3 early red flags from Chicago White Sox hot start to 2022

The Chicago White Sox have gotten off to a hot start of the season but there are some concerning stats through nine games. There is a lot to like about the 2022 Chicago White Sox. They are off to a 6-3 start and have won each of their first three series against the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays.

These are three quality opponents on paper. The Tigers and Mariners each made some impactful additions during the offseason, The Mariners figure to be contenders in the American League West while the Rays have turned themselves into perennial contenders in the American League over the past couple of seasons.

Beating winning teams was something the White Sox struggled with last year. Two of the White Sox’s first three opponents figure to have winning records by the end of the year so that marks progress.

Andrew Vaughn and Tim Anderson are off to a hot start and the pitching staff has held up well. Kendall Graveman has proven to be a great addition to the bullpen while Dylan Cease looks primed for an All-Star season after his first two starts. Once again, this team looks like the clear front-runner to win the division.

The Chicago White Sox have a long way to go to get everything just right.

But it’s April so that means it’s time for overreactions. With the good, there is also bad. Injuries have been a reoccurring theme with this team. There are also some early red flags that jump off the stat sheet. If the White Sox want to avoid another first-round exit here are three early warning signs they should monitor:

2. Overworked Bullpen

The Chicago White Sox have used their bullpen a lot in the early going of 2022.

On paper, the White Sox starting rotation has been excellent. They lead the American League in ER (2.27), opponent average (.153), opponent OPS (.506), strikeout percentage (.270), and WHIP (0.95).

A White Sox starting pitcher has yet to allow more than three earned runs this season. Dylan Cease has led the pack with a 2-0 record and 16 strikeouts while Michael Kopech has a staff best 1.00 ERA.

While the starting rotation has been able to effectively limit the damage, they have failed to eat innings. Dylan Cease is the only White Sox starter to make it past the fifth inning. He leads the team with 10.2 innings in two starts. Part of this is because Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn are on the mend. Giolito led the team in innings pitched in 2021 and Lance Lynn has a reputation for being a workhorse.

Still, the amount of innings that the bullpen has had to throw is concerning. The White Sox bullpen has had to eat 40.1 innings. That is just over half of the nine games that the White Sox have played to this point.

Kendall Graveman leads the way with 5.2 innings while Liam Hendriks has thrown the most pitches. Taxing your bullpen early in the season could prove costly in September when fatigue begins to set in.

Not all of this is their fault. Many of them are on pitch counts since it is April and spring training was shortened. With not as much time to build up before the season, the risk of injury is higher. However, if the bullpen is doing the brunt of the heavy lifting they too could be at a higher risk for injury.

More White Sox starters need to start going deeper into games. Dallas Keuchel and Dylan Cease can’t be the only ones making it into the fifth inning before Giolito and Lynn return.

3. Lots of Leury Little Production

Leury Garcia needs to be better if he is going to play for the Chicago White Sox.

Leury Legend has been a staple of the White Sox roster since 2013. The longest-tenured player on the team has carved out a nice role with the White Sox after sitting through years of mediocrity. Last season Garcia started games at six different positions and hit .267, earning himself a new contract.

Tony La Russa seems particularly fond of him, even going as far as to scoff at reporters who call him a ‘utility player’. He has appeared in eight of nine games and started six.

In those games, he is hitting .043 with no home runs, no RBIs, and no stolen bases. He has only one hit and a .130 OPS. For an everyday player that is simply not good enough. His defense has left a lot to be desired as well. He has three errors already including a dropped pop-up on April 14th.

Garcia is a great player to have on a roster. He can play nearly every position and is a career .257 hitter. But on a contending team, he should be used off the bench and as a supplemental starter.

Part of the reason he played so much last season was out of necessity. However, early this season, Andrew Vaughn and Jake Burger are swinging a hot bat. Vaughn has only been used as a super-sub and platoon player against lefties. Garcia should not be the reason Vaughn is kept out of the matchup if he isn’t putting the ball in play.