Chicago White Sox: Three takeaways from Kansas City series
The Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals have concluded their series and there are some things we learned.
The Chicago White Sox turned in a brilliant series against the Kansas City Royals. They went into their building and took it to them for three straight games (and four in a row, total). It was a lot of fun as we got to watch some bounce back pitching performances along with some stellar offense. Friday night’s win was a nailbiter but on Saturday and Sunday, there was little doubt by the time they reached the later innings.
The White Sox have a lot to be excited about. Their sweep of the royals puts them at 5-4 which now has them at second place in the division. This upcoming series against (home and home) the Milwaukee Brewers is huge for them as they try to continue their run and continue climbing the standings. With more than half the league making the playoffs this year, the White Sox are in a really nice position to do so. We haven’t seen playoff baseball on the South Side in a long time so this might be the year that the bad streak ends.
The White Sox are still one of those teams that need everything to go right in order for them to win. They have a really young roster so gaining this valuable experience is so important for the future of the ballclub. 2020 might not be the year that they hang a banner but when they do hang a banner, they might be able to point to 2020 as the starting point.
If they continue playing as they have for the past four games, they should be able to continue winning more than they lose. There are some takeaways from this Kansas City series that should affect them against the Brewers:
1. Tim Anderson/Yermin Mercedes
The Chicago White Sox placed Tim Anderson on the injured list over the weekend. Yermin Mercedes was called up in his place. Losing Anderson is no good for the White Sox for obvious reasons. He is a batting champion that can help affect the game in many ways. However, this gives Mercedes a chance to prove himself in games that actually count. Hopefully, Mercedes is able to make an impact and Anderson is able to come back healthy.
Yermin Mercedes is a nice player that can play multiple positions. He is known for being a catcher but it doesn’t seem like a likely spot for him right now with the way this team is built. They have Yasmani Grandal and James McCann for that so the outfield or designated hitter spots seem more likely for him if he gets a start at any point. He is also a solid option for a pinch-hit situation.
For Anderson, he is one of the top leaders of the clubhouse. With him there, the team has to believe it has a chance to win baseball games. He is such a great hitter and has often come up clutch when the Sox needed him the most. His defense is still improving but what he brings offensively and from a leadership perspective is irreplaceable.
2. Pitching
The starting pitching was awesome against the Royals. Dallas Keuchel had his second start in game one and was brilliant yet again. Gio Gonzalez made his first career White Sox start and did what he needed to do for the team to get the win. Dylan Cease came in and had a very respectable game to complete the sweep and earn his first win of the season. The bullpen was solid to compliment the starting pitching as well.
They need Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, and Gio Gonzalez to be strong against the Brew Crew. The first two will be at Milwaukee and the next two are going to be at Guaranteed Rate Field. All eyes will be on Rodon to see if he can have his bounce-back game. Every other starter that had a bad first game bounced back before him so let’s see if he can.
The nice thing about this is the fact that they have Lucas Gioltio and Dallas Keuchel going in the same series. Those are two games that the White Sox should feel extremely comfortable about as they head into them. There are no guarantees just because you have two great starters on the mound but it definitely helps. The hope is that Rodon and Gonzalez are able to carry their weight. Their offense is too good to waste so the pitching needs to keep it up.
3. The Kids
Do Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez count as kids anymore? Well, they were awesome against the Royals as well. With that said, when we say the kids we mean their two upcoming star rookies. Their names are Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal. Robert seems to get a hit or do something spectacular in the field every single day. He is in the fast lane to the Rookie of the Year award if he keeps this up. He legitimately has the potential to be one of the best players in the league.
Nick Madrigal made his MLB debut on Friday night. He didn’t have a hit going into Sunday but boy did he make up for it. He had a remarkable four hits and was a key factor in the White Sox completing the sweep. It is going to be fun watching this kid grow with this organization. They need both of these players to continue being awesome.
Hot. Watching the White Sox call up their prospects has been awesome. light
This series against the Brewers is certainly going to be fun. With a guy like Christian Yelich in the lineup, they are always going to be hard to defeat but the White Sox has the horses to do it. With good pitching, good hitting, and solid defense, it is certainly possible for them to win some games here. It is another great test in a long line of them for this young team.