Five bold Chicago White Sox predictions for the 2022 season
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:
Jose Abreu Wins A Gold Glove
Jose Abreu has a chance to win a Gold Glove for the Chicago White Sox in 2022.
Jose Abreu has won just about every offensive award imaginable. He took home Rookie of the Year in 2014 and a Silver Slugger Award in 2014, 2018, and 2020. On top of being named to the All-Star team three times, he took home American League MVP in 2020. He has also led the league in RBIs and slugging percentage twice as well as leading the league in OPS+ his rookie season and hits in 2020.
The only thing individually he has left to do is be recognized for his defense. When Abreu entered the league, he was a below-average defender. However, he has subtlety improved every season he has been in the big leagues.
Both Tony La Russa and Rick Renteria went out of their way to compliment him on his work at first base. He made the fewest errors of his career in 2021. In 2020, he led the AL in putouts and range factor per game with an 8.46 mark.
He led all AL first basemen in double plays turned in 2014, 2017, and 2019. Abreu has also managed to finish in the top three of all AL first basemen in range factor per nine innings.
Simply put, Abreu doesn’t get recognized for his defense nearly as much as he should. In 2022, he will finally get the recognition he deserves and takes home a Gold Glove Award.
Seven Players Hit 20+ Home Runs
The Chicago White Sox have a lot of players that can hit big-time home runs.
The White Sox had one of the most powerful offenses in the MLB in 2020. They had the third-highest total in MLB, hitting 96 in just 60 games. In 2021, their numbers dropped off a bit. They dropped to 19th in the MLB with 190 home runs as a team. Only two players hit over 20 home runs.
However, a lot of that can be attributed to injuries. This season, with a fully healthy offense, the power surge shall return. Jose Abreu, Yasmani Grandal, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Andrew Vaughn, AJ Pollock and Luis Robert will all hit over 20 bombs.
Jose Abreu led the White Sox with 30 home runs last year. He is the White Sox’s most consistent hitter and he is always in the lineup. Twenty home runs is actually a safe bet for the 2020 AL MVP who has surpassed that total in seven of his eight seasons in the big leagues. The only year he did not was in 2020 when he hit 19 in just 60 games.
Yasmani Grandal was the White Sox’s most prolific power hitter last season. Grandal was second on the team with 23 home runs. He would have had more if he wasn’t bothered by knee issues at the beginning of the season and didn’t have to miss time recovering from a torn left tendon. He has hit 20 plus home runs in five of the last six seasons.
Eloy Jimenez is the White Sox’s most gifted home run hitter. Nobody has more raw power on the White Sox than the Big Baby. Jimenez led all rookies with 31 home runs in 2019. In 2020 he belted 14 in just 55 games.
He only hit 10 last season but once again, he was limited to just 55 games due to injury and had to shake off the rust. He enters this season fully healthy with a lineup full of protection. Jimenez could easily have the most home runs in baseball.
As mentioned earlier, Luis Robert is a potential MVP candidate heading into the 2022 season. La Pantera has sneaky good power. The 23-year-old had 13 last season in just 68 games. He began to find his power stroke near the end of the season. He hit 11 during the final two months of the season.
AJ Pollock has always had solid power. While he isn’t the first name that comes to mind when you think of a power hitter, the 34-year-old veteran has hit 20 plus three times in his career including last season when 21 off his bat left the yard.
Vaughn managed to hit 15 in his rookie season despite the lack of minor league seasoning. He is a very mature hitter and with an off-season to work on adjusting to major league pitching, he should be in line to do big things in 2022.
Finally, Yoan Moncada has just as much power as anyone in the White Sox lineup. He has only hit 20 or more home runs once. That came in 2019. After two mediocre seasons in the home run department, he is due for another breakout year.
Luis Robert Wins MVP
Luis Robert of the Chicago White Sox is one of the best players in MLB.
Luis Robert has all the tools to be the best player in baseball. He is going to be the MVP of the American League in 2022.
He has already shown flashes of greatness. In 2020, he took home a Gold Glove award for his work in center field. That year, he also owned the highest home run exit velocity in the league at 109.2 mph as well as led all MLB rookies in RBIs (31), game-winning RBIs (5), and stolen bases.
He picked up right where he left off in 2021. During his final 43 games of the season, he had 12 home runs, 31 RBIs, and slashed .350/.389/.622.
His overall season totals could have been even higher had he not suffered a right hip flexor tear on May 2nd. That injury cost him a good chunk of the season.
What makes Robert so special is his ability to impact the game in multiple facets. He can drive the ball 400 plus feet, hit for a high average, and steal bases. Defensively, he has tremendous range and athleticism to pair with a good arm.
Robert has also shown he can rise to the occasion in the biggest moments. During the ALDS, he went 7-for-15 and was one of the only bright spots for an otherwise lackluster White Sox offense.
Dylan Cease Leads The MLB In Strikeouts
Dylan Cease has the stuff to be an ace for the 2022 Chicago White Sox.
Dylan Cease has the best pure stuff out of any pitcher on the White Sox. Last season, he took a major jump. In 2019, he had a 5.79 ERA. In 2021 he posted a career-best 3.91 ERA. He also recorded a career-best 13 wins and 226 strikeouts. Those 226 strikeouts not only were the most on the White Sox but the seventh-most in MLB as well.
Cease can attack with a multitude of weapons in his arsenal. He has a fastball in the upper 90s. His curveball has 61.7 inches of drop and opponents own a 50.1 whiff percentage against his slider.
His slider has emerged as the most devastating pitch of the bunch. The horizontal break is amongst the top 28 percent in baseball, while its location is in the top 31 percent. Cease also has a spin rate of 2880. That is the highest spin rate of any slider in baseball.
Even more astonishing is that Cease’s slider had a run value of -8. The run value measures the run impact of an event based on the runners on base, outs, and the count. For context, Corbin Burnes, who won the National League Cy Young in 2021, has a run value of -7 on his sinker which is his best pitch.
With Lance Lynn’s absence, someone will need to step up and eat innings. If Cease can take the next step and go deeper into games, there is no reason why he can’t lead the MLB in punchouts.
AJ Pollock Stay’s Healthy For A Full Season
It is going to be fun to see AJ Pollock play for the Chicago White Sox in 2022.
The Chicago White Sox are in need of some injury luck in 2022. Last season, they were hampered by injuries. Eloy Jimenez, Adam Engel, Luis Robert, Micheal Kopech, and Yasmani Grandal all missed significant time.
The 2022 season hasn’t even started but it has already gotten off to an ominous start. Garrett Crochet is set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Lance Lynn will miss the first few months of the season after tearing a tendon near his knee.
The Chicago White Sox’s newest addition, AJ Pollock, brings a much-needed track record of production with him. The White Sox have struggled to get any production out of right field in the past several seasons.
Last season, the 34-year old hit .297 with 21 home runs. After the All-Star break, he hit .324 and at times was the Dodgers’ most productive player. Over the past two seasons, Pollock has manufactured an OPS+ of 135 and 37 home runs.
However, Pollock has a reputation for being injury-prone. In Los Angles, fans nicknamed him “bird bones.”
Since 2018, Pollock suffered a fractured left thumb which landed him on the 10-day Injured List, an elbow injury that landed him on the 60-Day Injured List, and a hamstring injury that landed him on the 10-day Injured List twice in 2021.
He has also battled right hand, groin, knee, and back injuries. This year, Pollock will play over 150 games and be a productive presence in the White Sox lineup.
Meet the 2022 Chicago White Sox roster. light. Related Story