Chicago White Sox: Three Things to See in Last Week of 2019

With less than a week left in the 2019 season, here are three things that must happen in order to consider this a successful transition year.

This season has been a little bit less than ideal for the Chicago White Sox. Yet another losing season takes a toll. With the absence of Carlos Rodón and Michael Kopech, many were expecting the rebuilding year-to-year progress to be pushed back a season. With a less than stellar bullpen and outfield, it was clear 2019 was going to be a rough one.

Still grieving over the missed opportunity with Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, there were few pieces to look at and be proud of. But over the course of the season, most opinions changed. Eloy Jiménez and Dylan Cease were finally called up. Tim Anderson and Yoán Moncada started hitting what they were expected to be hitting and despite some hiccups, the bullpen surprised many. There was also of course the breakout year Lucas Giolito had made up for the loss of Rodón and Kopech.

With less than a week left in the 2019 season, there are still a few things we need to see to feel even better going into the offseason and the 2020 campaign. We must see one more quality start out of Reynaldo López and Cease. We also need to see Anderson finish as the AL batting champion and José Abreu as the MLB RBI leader. Finally, we need to see Jiménez finish with a batting average over .275. If we can see these three things, Sox fans not only should not feel like 2019 was a waste but can also get excited for 2020 and beyond.

One More Quality Start From Reynaldo López and Dylan Cease

Last year, his first full year, Reynaldo López started 32 games and led the team with 19 quality starts. It was not particularly a great season, but for his first full season, it was solid. It made fans excited to see more. This season, however, it seemed López took a turn for the worst. By the end of June, he had an ERA of 6.12. Many fans wanted López demoted to Triple-A to find his groove again. Even NBC Sports reporter and long-time White Sox optimist Chuck Garfien called out López for his poor performance.

Many thought López turned things around recording two quality starts in August and again in September, his last three starts have been less than stellar. The furthest into a game he went in his last three starts was just 5.1 innings. The least amount of earned runs he gave up in those three starts was 5 runs. He brought the number of walks down in the month of September, but he is giving up a large number of hits (nine each of his last three starts).

With only 14 quality starts this season, it is clear López took a step backward. But ending the season on a positive note with his fifteenth could not only give him something to model his offseason but give him a boost of confidence going into the dead of winter.

The same goes for Dylan Cease. After a very strong minor league performance, many were upset he did not get the call up to the majors right out of spring. But Cease eventually forced the organization’s hand and made his debut July 3. He had a strong debut but has had difficulty recreating that success in other starts.

With his ERA consistently resting at between 5 and 6, it has not really been a strong rookie season for Cease. But there is a glimmer of light. In just 14 starts, 73 innings, he recorded 81 strikeouts. If seen in a full season, he could be sitting around 160-190 easily.

The most concerning aspect of Cease’s game right now is his control. In six of his 14 starts, he allowed three or more walks. He gets deep into counts, falls behind at-bats and runs his pitch count up. Giolito faced similar issues last season. If Cease could develop a better sense of control and command the strike zone like Giolito did this season, he will be in good shape.

Cease’s last start, Friday in Detroit, he pitched his third quality start. He went six innings allowing only run. He walked two and struck out eight. If Cease could end the season with another quality start, like Lopez, it will give him something to focus on and carry over into next season.

Tim Anderson earns batting title and José Abreu finishes with most RBI’s in MLB

Much like many players on the 2018 team, Tim Anderson did not have a successful season. Hitting a poor  .240/.281/.406, many looked to the organization to lock down Machado to upgrade the left side of the infield.

But the negativity from the fanbase about missing out must have sparked something inside Anderson as he turned things right around, and quickly. Right out of the gate, Anderson let everyone know what he was about this season. He finished April as a player of the month. With a strong May and June, Anderson was on his way to earning a spot on the All-Star roster.

Unfortunately, he suffered an injury and missed the entirety of July. He may not have been on the roster, but he definitely earned it. But what’s an All-Star spot compared to the batting title?

As we enter the last week of the season, Anderson has the highest batting average in the MLB at .334. Considering the rollercoaster that has been his career thus far, a batting title would be a tremendous feat not only for himself but for the organization. It is also worth mentioning that Yoan Moncada is third in the American League in batting average.

While Anderson races towards the finish line for the batting title, José Abreu is in the home stretch of a race of his own. Currently tied at 121 RBI’s with Freddie Freeman, Abreu will be looking to find some separation and be the lone leader in runs batted in. There is no question he finishes the AL winner as Rafael Devers follows Abreu with only 112. But to finish as the MLB leader, along with having a batting champ on the team is a very bright glimmer over a mediocre transition year.

It is not a necessity that either or both players win their respective races as having both Anderson and Abreu, and also Moncada in the top three of those categories is already incredibly impressive. But leading in those categories is a little bit better than just being up there.