When Adam Engel first joined the Chicago White Sox at the MLB level, things were very interesting. He was playing incredible defense which included some highlight-reel home run robberies. At that time though, he was just a terrible offensive player.
Fast forward a couple of years, he continued to play great defense and his bat really started to come alive. He went from the worst offensive player in the organization to an impactful depth bat in the starting lineup almost regularly.
Unfortunately, 2021 was pretty injury-filled for him and he just wasn't the same player in 2022. What looked like a great fourth outfielder and the outstanding story turned into someone who was struggling again. This time though, he was struggling with his glove too.
Engel had a few misplays in 2022 that may have led to the White Sox losing a few games. He also only slashed .224/.269/.310 with an OPS of .579. He hit two home runs and had 17 RBIs with 32 runs scored. All of this came over 119 games played. He had a WAR of 0.0.
Final Grade: D
Adam Engel had some good times and bad with the Chicago White Sox.
Adam Engel was very bad with his bat. His glove wasn't amazing anymore either but not bad enough to make his WAR below 0. As a result, he gets a D. There are some players that would have gotten an F with those bad offensive numbers but at least he was somewhat able to play defense.
The White Sox decided not to tender Adam Engel before the 2022 deadline for it so he is now a free agent. He is sure to end up playing with a different team in 2023 as a result.
It was a nice run with Engel but it is over now. He had some good moments and some not-so-good moments. Hopefully, the White Sox find an upgrade and Engel is able to get back to playing well elsewhere.
Engel was somewhat set up for failure in 2022. He should have played so much more than some of the other players that were in the outfield over him.
Playing more probably would have enhanced his bat and his glove but we know how the White Sox are. It will be interesting to see how both sides handle things moving forward.