It was only a matter of time before the Chicago White Sox called up Billy Hamilton from Charlotte. The former White Sox outfielder officially rejoined the team before the series with the Minnesota Twins and he did what he did best which is run his tail off on the base paths.
In 2021, Hamilton brought the energy. He did the small things that led to the White Sox winning a division title. He was a source of production that you don't get from an average Major League Baseball player.
He stole nine bags for the team that season and based on what he did during the most recent series in 2023, he's the same player he was just a few years back.
While Hamilton hasn't gotten a hit in the MLB since 2022, his offensive abilities aren't what's needed. It's his legs.
The Chicago White Sox have seen Billy Hamilton become a great weapon.
Hamilton has stolen 325 bags in his eleven-year career and with the bases being larger in 2023, it gives him the advantage to run every time he pinch runs for the White Sox this season.
Not only does he steal bases, but he gets in opposing pitchers' heads. He has an elite IQ on the basepaths and most importantly, he generates runs for the White Sox that most runners don't when they get on base.
While the White Sox couldn't get him across in the third game of the series, he scored in the first two games during his time as a pinch-runner.
Hamilton is an athletic human being and while the bat may never be in his hands again, it's a great feeling knowing the White Sox have someone to lean toward in big situations when it comes to base running.
Hamilton has made a living off of his speed and he will continue to do so if he contributes as much as he did in the series win against the Twins.
Chicago's next series will be against the Cincinnati Reds where Hamilton spent his first six major league seasons. If the White Sox gets the same Billy Hamilton as the one who showed up in Chicago, it will benefit them in many ways during close affairs with opposing teams.