Happy Valentine's Day to all Chicago White Sox fans. The season is upon us and there is a lot of love in the air.
Some people are going to come into this year upset because of what happened in 2022 and that is very fair. However, there is still plenty to love going into this very unpredictable 2023 season.
For one, they have a new manager with an upgraded coaching staff. That is something to love based on the way things were managed last year.
There are also some new players to be excited about. They aren't just running it back with the exact same group although it sort of feels like they are.
A few of the players that we've come to know over the year still deserve some love from fans this Valentine's Day.
The Chicago White Sox have a few players that deserve to be loved still.
1. Andrew Vaughn
Andrew Vaughn leading the 2022 White Sox with 17 home runs is not ideal. However, it is because nobody else eclipsed that number, not because Vaughn hit 17. That is actually a really nice total for a second-year player that has spent his entire career up to this point out of position.
Vaughn is in for a big year with the White Sox. He is going to move into his natural position of first base which is nice for him as he will be feeling much better about half the game. Replacing Jose Abreu is going to be hard but if anyone can do it, it is Vaughn.
2. Tim Anderson
Tim Anderson was the biggest fan favorite before the 2022 season. There are some folks who don't see him as an elite shortstop but that is just not true. He obviously isn't a Gold Glover winner or anything like that but he is good enough and his bat is incredible.
He dealt with some injury trouble in 2022 and the team had no chance once he was down. Now is his chance to lead this team back into the good graces.
3. Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease came in second place for the American League Cy Young last year which tells you just how good he was. Obviously, he is probably the most loved White Sox player right now because of what he did last year. Now, we can only hope that he comes close to repeating that.
Cease is the ace of the staff and will be for a long time if he keeps this up. He deserves all of the love that comes his way right now. If the White Sox have a bounce-back year in 2023, there will be more loved players on the list next year.