3 realistic goals for the Chicago White Sox in 2024
The Chicago White Sox are not expected to contend in 2024. The team is coming off of a 100-loss season in 2023, and only the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies have a slimmer chance to make the playoffs in 2024.
While there may not be a ton of wins in 2024, there are still plenty of reasons to watch for Sox fans. This season should present a good opportunity for some young players to see the field. It will also allow some low-risk free agent signings to get playing time and potentially break out. Identifying any positives that the team and fans can lean on for the future will be interesting.
While the playoffs are a longshot, let's identify three realistic goals the team should have for the 2024 season.
3 realistic goals for Chicago White Sox in 2024
The White Sox need to identify future building blocks
With the team likely being out of the playoff race early, there will be plenty of time for young players to get some playing time. The biggest priority for first-year general manager Chris Getz is to identify who will be a part of the next winning team in Chicago.
Possibly the largest variable is Colson Montgomery. The former top pick should see the field quickly, and the team should give him a chance to grow and develop in the big leagues. Montgomery has succeeded at every level of the minors, and could even be ready for Opening Day.
Other than Montgomery, the team needs to identify who else could be a key piece for the future. Deivi Garcia, Bryan Ramos, Jose Rodriguez, Lenyn Sosa, and Oscar Colas are just some of the players who should get an opportunity to prove they belong with the team.
The White Sox need to see improvement from the holdovers
While the development of young guys will be crucial, the team also needs to see improvement from some of the holdovers. For example, only the Oakland Athletics had a lower team OPS than the White Sox in 2023. Can hitters like Gavin Sheets, Andrew Vaughn, and Yoan Moncada carry their weight in 2024?
As 2023 proved, Andrew Benintendi and Luis Robert Jr. cannot carry the load of the offense on their own. 2024 will be the perfect chance for Sheets, Vaughn, and others to prove that they do belong on the roster.
As for the pitchers, it will be interesting to see how Garrett Crochet, Matt Foster, and Davis Martin rebound from injury-plagued seasons. These pitchers solidifying themselves would help the Sox move forward and answer some burning questions about the staff.
The White Sox cannot lose 100 games again
Look, we all know the Sox are unlikely to make the playoffs this season. We will likely to witness a ton of losses in 2024. However, the Sox need to avoid that 100 number. The team has gone through a ton of losing seasons, but the Sox have never lost 100+ games in back-to-back seasons.
After losing 101 games in 2023, it would be a morale boost to lose even 10 fewer games in 2024. Even with 90 losses, you have to see that as a positive and step back toward relevancy. Having triple-digit losses once again would show that the team is not yet improving and competing is still years away.
One also has to assume Pedro Grifol has no chance of surviving another 100+ loss season. However, if the team improves, it will show that Grifol has not lost the confidence of the players and we may be on track to competing again shortly.