The Chicago White Sox need Yoan Moncada to be their best player in 2020 more than they even thought. He is their most important piece.
It was a little worrisome for the Chicago White Sox when Yoan Moncada struggled mightily in 2018. He had outrageous strikeout numbers but it looked at times like the elite tools were still there. It was clear that one day it would just all click for him. Well, the entire 2019 season saw it click for Moncada. He had the third-best batting average in the American League and was a top ten hitter in all of baseball.
Moncada now might be even more important than we thought. Of course, Eloy Jimenez might have more pop in his bat and Luis Robert is the five-tool player but Moncada is the best player in the organization right now. With the start of the season on delay, it is so important for Moncada to come in strong this year.
They need to get off to a good start to maximize whatever season they are given this year. Moncada is the key to this team. Everything they do is built around him so seeing him play well in 2020 is super important. It is important that 2019 wasn’t a one-off year for him as the former number one prospect in the world.
What makes him extra important now is the fact that they need leadership. He is going into his third full season and has been in the league longer than most of the team’s most important young players. He is the type of guy who leads by example and has done a great job so far. If he is able to keep that up once baseball comes back, this team will be in great shape. It is important for Moncada to be a statistical leader on the field and an actual leader off the field.
Moncada also has the opportunity to do some learning from other leaders this year as well. He seems to have been taking in a lot from Jose Abreu over the years and that needs to continue. It is even better now that they have guys like Yasmani Grandal and Edwin Encarnacion in the mix as well. It would be great to see all of these guys be so important to the team in 2020 when baseball comes back.