White Sox: Milestones for fans to watch for in 2018
By Brian Draus
There will be many milestones for White Sox fans to keep their eyes on for this upcoming season. Which milestone will be the biggest for this year?
With the 2018 MLB season just around the corner, it is time to discuss the milestones that White Sox fans need to look for. This does not mean runs or hits, but more of the areas we should be prepping ourselves to enjoy over the next six months. While these categories may not pique your interest personally, you might want to think more in depth about each of them.
Call-ups of top prospects
This is the number one milestone all of us as a fan base should be looking forward to. Even though it may come more than once, anytime Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, and others are on the way each player can energize the team with their call-up. Keep in mind that while many eyes will be on them as they debut, it can be overwhelming for anyone who sees the big leagues for the first time.
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July 31st
Given that is just a day, however, it is the last day teams can make trades before they must pass players through waivers. Those can be tricky, which makes it crucial to deal your assets prior to this date and with so many talented arms in the bullpen, the Sox should have some attractive offers this summer.
While the closer role may change hands during the season, don’t be surprised if Joakim Soria or Nate Jones shuts down games consistently in 2018. Much of the Jones’ success depends on health, but if he can stay on the field he would make for a fantastic trade candidate due to his ability to miss bats.
Avisail Garcia’s performance
Garcia is going to be an interesting player to watch in 2018, mostly due to the fact that he broke out in a big way last season. Garcia hit .330 in ’17, not to mention went deep eighteen times. The latter total could have been much higher if it wasn’t for some time missed with an injury, which would have made his offensive output look even more impressive.
Here is the crux of the matter regarding Garcia, all seasons prior to ’17 he was mediocre at best. Garcia never hit more than 13 home runs (2015), and his best batting average in a season where he played more than 100 games was also ’15 (.257). Will Garcia continue to thrive under manager Rick Renteria? We won’t have to wait long to find out.
Overall, these are some milestones that fans should be watching for. When the word “milestone” is said it means the actions or events that can change the direction of the franchise. All three mentioned in this article has the potential to do that, especially the first and second ones.
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If Garcia performs at the level he did last year the front office could consider him a success, and lock him up long-term if they so choose. We as fans are hoping for no bumps in the road in our rebuild, but it must be noted they will occur. The fewer of those the better, Sox fans.