Chicago White Sox: Five players who need to repeat 2019
The Chicago White Sox want to be a good team in 2020. In order for that to happen, they need some players to repeat their 2019 performance.
For year three of a rebuild that saw the organization strip it down to nothing, the Chicago White Sox had a relatively successful 2019 season. They went 72-89 which was a ten-win improvement over their 62-100 2018 season. They need to keep improving as the years go along if they ever want to take the next step. They are so close to being a playoff team on paper, but they need to go out and do it in 2020.
They made some significant additions over this past winter. They added some talent at a lot of different positions. There are different questions about this team as they head into 2020 and a lot of it has to do with individual performances. A lot hinges on some new faces making an impact. Especially the guys they went out and spent some money on this season. Guys like Dallas Keuchel, Edwin Encarnacion, and Yasmani Grandal all need to be good for this team as they were added for that reason.
There are also some prospects that are going to come in and possibly make an impact. They need guys like Luis Robert, Michael Kopech, and Nick Madrigal to be impact players at some point. If all of these things happen, this might be a team that can get into the 2020 MLB postseason. They also need something else to go their way and it is perhaps the most important thing. These five players were incredible in 2019 as they took major steps and the need to be able to repeat that in 2020 for this team to have success:
Chicago White Sox. Yoan Moncada. 1. player. 128. . 3B
The Chicago White Sox started their rebuild by acquiring Yoan Moncada along with some other good prospects for Chris Sale. Chris Sale had been the face of their franchise for a long time and at the time was one of the two or three best pitchers in all of baseball. They flipped him to the Boston Red Sox and Moncada was the main piece coming back to them.
He was the number one prospect in all of baseball at the time. He struggled in his first full season with the White Sox but since then, he has developed into one of the best players in the league. His 2019 season was a major step for him developing into one of the great players on this team. You could make the argument that he is the best and most important position player in the organization.
In 2019, his .315 batting average was third in the American League. He also made the switch from a below-average second baseman to an above-average third baseman. He had a WAR of 4.6 which was very good for them. Moncada repeating his performance from 2019 in 2020 would go a long way in helping this team take the next step.
Chicago White Sox. Tim Anderson. 2. player. 128. . SS
It is tough to expect Tim Anderson to be THAT good in 2020. He won the batting title in 2019 with his .335 batting average. He could still very well have a very good batting average in 2020. In fact, you could argue that the White Sox are banking on him having a very good batting average this year. They need him to repeat a lot of his 2019 season this upcoming year.
Not only is Anderson an important factor on the field, but he is also an important factor off the field. They see him as one of the faces of this team and a leader in the clubhouse. They need him to be the same player attitude-wise as well. The swag that he brought to this team in 2019 was so noticeable. He believes in what this team is doing and he wears that on his sleeve every day.
If Anderson is able to clean up some of his defensive errors in 2020, he has the chance to be one of the best shortstops in the game. He came out and said that his next personal goal is to win a gold glove. If he remains an elite contact hitter while being that good at defense, he will be one of the biggest impact players in the organization.
. SP. Chicago White Sox. Lucas Giolito . 3. player. 128
The Chicago White Sox are a team hoping that their pitching can complement what looks like a very potent offense. It is all led by the one starter who was elite in 2019. Lucas Giolito was statistically the worst starting pitcher in all of baseball during the 2018 season before turning the corner to become the sixth place Cy Young award finisher in 2019. He has become the ace of the White Sox staff.
The White Sox desperately need him to be that guy again in 2020. He has all of the tools a guy needs to be just that for a long time. He also has more depth protecting him in the rotation now with guys like Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez joining the group. There are also some other young pitchers expected to make an impact like Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, and Reynaldo Lopez.
If Giolito can be the same ace he was in 2019 that would mean the White Sox could have a really good starting rotation. He had a record of 14-9 with a 1.064 WHIP and 3.41 ERA. His numbers in the first half earned him a spot on the 2019 All-Star team. His 2020 numbers need to be similar to those of 2019 if he wants to retain his status as the ace of the staff.
1B. Chicago White Sox. Jose Abreu. 4. player. 128.
Jose Abreu was the best player on this team for a long time. Now, instead of being the best player he is “one of” the best players on this team. He has the ability to hit for power and for contact but his power numbers have always been good. He is a guy that is always amongst the league leaders in total bases, RBIs, and home runs but the talent around him has never been better.
In fact, his one “down year”, was the 2018 62-100 season when the White Sox were just awful. It was the hardest year of the rebuild for everyone, including Abreu. His 78 RBIs that year marked the only time in his six-year MLB career that he didn’t reach the 100 RBI mark. In 2019, he had an American League-leading 123 RBIs. It was an incredible year that showed what Abreu can produce when he has more talent around him.
This 2020 team has more talent surrounding Abreu than any team he has ever played on. That is why it is super important for Abreu to repeat what he did in 2019. If he can repeat that, along with the added production of Moncada, Anderson, Robert, and others, it would go a long way in the White Sox having a powerhouse offense.
Eloy Jimenez. 5. player. 128. . OF. Chicago White Sox
The fact that Eloy Jimenez is just scratching the surface of his potential with his 2019 numbers should really scare the rest of Major League Baseball. His raw talent is as good as any rookie to ever step into the White Sox dugout. He has all of the power you would want from a young player. He also came into the league as polished a hitter as you will ever see.
He struggled with the way MLB pitchers were attacking him early in his rookie year but once he caught on, he really caught on. He ended up coming in fourth place for the Rookie of the Year, but he probably deserved a higher vote. He had 31 home runs, 79 RBIs, and slashed .267/.315/.513 in his rookie year. Not only can he repeat those numbers in 2020, but he can also improve on them. This is a guy who can become one of the most feared hitters in the world.
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Jimenez improving on those numbers throughout his career is scary. If those end up being career lows, that would mean he develops into one of the best players in baseball. Moncada started the White Sox rebuild when he was acquired but Jimenez excelled it when he was traded across town from the Chicago Cubs for Jose Quintana. The White Sox are so lucky to have him as he might be the team’s most electric player.