Ever since Danny Mendick has come in and played well for the Chicago White Sox, people have been talking about him replacing Josh Harrison at second base.
After all, Harrison hadn’t been hitting all that well and was more of a liability than an asset in the lineup. Mendick is surely better than Harrison and would be better in the long run.
Well, Harrison must have heard his critics and detractors because he put on quite a show for the fans on Monday night against the Toronto Blue Jays in Chicago’s 8-7 victory. Harrison had himself a fine game. He helped the Sox win against a very tough opponent.
When it came to batting, Harrison ended up having a decent evening. He had just the one hit but that hit went out of the park and scored two to help the Sox build their lead against the Blue Jays.
Harrison’s batting average rose to .209 as he blasted the ball but he didn’t gain any additional hits on the evening. The home run was all that he got but that was enough.
Josh Harrison was great for the White Sox on Monday in every single way.
When it came to fielding, Harrison had a pretty important play that fans should recall. With the score sitting at 6-2 in favor of the Sox and no outs, Toronto catcher Gabriel Moreno hit a line drive which went screaming towards the middle of the outfield.
Harrison had enough presence of mind to knock the ball down and while sliding on his front, he got up on his knees and rifled the ball to first baseman Jose Abreu for the out. Harrison made it look smooth and easy but it was a difficult play made at the right time.
For all that Harrison did on Monday, there is still a lot left for him to do to prove his value. He must be consistent in hitting the ball which is something that he has struggled with often.
He has one of the lowest averages on the team but appears to be on at least a little bit of an uptick. If he can continue to play well and come up with big plays, he might see his playing time split with Mendick at second base.
This conversation is one that has been had before. There are those that feel that the White Sox would be better served by having Mendick at second base rather than Harrison. Mendick has proven that he can hit and hit consistently.
He has also proven his defensive value. Harrison, on the other hand, has struggled to hit but does have his moments. Unfortunately, his moments have been few and far between.
It would still be wise for the White Sox to utilize Mendick often at second base as opposed to Harrison. The long-term benefits of using Mendick outweigh the short-term flashes that we have seen out of Harrison. He can fill in if needed but he’s not the long-term answer at second base.