Chicago White Sox 2021 Player Preview: Eloy Jimenez
The Chicago White Sox has a lot of outstanding hitters that are going to be in the starting lineup on a regular basis. Well, there are few better than Eloy Jimenez who has a chance to become one of the best hitters in the league (if he isn’t already). He came into the White Sox lineup as polished of a rookie hitter as they have ever had in 2019. Now, a few years later, he has MVP-caliber potential. He took a major step in 2020 and he hasn’t even scratched the surface of how good he can be.
Eloy Jimenez’s 2021 dominance should help the White Sox win the division.
The White Sox are hoping that Jimenez could be amongst the league leaders in home runs. He could if all goes well and he stays healthy, lead the league outright. He is so talented that we can certainly believe it is a possibility. It is also possible for him to hit .300 or better while showing off all of that power.
The issue for Jimenez is his defensive game. It has already been confirmed that he is going to be their everyday left fielder in 2021. That is probably the best decision because it is hard to be a designated hitter. Jimenez has commented on that fact before and he believes it helps him focus on the game more. He isn’t good defensively at all but his offense outweighs that (by a lot), especially if taking him out of left would decrease his offensive production.
The White Sox can also help Jimenez become a good enough left fielder. He can make the routine catches with no problem. The issue is a fly ball that causes him to track it down. We have also seen him do things to injure himself while playing a live ball defensively which is a major worry. This guy’s health is as important to the team as anyone.
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2021 Expectations:
Expect Tony La Russa to be fully confident in Jimenez’s bat. He should be right in the middle of the White Sox lineup every day. With players like Jose Abreu, Luis Robert, Tim Anderson, and Yoan Moncada either before or after him in the lineup, there is plenty of opportunities to do damage for Jimenez. It might be a premature year to say he can be in the MVP running but you never know. Leading the league in any offensive category is a possibility and don’t be surprised if he is an All-Star. This year should be a great year for number 74.