Chicago White Sox: Five hitters to be thankful for in 2020
There are some great hitters that the Chicago White Sox should be thankful to have.
Happy Thanksgiving! The Chicago White Sox have a big winter ahead of them as they look to become perennial World Series contenders starting in 2021. It is a big offseason for them and it is very exciting to think about. For now, however, we can celebrate some of the things the White Sox have that we can be thankful for. It all stems from the rebuild that they have so nicely executed to this point.
This team has a long way to go but there are a lot of guys in the organization that will help them soon. Prospects like Andrew Vaughn, Michael Kopech, and Garrett Crochet amongst others are hopeful to come in and make an impact at some point which is very exciting. We are all thankful that this rebuild has started to turn the corner. It seems like most of what they have done since 2017 has worked out in their favor and we just have to hope that continues.
Starting pitching has been a work in progress. They are a team in the market for a good free agent pitcher but they also have some young guys coming up through the ranks. Of course, whoever they bring in will join Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel who are at the top of the rotation.
The offense is the team’s biggest strength to this point. They have a lot of players that are a part of their core that help the offense be successful. There are superstars that have been good for a few years now and there are young hitters that are just now starting to make a big impact. These are the five hitters to be the most thankful for this year:
128. . 1B. Chicago White Sox. Jose Abreu. 79. player
Of course, we have to lead off with the American League MVP. Jose Abreu was one of the best players in all of baseball this year and that helped the White Sox make the playoffs for the first time since 2008. He was finally, for the first time in his career, was surrounded by a really good team and he showed you what he can do.
Abreu led the league with 60 RBIs in 60 games which is obviously a 162 RBI pace over a full season. He also hit 19 home runs which were amongst the team leaders to go with those 60 RBIs. The numbers all support him as the AL MVP and how much he deserved it. The White Sox are lucky to have him there to help them become a legit contender.
Going forward, Abreu is still going to be relied on for a lot. Obviously, he is a lot older than a lot of the guys that are important to the future but Abreu is going to help them get to be like him. He is a great leader and person off the field which is so amazing for a young team like this. Everyone involved with this team should be so thankful for number 79.
player. 128. . SS. Chicago White Sox. Tim Anderson. 7
The Chicago White Sox are so lucky to have Tim Anderson. He is the type of player that helps a Major League organization in every way. The White Sox are a better team on and off the field because Anderson is there. He is slowly becoming the face of the franchise and someone that everyone wants to hear from just as much as they want to watch him play the game.
It has helped that his game has improved big time over the past two years. In 2019 he won the Batting Title and came in second place in 2020. There is no doubt that he has developed into one of the best hitters in the world. It showed even more in 2020 as he was in the MVP conversation for most of the year. His teammate, Jose Abreu, won the award but he came in seventh place. He also added his first career Silver Slugger award for shortstop which is very impressive.
Anderson is one of those players that the White Sox are going to heavily rely on for a long time. He is getting better defensively as the games go along which is a positive for him as well. The future is bright with him leading the way. We are so thankful as a fanbase and media to have Tim Anderson as a member of the Chicago White Sox organization.
128. . RF. Chicago White Sox. Eloy Jimenez. 74. player
Perhaps the most fun player to watch on the Chicago White Sox is Eloy Jimenez. Of course, there is extra love for Eloy because of where he came from. The White Sox will forever be the winners of the trade that sent Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs for Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, and two other prospects. Jimenez is a guy who came into the organization with the potential to become one of the best power hitters in the world.
As we stand right now, he is on his way to becoming just that. He had a great rookie season in 2019 and then just turned into an offensive superstar in 2020. He had a .296 batting average to go with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs in 55 games. Those numbers are fantastic relative to a 162 game pace for a player in his second year.
The main reason that fans should be thankful for him is that he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential. This is just the beginning of what is to come. It makes it even more fun because of how much fun he clearly has while on the field. He likes to laugh and dance while playing which shows that he is just having a blast playing baseball. His defense needs work but his offense will always make up for it because it is so good. 2021 should be a huge year for Jimenez and his bat. We are extremely thankful that the Cubs handed him over.
Yoan Moncada. 10. player. 128. . 2B. Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox have a budding superstar in Yoan Moncada. The problem for him was the 2020 season. He didn’t have that good of a year during the shortened COVID-19 season. He also caught the virus right before the season started and claims that had an effect on him for a lot of the season. It, according to him, hindered him and his energy levels.
With all of that in mind, it is still clear that Moncada is going to be an elite player going forward. He has Gold Glove abilities at third base and it was proven as he was a nominee for the award in 2020. If he can get his bat back to where it was in 2019, he is going to be one of the true leaders on this team.
Moncada is a fantastic player and the White Sox are lucky to have him. Getting him along with Michael Kopech for Chris Sale is probably the most important deal that Rick Hahn made during his tenure. It showed the world that the White Sox were going to tear it down and build it up the right way. Moncada is the symbol of the rebuild for that reason. He is the type of player that any organization would be thankful to have.
Luis Robert. 88. player. 128. . CF. Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are in great shape with Luis Robert. If you thought Jose Abreu had a good year, there is a good chance that Luis Robert does stuff like that times ten in the future. He has the chance to be one of the very best baseball players on planet earth in the not so distant future. He showed signs of that ability right away in his rookie year.
For the first month of his year, he was one of the very best players in the league. He was the MLB’s rookie of the month after his dominance. He ended up coming in second place for the American League Rookie of the Year. Another thing that was impressive was the fact that he won the Gold Glove for centerfield which is a premier defensive position in Major League Baseball.
Hot. Is Jose Abreu better than Paul Konerko?. light
Rick Hahn and the White Sox deserve a lot of credit for having Luis Robert. They did what they needed to do to get him signed as an international free agent and then they doubled down when they gave him a long term deal before he ever stepped on a Major League field. For that, we are thankful to both him and the White Sox for getting it done.