The Chicago White Sox have a potent offensive starting lineup on paper. Going into the season, everyone knew that they are a legit World Series caliber offense. They showed in 2020 that they have many superstars that are only going to get better as the years go on. Losing Eloy Jimenez to a long-term injury takes some muscle out of it but they still have elite hitters all over the place. They need them all to get going in order to get to the top of the standings.
The Chicago White Sox offense is supposed to be the strength of the team in 2021.
The White Sox are 9-9 with their offense not clicking the way that we know they can. That is pretty lucky and a compliment to how good the pitching is. Now, if the offense were able to catch the pitching in terms of effectiveness, they will start to pile up wins. There are signs that the level of production is going to increase as of their most recent game.
Luis Robert, Tim Anderson, and Yermin Mercedes have all been awesome. Now, if Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, and Yasmani Grandal can stay hot, this lineup can be one of the best in the league. They were all very good in their most recent pounding of the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland also has better pitching than most of the teams they will face going forward so that is a great sign.
Of them all, Jose Abreu is the most important. He was the American League MVP in 2020 for a reason. When he is going well, the White Sox have the best chance to win. Not only because his production will help them on the scoresheet but also because his presence can rub off on others. The fact that there is so much talent around him in the lineup makes him even more dangerous when he is feeling good.
Now that the offense is coming around and there is a string of lesser teams ahead on the schedule, you can expect those bats to start improving their numbers. This sounds like a cliche but the improving weather could also positively impact a lot of hitters on this team. As long as they keep improving as the season goes along, this team is going to get very good very quickly.