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Chicago White Sox: Current state of the organization

By Brandon Younan

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Luis Robert #88 of the Chicago White Sox bats against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning of Game Two of the American League Wild Card Round at RingCentral Coliseum on September 30, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Luis Robert #88 of the Chicago White Sox bats against the Oakland Athletics during the third inning of Game Two of the American League Wild Card Round at RingCentral Coliseum on September 30, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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Chicago White Sox Yasmani Grandal
(Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images) /

Heading into the 2021 season, the Chicago White Sox are looking to compete for a championship.

2020 was an incredible year for the Chicago White Sox. The organization made the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and had its first winning season since 2012. The team finished their season at 35-25, matching up with the third-seeded Oakland Athletics in the 2020 Wild Card series. Although the Athletics sent the Sox home in three games, the future of the organization is bright. Heading into the 2021 season, the Chicago White Sox are looking to compete for a championship after only scratching the surface of the potential the team has.

Although he ended the season on a slump, Luis Robert shined as bright as fans could expect. Robert finished second in Rookie of the Year voting, batting .233 with 11 home runs and 31 runs batted in. The rookie shined defensively and won Gold Glove honors. According to Statcast, Robert was tied for the lead among all MLB center fielders in Outs Above Average at +7. Robert is only 23, and he is going to continue to get better.

Dane Dunning showed promise in his small sample size of seven starts. The 25-year-old right-hander threw in 34 innings, struck out 35, allowed 17 runs, and finished with an ERA of 3.97. The rookie even got the nod to start game three against the Athletics in the Wild Card series. As long as Dunning continues to develop, he should be a mainstay in the starting rotation.

Second-year starter Dylan Cease had ups and downs throughout the 2020 season. Cease ended the season with a 4.01 ERA through 12 starts for the White Sox and had control issues throughout the season but the young right-hander has nasty stuff and should continue to develop under veterans Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel. Cease has the potential to be a mainstay in the rotation as long as he can learn to have consistent command of his pitches.

Rookie, Nick Madrigal, is the second baseman of the future for the organization. Madrigal batted .340, brought in 11 runs, and struck out only seven times all season. With two strikes, he was just as good as he batted .321 and brought in eight runs with two strikes on him. The rookie brought balance to a White Sox lineup stacked with power.

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