3 surprise players who've dominated at White Sox spring training
The Chicago White Sox made quite a few roster changes over the 2022-2023 offseason in an effort to improve upon an 81-81 record last year. Upper management knew that last year's performance simply wouldn't cut in.
Now, the White Sox have brought in a multitude of new faces including Andrew Benintendi and Mike Clevinger while re-signing a familiar face in Elvis Andrus.
Spring Training has been up and down so far for the club but there have been some surprising names leading the way in statistical categories, including some non-roster invitees that nobody could've seen coming prior to camp.
Let's break down 3 surprising players who have dominated spring so far.
No. 3: Hanser Alberto has impressed early in spring
Alberto, 30, has bounced around all over the league since debuting back in 2015 with the Texas Rangers. He is a light-hitting utility infielder who can play any position on the dirt and both outfield corners.
Last year, he played in 73 games and didn't do anything of note at the plate. He managed to hit just two home runs with 15 RBI in 159 plate appearances while showing a serious lack of patience at the plate (three walks) and limping to the finish line with an OPS+ of just 70, meaning he was 30 percent below league-average.
So far in 10 games this spring, the journeyman has 12 hits including four doubles and a home run, with two runs driven in and an impressive .444 average paired with an OPS of 1.242.
Obviously, nothing about his slash line is going to be maintainable but he has shown off his ability to be a slap-hitter in the early goings.
Here Alberto is, in camp as a non-roster invitee, fighting for a spot on the bench. Tim Anderson, Yoán Moncada, and Elvis Andrus are going to be the shortstop, third baseman, and second baseman, respectively, but there seems to be a way Alberto could crack the Opening Day roster as the final bench piece if his production continues.
At the very least, he's doing everything right to place himself at the top of the list to be recalled as an injury replacement down the line.
No. 2: Pitcher Tanner Banks looks dominant in White Sox Spring Training
The White Sox would love to see Tanner Banks take a step this year.
Some may not consider Banks' performance so far in Spring Training to be much of a surprise after he made 35 appearances out of the Sox's bullpen last season but he has looked very impressive so far.
The 31-year-old is already a feel-good, underdog type of story. He didn't make his big league debut until he was past 30 years of age and had been sitting in the minor leagues since all the way back in 2014.
In his first season in The Show, Banks posted a 3.06 ERA in 53 innings, striking out 49 while walking 18 and allowing just five home runs.
While he functioned as both a starting pitcher and relief pitcher in the minor leagues, Banks' best shot to stick in the majors may be as a reliever, thanks to the presences of Cease, Lynn, Giolito, Clevinger, and Kopech in the rotation with both Davis Martin and Jimmy Lambert on hand as well to take the sixth starter role.
In a total of four appearances (one start) in spring, Banks has a shiny 1.42 ERA in 6.1 innings, striking out eight batters along the way with just one walk and one earned run.
Again, he may not be a "surprise contributor" to everyone but he's a feel-good story and has looked strong in the early goings of spring training.
No. 1: Journeyman Erik Gonzalez has looked sharp in Spring Training
Erik Gonzalez might prove to be useful for the White Sox this season.
González, 31, is a very similar player to Hanser Alberto so it's likely only one of them will sniff the big leagues in the upcoming season.
Over his seven-year career, he's never been used as a starter and actually has never played in more than 81 games in a single season. He, like Alberto, is not much of a hitter and has a questionable eye at the plate but can play all over the diamond.
On defense, González has been worth 2.8 Defensive Wins Above Replacement in his career and has lined up at every position except pitcher and catcher. Most recently for the Pirates (2021) and Marlins (2022), he's played much more infield than outfield in the big leagues.
In spring for the White Sox, González is in camp as a non-roster invitee. He has gotten into 13 games for the club and is 10-for-26 (.385 average) with four doubles, five RBI, and a stolen base as well.
While it's next to impossible that both González and Alberto are on the big league roster at the same time, they will both have important roles to fill in Triple-A if that's where they go once the regular season starts.
As we all know, anything can happen in baseball and it won't be shocking to see these guys on the big league diamond if injuries arise.
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