Opening Day is finally upon us. The Chicago White Sox enter the 2022 campaign with lofty expectations. Last season, Tony La Russa’s squad cruised into the postseason after winning the American League Central Division by a wide 13 game margin. They are once again projected to take the AL Central crown.
This comes as no surprise. Few teams can match their potential star power. The White Sox has a young exciting core made up of Lucas Giolito, Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada, Micheal Kopech, Dylan Cease, and Andrew Vaughn. They are paired with a handful of battle-tested veterans such as Jose Abreu, Yasmani Grandal, Liam Hendriks, Lance Lynn, and Dallas Keuchel.
Some fresh faces will also be looking to make an impact. Former All-Star, Josh Harrison will take over the duties at second base while AJ Pollock figures to get the bulk of the time in right field.
The bullpen is also much improved. Rick Hahn added Kendall Graveman and Joe Kelly to a bullpen that already features one of the best relievers in baseball in Hendriks and one of the most underrated relievers in Aaron Bummer.
The Chicago White Sox are good enough to make a deep run in 2022.
Unfortunately, the White Sox have already been hit with the injury bug. Garrett Crochet will miss the entire season due to Tommy John surgery while a torn ligament near Lance Lynn’s knee will sideline him for the first few months of the season.
Rick Hahn did sign Johnny Cueto in an attempt to patch up the rotation. On paper, the talent is about the same as last year. With a healthy lineup, the White Sox figure to cruise into the postseason once again. Time will tell if they can compete with the big boys.
Regardless, this should be a fun team to watch. In honor of a new season, here are five bold White Sox predictions for 2022: