Going into the Chicago White Sox rebuild, it was said that it was going to take a long time. They needed to build from the ground up which meant they were going to say goodbye to some outstanding players. That became reality when they traded almost all of their key players.
One of the key players that they traded away was Jose Quintana who was an All-Star caliber pitcher at the time. He wasn’t a superstar but he was one of the betting inning eaters in the league. Trading him to the Chicago Cubs sped up the rebuild just a bit.
The reason that it sped up the rebuild a bit was that they acquired Eloy Jimenez. Dylan Cease came with him who is also becoming a star but Jimenez is one of the best power hitters in Major League Baseball now. He also has one of the best personalities in all of baseball which makes him easy to root for.
The White Sox would still be good without him but they might not have the same offensive potential. This was one of Rick Hahn’s finest moves that he has ever made. Both Jimenez and Cease are impact players while Quintana was borderline bad during his Cubs’ tenure.
The Chicago White Sox ned Eloy Jimenez to be healthy for the whole year.
Jimenez has the bat to be an MVP caliber player which is why he is tapped as the sixth most important player on the White Sox going into 2022. He has 50 home run and 100 RBI potential which would be incredible to see.
He misses most of the 2021 season because of an injury that he sustained in spring training. When he came back, he was okay but it was clear that he never was able to truly get it going to his full capabilities.
In 2022, expect him to go off. It should shock nobody if he is number one, two, or three on this list going into 2023. Of course, he needs to stay healthy this time around. The only thing standing in his way is his health so that is something for him to keep an eye on.
As of right now, Eloy is viewed as a bad defensive left fielder. That could keep him from being a true MVP but it is something for him to work on. He could become a designated hitter but he has been adamant that playing defense helps him stay engaged and hit better.
It is okay for him to stick in left as long as he is average. It is also important for him to avoid doing things that can cause him to get hurt out there. It is one thing if he hurts himself hitting but that has never happened.
He has only suffered injuries on defensive plays. Trying to rob home runs by dangling off the fence, diving into the netting in foul territory, colliding with Luis Robert in centerfield, and jumping feet first into the wall are things for him to avoid. If he does that, the sky is the limit.