The Chicago White Sox have had some interesting lineup decisions over the course of the season, but this wrinkle may be a good idea.
The Chicago White Sox have had some weird lineups during the 2019 season. Some people get mad at it, some people understand that they construct these lineups using data collected and are trying to give themselves the best chance to win. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
On Monday night, Yoan Moncada was hitting in the cleanup spot. That is not a spot in the lineup he usually finds himself in. Moncada leads the qualified hitters in batting average so this looked like a decent move to try.
He had an amazing game so it, as of now, looks like a really good idea. He went 2/4 with 4 RBIs. That includes a three-run home run that really put the game out of reach for the Sox over the Miami Marlins. It was a great showing for Moncada in the four-hole, so it will be interesting to see how they go about it.
Multiple players, including Jose Abreu, made a comment after the game about the fact that they may have found their new cleanup hitter. I am not sure Moncada will stick in the cleanup spot, but he should get the chance at this point. If Moncada is going to stay hot, he might as well get more opportunities with runners on base. It should improve his RBI totals as well if he keeps it up.
All of his teammates have all the confidence in him and he is showing why. When the White Sox acquired him from the Boston Red Sox for Chris Sale, he was the number one prospect in all of baseball for a reason. It is a trade that appears to be paying off as Moncada is a star.
Whether or not the four-hole is for him full time, he is going to be an elite hitter somewhere in this lineup. There are lots of young studs to put around him so it will be interesting to see how it goes over the next few years. All that matters is that Yoan Moncada is there somewhere.