1. Tim Anderson SS
Tim Anderson will be the perfect Chicago White Sox leading hitter in 2022.
Tim Anderson is the ultimate table-setter for the White Sox. When he missed time last season, his absence from the lineup was felt across the board. The MLB average for leadoff men in 2021 was 262/.332/.431, with a .763 OPS. Tim Anderson’s slash line as a leadoff man was .309/.338/.469 with a .807 OPS.
What Tim Anderson provides at the leadoff spot is a spark plug for the rest of the offense. He hits for a high average. He won the batting title in 2019 and finished second in 2020. During that stretch, he owned a .331 batting average.
He is a threat on the base paths. Anderson led the White Sox in stolen bases in 2021 with 18.
Finally, if you make a mistake he can take you deep. The Cleveland Guardians learned that the hard way when Anderson went yard twice on September 23rd during the White Sox division-clinching victory.
In 2020 he slashed .361/.384/.651 with five home runs when leading off an inning. He was also tied for second in the American League with three leadoff home runs.
Having him in the leadoff spot is a no-brainer.