Chicago White Sox: The 2022 Opening Day dream lineup
The Chicago White Sox are going t be a very good team in 2022. The way 2021 went was awesome during the regular season but the way it ended in the American League Division Series is going to leave a sour taste in their mouths.
They are going to come into 2022 with high hopes of being an elite team right out of the gate. It took them a bit to really get going in 2021 but they have a chance to change that in the upcoming year.
A big key to their success in 2022 will be health. They weren’t as healthy as you’d like to see in 2021 which was a problem early on. They battled through but they rarely ever got to play with their full lineup as it was designed to be.
They are hoping that their 2022 lineup has everyone healthy and maybe even some new help. The latter is up to Rick Hahn and his staff during the offseason. Hopefully, some moves are made. This is the perfect 2022 lineup for the White Sox:
The leadoff spot is so important for the Chicago White Sox starting lineup every day.
1. Tim Anderson (SS)
Everything with the Chicago White Sox starts and ends with Tim Anderson. That includes their perfect batting lineup. He is the face of their franchise but he is also someone that makes a perfect leadoff man.
Anderson has a bit of power in his game which allows the White Sox to start the game with a lead from time to time. However, he is really elite when it comes to getting on base and then coming around to score thanks to the help that comes after him. When he reaches base, you know good things will happen next.
If the Chicago White Sox can add some more power, their lineup will be perfect.
2. Marcus Semien (2B)
The Chicago White Sox needs a second baseman very badly. They traded Nick Madrigal in 2021 and Cesar Hernandez wasn’t the answer. They should really consider spending some money on the position going into 2022 and Marcus Semien would make a great addition.
He has legitimately become one of the best offensive players in baseball and could play some outstanding second base for the White Sox. Of course, they traded him away a few years ago in what became a big-time mistake. Now, it would be nice to see them make up for it by bringing him back. He would be perfect for the second spot in this lineup.
3. Jose Abreu (1B)
Jose Abreu has been the best hitter on the White Sox for his entire career. He is good fr 30 home runs and 100 or more RBIs every single season when he stays healthy. Nobody has had more RBIs since the start of 2019 than him which is incredibly impressive. He fell just shy of leading the league for the third year in a row in 2021.
Next year, Jose Abreu is hoping that he has fewer bumps and bruises than he did in 2021. He will never miss much time for things like that but it might allow him to be even better. Batting third behind two elite hitters like Anderson and Semien would be awesome.
There is a lot of big-time power in the middle of the Chicago White Sox lineup.
4. Luis Robert (CF)
The Chicago White Sox has a complete superstar in Luis Robert. The beginning of his Major League Baseball career was somewhat hindered in terms of playing time because of COVID-19 and an injury in 2021. While on the field, however, he is probably the best player on the team. It is finally time t make him the cleanup hitter and keep him there.
Robert is a player who has a tremendous amount of power. He also can be an incredible contact hitter which is perfect for whatever is needed out of a cleanup hitter. With the offense that comes before and after him, he is the guy for this role.
5. Yasmani Grandal (C)
Yasmani Grandal is one of the best offensive catchers in the world. He hits the ball very hard and is an ideal power bat to have in the middle of a lineup like this. He also walks a lot which could set the tone for the hitters that follow him. Grandal, like Robert and Abreu, is someone who can hit in many parts of the lineup but this spot feels right.
6. Eloy Jimenez (LF)
As mentioned before, there are a few White Sox players who can hit in a few different spots and Eloy Jimenez is no different. However, it is fair to have him batting sixth which will spread out the power through the lineup. He might be the best power bat in the lineup which makes him batting sixth incredibly dangerous.
The bottom three of the Chicago White Sox lineup could be World Series caliber.
7. Yoan Moncada (3B)
Of course, if the White Sox signed a big-time free agent like Marcus Semien, whoever bats seventh out of the “big seven” would probably be the best seventh hitter in the league. Yoan Moncada is perfect for that role.
He certainly has enough power to make a difference but he is a good enough on-base guy to make an impact for the lower hitters that come after him. Setting the tone for the 8 and 9-hitter will be important for this team as they try to take a step offensively. Moncada batting seventh might also take some pressure off him which could really help him.
8. Andrew Vaughn (DH)
Andrew Vaughn deserves to be the team’s DH on Opening Day next year. Gavin Sheets may be in contention for the job as well but Vaughn has a chance to develop into an elite power hitter. Batting 8th might be the way to start the year but he could get moved up in short order if he continues to get even better. 2021 was a great start to a very promising career.
9. Chris Taylor (RF)
Chris Taylor would be an outstanding signing for the White Sox during the offseason. He is a free agent after some very good years playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He could start on Opening Day in right field but he could also play some other positions from time to time which would be very helpful. A good and consistent nine-hitter would be nice for this team that has an incredible batting order when healthy.
The Chicago White Sox has some very good pitchers to consider for Opening Day.
SP: Lucas Giolito
The Chicago White Sox should have a very good starting rotation in 2021. There are some question marks regarding Dalla Keuchel, Michael Kopech, and Carlos Rodon in terms of their roles or potential contract situations but there are some great options outside of them. Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, and Dylan Cease will certainly be a part of the rotation no matter what.
Of them all, Lucas Giolito deserves to be the Opening Day starter. There are multiple ace-level pitchers here but Giolito needs to be the guy. He has been the most consistently awesome pitcher on the team for three years now and deserves some respect for being the ace that he is.
If Michael Kopech is in the bullpen again, you can probably expect to see him as a reliever during the first game of the season. You can also probably expect to see guys like Aaron Bummer or Garrett Crochet if they are winning.
You can also count on seeing Liam Hendriks come out to record a save if that is the situation. This is going to be a great pitching staff again which should help supplement a very good offensive lineup.
Hopefully, they spend the money to put together an Opening Day lineup like this so they can combine great pitching and great offense. Staying healthy as a group for most of the season is also important and we can only hope that 2022 shows them better luck in that department. If all goes well, they should cruise to a division title again.
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