White Sox: Four little known players who’ll make a big impact in 2021

Danny Mendick is going to be tremendous in the infield for the Chicago White Sox.

Danny Mendick was a Gold Glove finalist in 2020. Hidden behind the silky-smooth middle-infield combination of Tim Anderson and Nick Madrigal is a reliable player in Mendick. With the ability to play anywhere in the infield besides first, Mendick provides depth that could keep the team afloat in those unpredictable situations.

He made his debut during the September call-ups in 2019 and he put together a solid start to his career. In 16 games (40 plate appearances), Mendick recorded 12 hits and drove in four while hitting two home runs. His .787 OPS and 107 OPS+ was a promising start.

In 2020, he played in a little more than half of the games in the 60 game season. Mendick put up a .243/.281/.383 slash with .664 OPS, taking a bit of step back compared to the season prior. His 2020 was not a total disappointment as he earned a Gold Glove finalist spot at second base.

Offensively, Mendick is a middle-of-the-road hitter who probably will not hit any higher than .280, but he won’t fall under .200. Despite struggling with the bat, he is skilled offensively. He doesn’t have Engel speed but he can be sneaky quick. Mendick has the tools to be an impactful player. He just needs to use them.

In 2021, Mendick will have an important job in being the number one backup infielder. Leury García is an option in both the infield and outfield but the Engel and Jimenez injuries leave the infield to Mendick. The pressure will be on him to live up to this role. He does have the ability to be impactful when he is on the field. Mendick just might give the Sox the edge late in the season when fatigue in starters comes into play.