The Chicago White Sox are 7-12 and sitting in fourth place in the American League Central standings. It’s still early but this is not the start anyone expected from a team that entered the season with World Series aspirations. The White Sox have lost 10 of the last 11 games, including an eight-game losing streak.
There are a few reasons for this rough stretch. Poor managerial decisions, lack of hustle, and an abundance of errors are among them. But the biggest reason for the White Sox’s lackluster start is their water pistol offense. The White Sox offense is not just bad, it’s historically bad.
The Southsiders lead the league in games with three runs or fewer with 13 and counting. The 2022 squad is also just the 10th team in American League history to have an.OBP under .260 entering the 20th game of the season.
The last three teams to do this include the 2003 Detroit Tigers who went 43-119, the 1988 Baltimore Orioles who lost 107 games, and the 1972 Milwaukee Brewers who finished with a 65-91 record.
The Chicago White Sox simply needs to start producing more offense in 2022.
Last April they also got off to a rough start, opening the season with a 9-9 record. However, this current iteration of the White Sox offense has much worse numbers than last year’s squad through 18 games.
Their batting average dropped from .248 to .212. The number of runs scored has also decreased from 89 to 59.
Friday night’s game provided yet another example of a subpar offensive showing. They managed just three hits, despite facing a starter who has an ERA north of five (5.56) in Jimmy Herget.
On paper, this lineup is better than it is showing. Injuries also play a factor. But the White Sox have a tough upcoming schedule so it would be in their best interest to turn things around sooner rather than later. He is the three biggest reasons for their poor offensive showing in April: