The Chicago White Sox are playing much better baseball after starting the season 3-22. The team is 11-8 over their past 19 games and on track toward not being historically bad.
This will still not go well, but the Sox might just be fun bad, or just run of the mill not good.
White Sox win, 2-0. Finish 5-2 on this homestand, playing good baseball across the board. Improve to 14-30. Crochet wins his third straight start. They are 11-8 in their last 19
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) May 15, 2024
The Sox have gotten to this point thanks in part to three players who have surprised so far this season...
Korey Lee
The catcher did not look like a professional baseball player during his brief appearance with the team last season. His slash line was .077/.143/.138. Lee had a -27 wRC+ in 24 games last season.
This year he is shining with a .309/.341/.494 slash line and wRC+ of 138. Lee was not supposed to even make the team out of spring training. The only reason he cracked the roster on Opening Day was because Max Stassi got hurt.
Now he should be the team's everyday starting catcher.
Martin Maldonado has been an automatic out with a .101/.162/.159 slash line and a wRC+ of -8 with a -1.1 fWAR. Maldonado was brought in to improve the position defensively, but Lee has been better at practically every defensive metric than Maldonado.
The only thing Maldonado does well is know when to go for a mound visit. Lee can do that and even Chuckie Robinson can do that too. Why Maldonado has not been designated for assignment is beyond logic.
Lee has been productive at the bottom of the order, especially over the past seven days with a .467/.467/.667 slash line.