Chicago White Sox: Three takeaways from Soxfest 2020
The Chicago White Sox hosted Soxfest over the weekend and it gave us some things that we should all definitely be excited for.
The Chicago White Sox are a team going into 2020 with high expectations for themselves. They believe that they are going to turn the corner of their rebuild in order to compete for the playoffs. It has been a while since this team has had this much hype around them. That hype was evident when Soxfest 2020 got underway. There were a lot of people that were way more optimistic about this team than there have been in recent years.
This event is a chance for players and coaches to connect with the fans before they head off for Spring Traning. Most of the important members of the organization make it to Chicago each year for Soxfest in anticipation of the season. This year was clearly different though. There was a significant improvement in many of the team’s core players’ games, showing that the future of this organization is very bright.
Then there were all of these moves made over the winter. Free-agent signings and trades have fans believing in what Rick Hahn is doing. That is something that made this event even more exciting. People are ready to see some new faces on the South Side play some winning baseball. All of that is likely going to happen in 2020 and fans are excited.
There were some interesting storylines to come out of the weekend in Chicago. There are some that make you feel good about a few individuals and how they will contribute to the success of the team. There are three that stick out above the rest:
Michael Kopech’s Health
Michael Kopech had Tommy John‘s surgery at the end of the 2018 season which shut him down for the rest of that year along with all of 2019. He was off to a decent start but now he has to work all the way back after getting just a small taste of Major League Baseball. 2020 could be the year that he sticks full time if all goes well.
At Soxfest, Michael Kopech came out with some personal information about his mental health. He told stories about how it wasn’t easy for him dealing with anxiety and depression during that time. He received praise when he talked about it being okay now and he is ready to get going. He is newly married which is awesome for him in that area as well. He is ready to live in the moment which should be very good for him and the White Sox in 2020.
Kopech came in as the 20th best prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Top 200 Prospects list. That is very good as he is one of four White Sox players in the top 40. Kopech might get to be with the big league club to start or he might start in AAA depending on how they want to handle his pitch count this year. It will also depend on how he does in Spring Training. It is good to know now though, that Kopech is in a good spot mentally and is ready to get rolling.
Next Step For Eloy Jimenez
Eloy Jimenez had an extremely successful rookie year. He did miss some time with injury and he still managed to have 31 home runs, 79 RBIs, and a .267 batting average. He came in fourth place in the voting for the American League Rookie of the Year. He had a huge helping hand in the White Sox taking the next step in 2019. He is going to be looking for a huge year n 2020.
The thing is, everyone believes that he will be even better this year. He has the potential to be one of the very best hitters in all of baseball. He just needs to stay healthy. One key to staying healthy is by making smart decisions when he is out in left field. He wasn’t all that great in the outfield in 2019 but he seems to be fairly confident that it will improve this year and beyond.
Someone asked Eloy at Soxfest if he would ever consider being a designated hitter. He used some explicative language to say no. He wants to be out there improving his play in the field to help the team. That is a respectable take on the whole thing as a fan. He wants to improve so let him try and improve. It can also be said that some guys just aren’t cut out to be a DH. Sometimes going out there defensively keeps your head in the game more. If it is better for Eloy’s mind at the plate to play defense then let him play defense.
The thing that makes his defense look suspect anyway is the tough plays. He isn’t so bad that he costs his team runs on a regular basis because he can’t make a routine play. All of these things will improve as time goes on. He also made it clear at Soxfest that he enjoys doing well against the Cubs because “You know why”. It is so much fun to have this guy on the team we cheer for.
The Luis Robert Factor
Eloy Jimenez was good for another quote during Soxfest. First, he made headlines with his comments about being a designated hitter but he had some other good quotes as well. This one is perhaps the one that should get White Sox fans extremely excited to watch some baseball this year. He claimed that his White Sox teammate Luis Robert is “going to be the next Mike Trout” during an interview.
In case you haven’t heard, Mike Trout is the outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels. He is already considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball with about half a career to go. Those are some lofty expectations for a kid who has yet to step on a Major League diamond. This is honestly good to hear from Jimenez though because that means these guys have confidence in each other. That could be amazing for the clubhouse going forward.
The comparison to Trout makes sense if you think about it deeply. He might not be the greatest player of a generation by far but his style of play could be where Jimenez draws the comparison. They are both considered “five-tool” players that both play center. If Robert turns out to be 80 percent of Mike Trout then the White Sox would be thrilled.
light. Related Story. The White Sox had 4 prospects named to the MLB Pipeline Top 100
The organization clearly believes in him as they have already handed him a 50 million dollar contract. He hasn’t played a single game with the White Sox yet but they locked him up long term. If he does end up being an elite player here soon, then the contract will look like a complete bargain. The future is bright on the south side and Soxfest gave a really nice preview.