White Sox: Three players that must step up for playoffs
The Chicago White Sox need a few players to step up for the playoffs.
One week after clinching a playoff berth and coming off one of the hottest stretches in baseball, the Chicago White Sox are in a free fall. The best record in the American League, number one seed, and division lead have all vanished.
This sputtering could not come at a worse time with only three games remaining in the regular season. As it currently stands the White Sox would be facing the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs. That is a tall task for a young team that has little to no postseason experience. There is not much time left but certain members of the team need to step up down the final stretch and into the playoffs if the White Sox want to make it out of the first round.
The White Sox offense has ranked among baseball’s elite this season. Any lineup with two players in the MVP conversation should excel offensively. The White Sox have relied heavily on Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson to carry the workload. Especially Abreu, who has done more than his fair share of the heavy lifting on offense. He also leads the MLB in hits and RBI’s while ranking second in home runs.
After dropping a four-game set in Cincinnati and being swept by their division rival from Cleveland, it has become evident that the White Sox could use some more production from certain guys in the lineup.
player. 128. . CF. Chicago White Sox. Luis Robert. 88
Luis Robert is in a slump. A 6-69 slump to be exact. In the month of September, he is hitting below .100 with just a single homer and only six RBI’s. His batting average has plummeted down to .225. The White Sox need him to break out of it and fast.
He took the league by storm in the month of August earning the Rookie of the Month honors for his efforts. A month in which he hit .298 with nine home runs and 20 RBI’s. Coincidentally, the White Sox went 19-9 in the month of August. During Robert’s slump, they have already lost nine games in September.
It is important to remember that Robert is only a rookie. He has played a little over a month at the major league level. Pitchers were going to make adjustments but now it is time for Robert to change his approach and adjust with them.
It also does not help that Robert has batted primarily in the 7-hole. He has little to no protection and has faced a barrage of sliders because of it. Growing pains will happen but now that the White Sox are contending they need their stars to step up. Make no mistake about it, Robert is a star but with high praise comes high expectations and it is time that Robert gets back on track in meeting those expectations, especially because he is being paid $80 million dollars and the offense is suffering.
player. 128. . 3B. Chicago White Sox. Yoan Moncada. 10
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.
player. 128. . RF. Chicago White Sox. Nomar Mazara. 30
Many fans would like to see Edwin Encarnacion on this list. While he is hitting an abysmal .174 he has never been a high average guy in his career. He is paid to hit home runs and the parrot has made an appearance 10 times this year. In a 60-game season that is on par with his usual production. He has done what the White Sox have paid him to do.
One guy that has not done what the White Sox have paid him to do is Nomar Mazara. Nomar Mazara has shown little to no offensive upside the White Sox thought they would be getting when they acquired him from the Texas Rangers. He is batting just .221 with 11 RBI’s and a lone home run. While guys like Luis Robert have produced this season and just need to break out of a slump, Mazara has not produced at all. He has a career-low .578 OPS and a career-worst 31.3 percent strikeout percentage on the season. He is hitting just .192 over his last 15 games.
light. Hot. Who will the White Sox use as the 3rd starter in the playoffs?
Mazara has a couple of games to prove he deserves to remain in the starting lineup, otherwise, his spot could be taken by Adam Engel. Engel is an upgrade defensively and has been much better at the plate.