After testing positive for COVID-19 at the beginning of the season, Yoan Moncada has been on the record saying he has not felt the same since. This is scary news for the White Sox because Moncada’s decline has been alarming.
In 2019 he had an impressive slash line with a .315 batting average, 25 home runs, 79 RBIs, and a .548 slugging percentage. This season he is batting .221 with only 5 home runs and a slugging percentage that has dipped to .359. He only has 3 hits in his last 37 plate appearances. He has gone 125 plate appearances without hitting a home run.
Unlike Robert, he has had protection in the lineup. He hit second on Wednesday night in between Tim Anderson, who is in the race for a second batting title, and Jose Abreu, who is the frontrunner for American League MVP.
While Moncada deserves props for finding the strength to compete every day after battling a COVID-19 infection, the White Sox expect better production from someone who is supposed to be a cornerstone of the franchise. If the White Sox can get half of the production they got from him last season this offense will become much more lethal come October.