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

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.