The Sox are a little past the halfway point of the 2024 season, and there have not been a lot of positives.
They currently sit at 23-61, good for the worst record in the MLB. With more than 50% of the season done, it is time to give mid-season report cards to certain individuals.
To qualify, position players had to at least have played 40 games and pitchers have had to appear in at least 16 games. When grading, the lens is that of a White Sox fan, and how they contributed to the team, not in terms of how they compare to different players on other teams.
A majority of the players so far this season have received disappointing grades...
F: Eloy Jimenez, Martin Maldonado, Michael Soroka, Tim Hill, Andrew Benintendi, Michael Kopech, and Pedro Grifol
Eloy Jimenez has been a major disappointment in his career thus far.
It is unfortunate to say that it since is largely due to injury rather than ability, but that is the way the cookie crumbles. Hamstring after hamstring injury has plagued Eloy and his stats this season have been subpar. In 41 games, he has five home runs with a .637 OPS.
If you were to say that after his rookie year in 2019 where he hit 31 home runs, he would only play 100+ games in only one season, you would easily say that his White Sox tenure was a failure. Hopefully, he can resurrect his career somewhere else, as he is one of the names rumored to be traded at the deadline. What his value is? Time will tell.
There is not much to say about Maldonado, hard to defend playing someone consistently who has a batting average sub .100. Tim Hill was subpar with a 5.87 ERA in 27 appearances that he was designated for assignment
The idea of Michael Soroka was great, a buy-low candidate who had major upside before he was sidelined due to an Achilles injury in back-to-back seasons, but his results on the White Sox this season have been flat-out bad. Sporting a 5.48 ERA while being removed from the rotation can’t get you a high grade, but hopefully, he can bring it together and become a good reliever during the second half of the season.
Two major disappointments so far this season have been Andrew Benintendi and Michael Kopech.
Benintendi was given the most expensive contract in White Sox history and has responded with a .201 batting average and a .557 Ops, one of the worst in the league, so far in his second season with the team.
The Sox refuse to spend money in free agency, so calling him the worst contract in the league is a little harsh considering he’s only making $76 million, but in the lens of a Sox fan, it has been disastrous.
Kopech had some defenders when he struggled as a starter in 2023. When he was moved to the bullpen to begin the 2024 season, many fans thought it would be a good thing as Kopech could refocus and maybe become a dominant closer in the league. However, this backfired. Kopech has a 4.46 ERA, with a 5.2 BB/9, ultimately tanking his once-high trade value in a possible trade with a contender.
The saving grace for Kopech as a White Sox fan is concerned is that he could string a few good outings together, raising his trade value before being dealt to a contender at the trade deadline. It is unfortunate to give this grade to Kopech because he seems to care about his performance and his craft, but the last 1.5 seasons have been anything but spectacular.
There aren’t a lot of positives about Pedro Grifol, he has terrible post-game interviews, he doesn’t win, and he doesn’t bring the best out of his players.
Did Oscar Colas commit a crime? Is there a reason why he is in the minors while Corey Julks, who is hitting .229 is still on the MLB roster? Do they believe what they would get in return for Julks at the deadline, is worth more than Colas’s development? Objectively, the Pedro Grifol experience has been a cliff dive, the team is 84-162 with him at the helm and he continues to give mind-boggling post-game comments.
After the franchise's record 13th loss in a row, Grifol was interviewed saying "I can’t tell you how proud I am of these guys, they are playing good baseball.” This quote would be great if the Chicago White Sox were a travel baseball team or a high school team.
But how are fans supposed to react when the skipper is saying how proud he is of his million-dollar athletes when they lose 13 games in a row? Insulting.