati Reds. At the time, the Sox were trailing the Reds 12-10 in the bottom of the eighth with two outs.
The 20-year-old Cuban player is one of the team’s top prospects. He played in the Dominican Summer League on the White Sox team where he batted .310/.491/.536 in 28 games and 84 at-bats. The White Sox signed him to a minor league contract in May 2017 and invited to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. This moment against the Reds definitely turned a few heads and showed what he is capable of contributing to the team.
Another impressive and memorable moment occurred when Adam Engel powered a three-run homer off of the San Diego Padres. This was Engel’s second home run of Spring Training. Engel is competing for a spot in centerfield with Leury Garcia. After a poor showing at the plate in 2017, Engel needs to show that he can come through as 2018 approaches.
Impressive defensive moments
When a defensive player makes a tough catch look easy, then it’s an impressive moment. Nicky Delmonico robbed first base and extra bases from Cory Spangenberg of the San Diego Padres. Like Engel, Delmonico is hoping for a roster spot when the team heads north. Catches like this could do it for him.
Ryan Cordell has not yet made it to the Big Leagues, but he’s been playing like he deserves a place in the League. He’s batting .409/.536/.636 in his 22 at-bats. Cordell has not yet hit his first home run of the exhibition season, but he did manage to hit three doubles against the Rangers, the team that drafted him in 2013. This running catch was impressive because he made it while fighting the bright Arizona sun. He certainly moved quickly, too.
Highlights on the mound
The White Sox are hoping that Michael Kopech will make his way to the top of the rotation. In one of the earliest games of the exhibition season, Kopech delivered on expectation. He threw two innings and struck out three batters. He did not allow any of the Athletics batters to reach base. While it is highly unlikely that Kopech will make the trip to Chicago at the end of the month, this first outing let fans see what the future holds.
Throwing from his knees
Kevan Smith hasn’t seen a ton of time in Spring Training, but what he’s done has been impressive. He threw out Chad Pinder of the Oakland A’s as he attempted to steal second. Yes, it’s his job, but there is always a sense of awe watching a human throw that far from his knees. We see you, Smith.
Next: What to look for in Spring Training
These moments and plenty of others show that the Sox are a competitive bunch. What these moments really show is how the future is bright for the young players who came to play in Spring Training.