The Chicago White Sox know they have some really good players. The MLB recognized that to some degree with their top 100 list.
The Chicago White Sox are finally in Spring Training. With the time of year, comes the MLB’s official list of the Top 100 players. Obviously, lists are subjective and they pretty much only ever exist to drive a conversation. Well, this list is clearly driving some conversation as there are people who agree and people who don’t. There are a few White Sox players that made the list and one notable snub.
Eloy Jimenez made it after one season in the MLB at #97. It is cool to see one season of the pros get Eloy the respect he deserves. There is a good chance that he climbs the list as time goes on. There is even a claim to be made that he might be the highest rated White Sox player in the not so distant future. There are some good players in this organization so anything is possible but Jimenez is in a good spot.
Right ahead of him at 96 is Jose Abreu. This one was a little more surprising because he has been seen as the face of the White Sox for a long time now. He led the American League in RBIs in 2019 which is a major accomplishment. Abreu is not the best player on the team anymore but he is really close. He might not be much ahead of any of his teammates going forward because they are all getting better, but some more team success could raise Abreu’s stock as a whole.
Remarkably, they ranked Tim Anderson right ahead of them at 95. It seems like they just wanted to get some of the good White Sox players out of the way early. Tim Anderson won the Major League Baseball batting title in 2019. Nobody qualified had a higher batting average than him. If he can improve his defense this year and do it again at the plate, he should see his name higher on the list soon.
Yoan Moncada made a major jump to number 60. He is in a lot of people’s opinion the best player on the White Sox. He is very strong defensively at third base and he is an elite hitter. He had the third-highest batting average of any player in the American League in 2019. This is a player who could be in MVP considerations one day.
Yasmani Grandal, who has never played a game as a White Sox player, came in at number 42 and was the highest-ranked player on the team. Grandal has been in the playoffs and in the spotlight so that could have a lot to do with it. It is proof that playing for a good team raises your stock. That is the hope for this team in 2020 and beyond.
One omission that was a bit surprising is Lucas Giolito. He was one of the best pitchers in the game in 2019. He came in sixth place for the American League Cy Young award. He is going to be the ace of a pretty good rotation in 2020 so not seeing him on the list is a bit surprising. If Giolito does it again this season, you can bet he will be on it in 2021.