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White Sox: Analyzing Rick Renteria’s Lineups and Other Strategies

By Jon Michael Walters

(Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
(Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – APRIL 21: Manager Rick Renteria #36 of the Chicago White Sox watches from the dugout during the sixth inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on April 21, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the White Sox 4-3. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – APRIL 21: Manager Rick Renteria #36 of the Chicago White Sox watches from the dugout during the sixth inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on April 21, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the White Sox 4-3. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

How Lineup Should Be Constructed

With Adam Engel demoted, Yolmer Sanchez is now the worst hitter on this team, so he should probably bat ninth or not play at all.

The fact is that batting order doesn’t matter that much, and even a bad one will probably only cost a team a few wins over the course of the season. But given that the White Sox will never spend the money necessary to have a dominant lineup, they need to be doing everything they can to squeeze as many wins out as they can, and Renteria is just not doing it, and the batting order is another example.

If he were to just simply do the batting order based on-base percentage that would, per FanGraphs, leave them with 1. Tilson CF 2. James McCann C 3. Anderson SS 4. Abreu 1B 5. Leury Garcia 2B 6. Moncada 3B 7. Ryan Cordell RF 8.  Delmonico LF 9. Castillo DH.

While I would make a few tweaks here and there, the fact that the White Sox are so far removed from this makes me wonder if the team even believes in on-base percentage at all. When Rick Hahn or Renteria are interviewed someone should ask them if they do. If they haven’t even caught up to 2002 Moneyball era understanding of how to win then this rebuild is just not going to work out.

What’s even worse than the batting order is the fact that the right guys aren’t even playing at all. Garcia is one of the best players on this team, yet he hasn’t started in either of the last two games. Based on the quality of this roster he’s more than good enough to be an everyday player and he needs to start being one.

I can sort of understand wanting to get at-bats for Delmonico/Tilson/Cordell to see what they have there, but if that’s the case they should play Garcia at second base. I’m not sure if he’s a good enough fielder to be an everyday second baseman, but they should give him a chance and use Sanchez as a defensive replacement if he isn’t.

McCann is leading the team in WAR, so while he can’t catch every day he should be at least DH-ing when he’s not catching, at least until his bat cools off. Alonso can grab some bench.

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