White Sox: Reviewing the team at the 40-ish-game mark
The White Sox have played 42 games in the 2018 season. During this time, they have faced 12 of the 30 MLB teams.
Of the first 40 games the White Sox have played, they have lost 29 of them. The current .286 winning percentage is the worst in the AL and the MLB as a whole.
If the first 40 games are any indication of what is to come for next three-quarters of the season, then fans need to brace themselves.
One of the most famous quotes in baseball did not come from Yogi Berra or Babe Ruth. It came from Sparky Anderson, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds and the Detroit Tigers. In 1986, he said:
“You can’t tell anything about a baseball team until 40 games have been played.”
Even though the Sox are two games past that notable mark, we can still look at what they have done so far. We can use those 40 games to makes some predictions about what is to come in the next 75 percent of the season.
The Sox have played a mixed bag of talent and they have yet to play all of the teams in the AL Central. So far, the Sox have a 5-2 record against the Royals. They have gone 1-4 against the Twins and 0-3 against the Tigers. The Sox travel to Cleveland for a three-game series that begins on Memorial Day.
The majority of the Sox wins have come against the Royals, who surprisingly have more overall wins that the Sox have. Those five other wins came against the Cubs, Mariners, Rays, Blue Jays, and Rangers. If we look at the first 42 games, the Sox have two wins against the Rangers. This second win gave the Sox their third series win. The first two were against the Royals.
The Sox biggest problem has been pitching.
In fact, the Sox are in 29th place when it comes to pitching with a team ERA of 5.33. The 30th team is the Royals with a team ERA Of 5.45. To put this in perspective, the Orioles – who have the most hitter-friendly park in the MLB – are in 28th place with an ERA of 5.08.
Sox pitching has been terrible. Six pitchers have three or more starts in 2018. The lowest ERA belongs to Reynaldo Lopez at 3.50 in eight starts. Miguel Gonzalez has the worst ERA on the team – 12.41. Lucas Giolito has an ERA of 6.42, James Shields is pitching with a 4.88 ERA, and Hector Santiago has an ERA of 5.29. Carson Fulmer, who has not been pitching well, was just sent down to Triple-A after posting an ERA of 8.07 in eight starts.
No team can succeed with ERAs like this.
If the starting pitching has been bad, the relief pitching has been even worse. With so few wins, the Sox have not had many save opportunities. Surprisingly, there have actually been 17 times that the Sox have been in the lead in the final innings. The closers in those games have only converted nine of those opportunities into saves. Nine. Out of 17. They’ve blown nearly half of the leads in the first 40 games.
There are two pitchers on the Sox roster with an ERA of 3.50: Nate Jones and Reynaldo Lopez. And, only one pitcher has an ERA under that mark. Jace Fry has thrown 7.1 innings in May and has yet to give up a hit. He has struck out ten batters and walked two. With his current stats, he has no ERA. But, if the first 40 games are any sign of what’s to come, he will give up a run eventually.
Two other massive issues regarding pitching includes the number of pass ball and the number of bases stolen against the Sox. The team leads the league with pass balls and the Sox are in fourth in stolen bases. Yes, these are stats that belong to the catchers. But the pitching staff is also involved in creating opportunities for offenses to steal.
The Sox can hit. But, they cannot convert hits into enough runs to win.
When it comes to offensive stats as a team, the White Sox rank 17th in the MLB. Sadly, the team is 30th with its win-loss record. So, something is not clicking. The team batting average is .242. The Twins and Phillies have the same team batting averages, but their win-loss records are significantly different.
The Sox are 24th in hits, 29th in runs, 29th in RBIs, and 28th in at-bats. The team is 16th in home runs and 4th in triples. They are 19th in OPS.
The best hitters have been their infielders. Jose Abreu is leading the team with the best batting average, but Matt Davidson has the best overall numbers. Davidson has the most home runs (11), RBIs (28), and walks (25). He also has the best OPS – .917. He has done well cementing his spot as the designated hitter.
Yolmer Sanchez has been a pleasant surprise with his batting stats: .280/.317/.427. And, shortstop Tim Anderson has been an asset on the team. When compared to other shortstops in the MLB, he ranks 7th in home runs, 3rd in stolen bases, and 13th in slugging percentage.
With good pitching, opponents can be defeated. But, it is hitting that wins games. The Sox need to get their hitting more consistent and timely to get more wins.
The first 40 games clearly showcased the strengths and weaknesses of the Sox. There are clearly more weaknesses than strengths.
No one on the Southside Showdown team predicted that they would be in last place in the American League, let alone the entire MLB.
There are strengths on the team. Davidson, Sanchez, and Abreu have provided plenty of offense. Tim Anderson has shown he can steal bases, even on the best pitchers in the league. But, not enough of the Sox are providing hits in the situations that need hitting the most. The teams in the top have players who can do this.
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The poor win-loss record is a sign of a team in rebuilding mode. But, there are other teams that are in rebuilds, too. The Tigers and Royals are rebuilding, so are the Phillies and the Braves. Some teams lost top players and are actually contending – like the Pirates and the D-backs. The Marlins, who were decimated in the off-season, have more wins than the Sox have.
Baseball is an odd game and the Sox could go on a winning streak that could shift their standings in the Central. As it stands, the Sox are 12.5 games behind the Indians, who are leading with an even .500 record. But, it will take nothing short of a miracle for the Sox to have any chance to get into the playoffs.
Since the 40-game mark, the Sox have won one and lost one to the Rangers. After the Rangers leave town, the Orioles come to Guaranteed Rate. The Sox could get some wins in the four-game series against the Birds. After the Orioles leave, the Sox hit the road to play Detroit and Cleveland.
Next: Looking forward to the September Crosstown Classic
The next 40 games include series against the rest of the AL Central as well as the Red Sox, A’s, and Brewers. Hopefully, the Sox can pull out more than 10 wins in the next 40 games. The 80th game is against the Twins on June 28.