White Sox: 2019 Could Be Solid Season for Yoan Moncada
White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada struggled mightily in 2018 but 2019 could prove to be a much better season for him and the team.
Yoan Moncada arrived to the White Sox via trade with a lot of fanfare. At the time, Moncada was the top-ranked prospect in baseball although he struggled in his brief major league stint with the Boston Red Sox.
After having a decent stint with the White Sox during the 2017 season, Moncada entered his first full major league season in 2018. Moncada would struggle mightily last season and nearly set the single-season strikeout record at the plate.
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Entering the 2019 season, Moncada has the opportunity to have a much better year than he did in 2018. Although Moncada ended last season with a .235/.315/.400 slash line, he finished the year hitting .301 in the month of September.
Moncada can possibly take positive momentum from the final month of last season into this upcoming season. However, his approach to getting better this offseason could also help Moncada going into the 2019 season.
According to Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune, Moncada took the time to work on his mechanics this offseason. As soon as this past season was over, Moncada went down to Arizona and worked on his hitting mechanics. This impressed many in the Sox organization including manager Rick Renteria.
"“His desire to come down to Arizona as soon as the season was over almost — three or four weeks left — showed us that he knew, he understood the things that he needs to correct. We probably spent six hours talking to him over the whole season.” Rick Renteria"
Many Sox fans labeled Moncada a bust during parts of last season while he struggled. While that was unfair, it doesn’t appear that Moncada is allowing his struggles from 2018 determine the rest of his career. Moncada is still young enough to realize his true potential and getting his career off to a bad start doesn’t mean he will be a bust.
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If Moncada can have more months this upcoming season similar to last September, he will surely be a productive player for the Sox in 2019. It’s too early for anyone to label Moncada as a bust. This upcoming season could be a special year for Moncada and the Sox. Especially if Moncada performs well offensively.