Chicago White Sox: 5 reasons they won the AL Central

On Thursday, Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks uncorked 97 mph hour fastball past the swinging bat of Myles Shaw to clinch the American League Central title. It was their first division title in 13 years

The players got in their usual high-five lines and exchanged some extra hugs before making their way to the locker room. Some stragglers remained on the field to take photos with the small legion of White Sox fans that made the trek to Cleveland.

Back in the locker room, team owner Jerry Reinsdorf helped pass out championship t-shirts. First baseman Jose Abreu let out a primal scream while dancing to the rhythm of the music playing in the background. A beer-soaked Eloy Jimenez said hello to his mother and third baseman Yoan Moncada helicoptered a beer in the corner.

The moment is nice but there is more work to be done. The White Sox have their eyes on a bigger prize than division titles. They are gearing up for a World Series run.

The Chicago White Sox are the champions of the American League Central.

That being said, winning the division is a major accomplishment. They have only done it four times in franchise history. The last time the White Sox claimed the Central Division title Geroge W Bush was president; Aaron Rodgers was a first-time starting QB for the Packers; TikTok had yet to be invented; the iPhone 3G was released, and America was reeling from the aftereffects of the largest bankruptcy in our nation’s history.

This moment has been a long time coming but it wouldn’t have been possible without some major contributions from multiple different people. Here are five reasons the White Sox won the division:

Tony La Russa

The managing has been outstanding for the Chicago White Sox this year.

The hiring of Tony La Russa was met with a volatile reaction amongst the fan base. There were some valid questions that needed to be answered. Could La Russa connect with the locker room? Would he be out of touch with today’s game after? Are his history of DUIs a problem?

But the Hall of Fame manager went out and proved everybody wrong. After a rocky start to the season, he helped navigate the White Sox through injuries en route to the best record in the American League Central. It marked the 13th time La Russa has won a Division title in his career. The first one he ever won was with the White Sox back in 1983 when he guided them to a 99 win season. His career has really come full circle.

La Russa made sure to get lots of guys involved in the lineup ensuring that the bench was fresh and nobody sat for too long and got rusty. By utilizing his entire roster he maximized the White Sox depth.

He has also done a good job utilizing the bullpen. La Russa revolutionized how the bullpen was used during his time in St. Louis. He has applied his craft here in Chicago. While some guys like Craig Kimbrel simply haven’t gotten the job done when called upon, La Russa has pressed the right buttons for a good part of the season.

Most importantly the locker room has rallied around him.  With La Russa at the helm, the White Sox are in a good spot every night. They will not get out managed when La Russa is in the dugout.

Home Runs

The Chicago White Sox certainly knows how to send baseballs flying right now.

The White Sox key to success this season has been the long ball. When the White Sox hit a home run, they are 73-26. When they hit multiple home runs in the same game they are 40-6.

This formula remained true during the game the White Sox clinched the division. Tim Anderson, who hadn’t homered since August 20th, set the tone with a home run in the games first at-bat. In the second inning, the White Sox would go on to hit four home runs in the span of 10 batters.

Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez went back-to-back and then Anderson tacked on his second long ball of the game. These homerun outbursts are not rare. The White Sox have hit four or more homers on 11 separate occasions this season. Since June 30th they have done it nine times.

The White Sox have also won four games via the walk-off home run. Gavin Sheets had the first one in a thrilling come from behind victory over the Minnesota Twins during the second game of a doubleheader.

Tim Anderson had the most exciting one when he hit a dagger against the New York Yankees in the Field of Dreams game. Brian Goodwin uncorked a wicked bat-flip after hitting his game-winner against the Cleveland Indians. Finally, Leury Garcia surprised everybody by hitting a walk-off home run with two outs and two strikes in the ninth inning against Boston.

Due to injuries, the White Sox haven’t been able to launch home runs at the same rate they did in 2020. However, this team has a ton of pop. When everything is clicking, it is a bad day to be a baseball.

Jose Abreu has 29 home runs. Yasmani Grandal has 22. Tim Anderson has 16. Andrew Vaughn has 15. Meanwhile, Eloy Jimenez, Gavin Sheets, and Luis Robert each have nine home runs despite limited playing time.

Jimenez and Sheets have only played 47 and 46 games respectfully while Robert has appeared in 60. Guaranteed Rate Field caters toward the long ball. That is good news for the White Sox. They have proven that the more home runs they hit the more they win.

Depth

The Chicago White Sox has had a lot of different players step up this year.

The Chicago White Sox truly goes 40-men deep. They would not be where they are today without some major contributions from players throughout the organization. When Eloy Jimenez went down during Spring Training, Yermin Mercedes filled in at designated hitter and carried the offense through April.

When Luis Robert hit the IL, Brain Goodwin joined the team and provided outfield versatility and a spark from the left side of the plate. When Nick Madrigal suffered a season-ending injury, Danny Mendick and Leury Garcia provided a nice bridge until the White Sox could find a full-time replacement.

When Yasmani Grandal had to undergo knee surgery midway through the season, Seby Zavala didn’t miss a beat when he was called up from Charlotte. He did a fantastic job handling the pitching staff and holding down the starting catcher role until Grandal returned.

Billy Hamilton turned himself from bench player into fan favorite with his spectacular defense and game-changing speed. Andrew Vaughn has spent his rookie season playing all over the diamond. He has done an admirable job playing left field despite never playing there before. He has also seen time in right field, first base, third base, and second base all while trying to adjust to major league pitching.

Gavin Sheets showed off his raw power upon being called up. In his first major league game, he recorded two hits and his first career RBI. The next night he hit his first career home run. A few weeks later he sent an entire stadium home happy with a walk-off home run against the Twins.

Jake Burger got called up to fill in for the injured Yoan Moncada and battened down the hatches in the hot corner. Burger made some nifty plays with his glove and hit his first big league home run before he left.

Jake Lamb made his way into the lineup and hit six home runs in 43 games with the team. There are a lot of fingers prints all over the success of this team. Without the depth Rick Hahn provided this team, a division title would not have been possible.

Ethan Katz Hire

Ethan Katz has helped so many Chicago White Sox pitchers turn into superstars.

When the White Sox cut ties with long-time pitching coach Don Cooper, it came as a shock. However, it was clear that it was time to move on from Cooper. The White Sox opted to go with Lucas Giolito’s high school pitching coach, Ethan Katz.

Katz helped Giolito transform into an ace by changing his arm angle. This adjustment may have helped save Giolito’s career. Katz is also behind the complete 180 of Carlos Rodon’s career.

Over the offseason, Katz helped Rodon engage his lower half more. This put less stress on his shoulder and slightly increased his velocity. The results speak for themselves. Rodon threw a no-hitter in April and is having the best statistical season of his career.

Katz has also been working with Reynaldo Lopez a lot. Lopez has gone from a pitcher the White Sox bailed on to one of the most effective arms on the pitching staff. He has lowered his ERA from 6.49 a year ago to 3.16.

Katz’s influence hasn’t just been limited to the starters. When Liam Hendriks struggled early in the season, Katz pulled up some video footage and pointed out that Hendriks was overthrowing his breaking ball. This mechanical tweak helped Hendriks quickly return to All-Star form.

Katz had lofty expectations when he was hired. He has lived up to them and then some. In his first year as pitching coach, his staff has carried the White Sox to a division title.