The X-factor
I talked a lot about the potential above and what Phillips might be able to do for the White Sox. We know that it’s hard to predict exactly what a player is going to do. There are so many factors. We know that before signing with the White Sox, Phillips was a marginal player who hadn’t done a whole lot in his time in the big leagues.
Quite frankly, if you look at his stats, he is underwhelming and that might signal to fans that Phillips is not going to pan out. But that could be wrong and White Sox fans hope that is wrong. We hope that he turns out to be a spectacular find that does a lot of good in Chicago.
Phillips will have some competition from the other guys that are on the roster who are pinned to outfield positions. It’s going to come down to whether he can shine at the plate. That’s what the White Sox need, someone who can hit the ball consistently and complement Luis Robert in the outfield.
Now, if Andrew Benintendi can pick it up a bit, and Phillips can shine, the White Sox could have a solid collection of outfield-hitting talent that could help them win games in 2024.