White Sox: Young Players Still Providing Hope Despite Poor Start
White Sox are riding a five-game losing streak due to lack of strong starting pitching but there are a few players that are still providing hope for fans.
It’s been a rough stretch of games for the White Sox recently. After a comeback win in their home opener last week, the team has lost five consecutive games and many fans are getting flashbacks to last year’s squad that lost 100 games.
The starting pitching has been atrocious over the past week and it doesn’t appear things will get much better anytime soon for the rotation. There are some players that are still struggling offensively while others have yet to get into a groove at the plate. Despite all of this, however, there are some young players that are still providing hope early this season.
After an offseason where the Sox franchise had some good moves but couldn’t seal the deal with premier free agents, there are players integral to the team’s successful rebuild that are playing well. White Sox fans have grown restless with the current results on the field for this franchise over the past few years, but certain players are giving those same fans reason to continue supporting this team.
Yoan Moncada got off to a scorching hot start in the first week of the season. He’s cooled off somewhat but is still having better results at the plate and at third base for the Sox. Moncada made the switch to third base right before the start of Spring Training. He’s looked like a natural at the position and it could be having a positive effect on his offense. Through 11 games, Moncada owns a .319/.360/.617 slash line with three home runs, 13 RBIs and a .977 OPS.
Moncada was the object of many Sox fans scorn last year as he finished his first full major league season with a league-high 217 strikeouts. This season, Moncada appears to be a much different player and is living up to the potential many saw in him when he was the top prospect in MLB in 2017. If Moncada can continue to perform well into the Summer, he could make his first All-Star Game appearance in July.
Another young player that is still providing hope is Tim Anderson. Anderson came up with the slogan of the year when the Sox failed to sign a top free agent this offseason. Well, he’s proving to be a tough out now as he’s off to the best start of any season in his career. Anderson is hitting .514 with two home runs through nine games for the Sox. Anderson won’t keep up this pace but if he can put together a solid year offensively, he will certainly become the hero Sox fans need this season.
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Lastly, Eloy Jimenez has yet to hit a home run in his first two weeks playing in the Majors but he’s still providing hope. Jimenez had a .133 average as recently as April 1. He’s raised his average to a respectable .279 since April 1 and should only continue to get better offensively. Much like Moncada and Anderson, Jimenez is an integral part of the Sox rebuild. There’s still hope for Sox fans despite the poor start to the season. Just hang in there.