The Chicago White Sox didn't have the best season of all time but they also weren't straight-up bad. That might the worst possible scenario though because sometimes being right in the middle is where you don't want to be.
One player who might have been able to help them have a strong finish was Danny Mendick. Before 2022 started, he was known to be a great infielder that had one of the worst bats in the history of the organization. He clearly took a lot of steps toward making that part of his game better.
He started to show that he does know how to hit and that he has been working hard on that part of his game. Right as he was really making strides, however, he had a season-ending injury. That was a devastating blow to both him and the White Sox as he was helping them win for a while.
Mendick ended up only playing in 31 games but he had a slash of .289/.343/.443 for an OPS of .786. He had three home runs, 15 RBIs, and 22 runs scored as well. Between this and his defense all over the infield, he accumulated a positive WAR of 0.5 in those 31 games.
The offensive numbers might have come down a little bit if he played more but he was clearly having a breakout year. He wasn't producing at a superstar level or anything like that but he was good enough to help the team win. Having him in August and September would have been nice.
Final Grade: C
Danny Mendick was off to a great start for the White Sox before his injury.
It is unfortunate but he only can get a C. An actual grade that would make sense is "incomplete" but he can have a C because of the great steps he was taking in his offensive game.
Of all the negativity going on with this team throughout the year, he was a positive story as he continued to prove people wrong.
When 2023 comes around, the hope is that he is healthy early enough to make an impact. If he is good enough, he should be considered for a bench spot on the team (assuming they add a starting second baseman). It would be fun to see his breakout continue when healthy.