Chicago White Sox: 1 Astros player enters this series very hot
The Chicago White Sox are getting ready to face another great team from the American League. A lot of people were curious if the White Sox would be able to hold up against teams like the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays and they won four of those six games. Now they have the Houston Astros who are a legitimate playoff contender in the American League.
The Chicago White Sox are going to need to be at their best to beat the Houston Astros.
They are right there with the red hot Oakland Athletics for the top spot in the AL West. At 39-28, they are 2.5 games out of first. They, in all likelihood, will either be the division winner or a representative in the American League Wild Card Game. They are in this position because they have a lot of very good players.
One player who has been red hot for them is Jose Altuve. The second baseman is largely associated with their sign-stealing scandal but he is proving he needs no help to be an elite player. So far this season, you can make a claim that he is their best player. After losing George Springer in free agency, it was clear that everyone would need to step up to fill the void and Altuve has.
He is currently slashing .294/.363/.511 for an OPS of .874. If he keeps it up, he can get himself into the MVP conversation. He currently has 15 home runs, 36 RBIs, and 48 runs scored as well so you know he is seeing the ball well. This is someone that the White Sox are going to be cautious with because of how dangerous he is.
Pitching has been a big key for the White Sox so far this year. Jose Altuve is going to see Dylan Cease, Carlos Rodon, Lance Lynn, and Dallas Keuchel as the projected starters for the White Sox in this series. Those guys need to be at their best to contain a hitter like this.
You can look back to the series they just had with the Toronto Blue Jays. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is one of the best hitters in the game right now. He is on an incredible home run pace and could end up leading the Major Leagues. The White Sox didn’t allow him to hit one. When he left town, he went back to mashing just as he was before that series. It would be nice to see the White Sox do the exact same thing to Jose Altuve.