D: Andrew Vaughn, Chris Flexen, John Brebbia, and Danny Mendick
Andrew Vaughn has been better in June, where he hit five home runs, and drove in 16 runs while sporting a .319 average and .875 OPS. However, considering he was the 3rd overall pick and has a WAR of -0.2 so far this season has been extremely disappointing.
One of the biggest questions regarding Vaughn is his power numbers, nine home runs with a sub .700 OPS is not what fans expected going into this season.
Chris Flexen and Brebbia have had their moments, but they have a 5.13 and 5.17 ERA respectively. Just not a great season for both guys, where the team has found some success giving veterans a chance to remake themselves with the team. For example, Johnny Cueto in 2022, Mike Clevinger last season, and Erick Fedde this season.
Danny Mendick is a utility player, so he doesn’t deserve an F, but a sub .200 batting average won’t get you higher than a D. Maybe it is time the Sox go in a different direction.
C: Gavin Sheets, Korey Lee, Jordan Leasure, and Nicky Lopez
These guys have been decent performers for the Sox this season and have played a little above expectation. Korey Lee has been a pleasant surprise for the Southsiders this season, highlighting his powerful arm and competence with the bat where he is hitting .234. He has proven to be the best catcher on the roster and has deservedly usurped Maldonado’s playing time.
Nicky Lopez is another player who realistically on a good team is a utility guy but on the Sox he has been respectable. He provides very little offense, so it is hard to give him a higher grade than this but he gives the team good defense and has his average hovering around .250, which is all you can ask for.
Gavin Sheets has the highest OPS on the team with a .749. Sheets being the best hitter on the team was not on the 2024 bingo card, but he has performed admirably this season. He still doesn’t instill much confidence on defense but a decent lefty bat in the lineup is always a plus.
Jordan Leasure was performing very well this season until June. Entering the month he had a 2.66 ERA, but after a few rough outings and 2 blown saves, his ERA ballooned to 4.08 and was sent down to the minors. Hopefully, he can find his way back to the major league roster soon.