White Sox: 5 Players That Are Performing Well in Spring Training
White Sox Spring Training record isn’t important but there are many players that are having good performances just before the start of the regular season.
As of Sunday, the White Sox current Spring Training record sits at 6-8. The offense has been scoring runs in bunches over the past two games and the starting pitchers that will be in the rotation this season have had good outings as well.
With many White Sox fans still reeling over the missed opportunities to add talent, other fans are paying good attention to what’s happening down in Arizona this Spring. The Sox might not be at .500 with their record, but a win-loss record isn’t what’s most important during Spring Training.
What is important are players getting enough reps before the regular season begins and possibly performing well. While there are players that aren’t having a good Spring Training right now, there are others that are having great performances in limited action.
The Sox rebuild has gotten a lot of flack lately from those who doubt it will be successful, but this Spring, there are players that will be crucial to the success of the rebuild performing well. Other players that are performing well thus far might not be around when the Sox are competitive again.
For now, these players that are currently having a good showing during Spring Training will surely need to carry any positive momentum they can gain into the regular season. The Sox aren’t expected to have a winning record this upcoming season, but if a number of younger players can take the right step in their development, it would be beneficial for this current rebuild.
Reynaldo Lopez was the best player on the Sox in terms of WAR last season. With his 7-10 record, 3.91 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 2018, Lopez certainly has something to improve upon going into this upcoming season. Lopez likely won’t be the Sox ace in 2019, but he could be a very strong no. 2 starter in their rotation.
On Saturday, Lopez had his best outing of the Spring against the Texas Rangers. In four innings pitched, Lopez allowed just one earned run and recorded seven strikeouts. Lopez has a 6.75 ERA this Spring, but his start on Saturday could go a long way in helping the young right-hander to start the 2019 season on a good note.
The Sox starting rotation will need to be much better in 2019 than it was in 2018. This is fairly obvious. Lopez will be key to the Sox pitching success this season. If he can have more outings like he did this past Saturday, he can certainly have a better season than he did in his first full season pitching in the Majors last year.
Lopez can become a formidable second starter in the Sox starting rotation for years to come. If Lopez is able to have a much better season in 2019 than in 2018, he will surely become a mainstay in the Sox rotation when they become competitive again.
James McCann will be the Sox backup catcher this season. While some Sox fans wanted the franchise to go after Yasmani Grandal or even Martin Maldonado, the Sox signed McCann this past offseason to help prevent base stealers. McCann wasn’t signed because of his offense but he’s swinging a hot bat during Spring Training.
Through 18 at-bats, McCann is hitting .389 this Spring with one home run. McCann’s lone home run of the Spring came on Saturday in the Sox 12-2 win over the Texas Rangers. McCann has been one of the better offensive producers for the Sox during Spring Training.
Last season, McCann hit just .220 with eight home runs through 118 games with the Detroit Tigers. McCann won’t be relied upon to be an offensive threat for the Sox this season, but if he can have a much better showing at the plate, it would help whenever he’s in the lineup.
McCann’s current good performances this Spring is a positive step in the right direction for the young catcher. Starting the season with good momentum from Spring Training could likely help McCann who hasn’t finished a season with a batting average higher than .253 since 2015 when he finished with a .264/.297/.387 slash line.
Yoan Moncada led MLB with 217 strikeouts last season. 2018 was the first full season playing in MLB for Moncada. Although he hit 17 home runs, Moncada couldn’t avoid striking out more than 200 times and also led all second baseman with 21 errors. Simply put, 2018 might have been the worst season of Moncada’s career.
With a position change to third base, maybe this could be the spark Moncada needs to reach his true potential. It appears moving over to third base has done Moncada some good at least during Spring Training. Through 25 at-bats, Moncada is hitting .360 with a .448 on-base percentage. Moncada has three extra-base hits and has yet to commit an error at third base through nine games.
Many Sox fans were quick to label Moncada a bust last season and declared the franchise lost the trade with the Boston Red Sox that included Chris Sale. Despite a poor offensive showing from Moncada in 2018, it’s too early to determine if he won’t ever live up to the hype of him once being ranked as a top prospect in MLB. It’s also too early to determine if the Sox lost their trade with the Red Sox from late 2016.
Moncada still has plenty of room for growth. If he can continue producing well offensively this Spring along with providing solid defense at third base, that positive momentum can likely carry over into the regular season. If that happens, Moncada will certainly live up to his potential sooner than later for the Sox. Moncada might be one of the more integral players to the success of the Sox rebuild. Let’s hope he can maintain his good production from this Spring throughout 2019.
Tim Anderson might have introduced the Sox slogan of the year last month when it was discovered that the franchise missed out on signing a superstar free agent. Anderson improved well defensively last season and also become a 20/20 player as he finished 2018 with a career-high 20 home runs and 26 stolen bases to go along with a .240 batting average.
Currently, in Spring Training, Anderson is hitting .480 with five extra-base hits through 25 at-bats for the Sox. Anderson, much like the aforementioned Moncada, has also yet to commit an error this Spring. Anderson could very well have a breakout year this upcoming season. He will be entering his third full season in the Majors and has continued to develop each year.
Anderson’s emergence in the Sox offense this season will be great for a team without a bonafide superstar yet. The 25-year-old shortstop could also assume a role as one of the team’s leaders in the clubhouse in 2019. If Anderson can have his success from the Spring carry over into the regular season, expect big things from the Sox 2013 first round draft pick.
Jon Jay‘s signing by the Sox could become a very underrated acquisition. Yes, we all know that Jay is a friend of Manny Machado. The Sox didn’t sign Machado but they could still benefit from the signing of Jay.
Jay is a veteran outfielder and has been a part of some winning ballclubs in his eight major league seasons. He might not start every game in center field for the Sox this upcoming season, but it could be hard for manager Rick Renteria to keep him out of the lineup. Jay could possibly be the Sox leadoff hitter to start the season as he’s proving to be very productive this Spring.
Through 26 at-bats in Spring Training, Jay has a .385/.407/.615 slash line with a 1.023 OPS, two home runs and eight RBIs. Jay’s presence at the top of the lineup would be great for the Sox for 2019. Last season, the Sox didn’t have a good leadoff hitter and it hurt their offense mightily. The Sox might have tried to entice Machado to sign with them by signing Jay, but this signing could still potentially work in their favor.
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Jay much like each of the aforementioned players still have time left to continue performing well during Spring Training. Success in the Spring doesn’t mean it will carry over to the regular season. However, it’s never a bad thing to see many players doing well for the Sox in Spring Training. As fans, we certainly needed more positive news recently than what we’ve gotten thus far this year.