The Chicago White Sox should be using Adam Engel every day.
The Chicago White Sox are currently about a year ahead of schedule in their rebuild. Making the playoffs was somewhat of a surprise to many people who cover the game, myself included. I expected the Sox to be competitive but still miss the playoffs.
After a pretty slow start to the season, they caught fire and were in first place for most of the year. They ended up not winning the division but they found themselves in the seventh seed and are facing the A’s in a three-game series.
Now, I’m a believer in going for it while you have the chance because nothing is guaranteed with this team. No matter young they are, and how much they develop in the offseason, you never know what will happen next year.
I think without a doubt that Adam Engel gives the Chicago White Sox a better chance at making a deep postseason run over Nomar Mazara. Adam Engel, in years past, was in a similar place where Mazara is now.
Fans were complaining about getting him out of the lineup due to poor performance. In 2020 Engel seems like he is really locked in and he easily posted his best year at the plate this season. He seemed to have changed his approach at the plate posting career highs in batting average, OPS, OPS+, and slugging percentage.
Of course, with a shortened season and as a platoon player, his numbers are going to be a little more inflated than normal. However, as stated above he looks like a different player at the plate and seems to be playing with confidence.
On top of his solid hitting this season, Engel also provides fantastic defense in the OF. He is a borderline gold-glove type of fielder which the Sox don’t have very many of. Being such a good fielder gives manager Rick Renteria some options to play within the outfield.
The Sox could field an outfield that consists of Adam Engel, Luis Robert, and Jarrod Dyson. If these are the three are in the field at the same time there isn’t going to be much dropping in for hits between them.