Chicago White Sox look for silver lining to season in versatile Brooks Baldwin

It’s been a little over a month since the Chicago White Sox called up 24-year-old Brooks Baldwin from Triple-A on July 18th.

Since then, the Sox have traded superstar pitcher Michael Kopech to the Dodgers, fired their manager Pedro Grifol, tied the American League record for consecutive losses, and beat the Yankees by 10 runs. All while still on pace to have their worst season in franchise history and possibly one of the worst this sport has ever seen.

Even after the arrival of interim manager Grady Sizemore, Baldwin continues to see his name penned in the lineup card where he’s been able to showcase some of the talent that garnered praise from the White Sox’s No.2 ranked prospect, Colson Montgomery.

So what can Baldwin add to this roster and how has he fared thus far?

Baldwin played his collegiate career at the University of North Carolina Wilmington which was highlighted by being a two-time First-Team All-CAA selection and CAA Player of the Year award among numerous honors.

Selected by the White Sox in the 12th round of the 2022 MLB draft, Baldwin quickly ascended through the minor leagues ultimately getting the promotion to Triple-A in 2024.

In 82 games between Double-A and Triple-A this year, his slash line was .324/.391/.460 and he played only eight games with Triple-A Charlotte before being promoted to the big leagues.

Baldwin's greatest asset is his versatility.

Aside from catcher, there wasn't a field position the North Carolina native didn't play while in the minors. The majority of his minor league starts came from shortstop (80) and third base (46) but based on what we've seen so far, second base might be his spot to claim with the White Sox.

Since being called up he's been used strictly as a middle infielder, making 20 of his starts as a second baseman and seven as a shortstop.

The shortstop position will likely fall into the hands of Colson Montgomery when his time comes but at six feet, one-inch tall, and 175 lbs, Baldwin has the physique to be a true utility man if the club chooses to use him in that capacity.

“You can see the tools are there and he’s the one kid I really, really want to see try to improve himself. I think with a new hitting coach out there he can make a lot of good things happen.”

Offensively, the switch hitter is slashing .215/.263/.607 in 93 at-bats, hitting .224 against righties and .176 against lefties. Of his 99 plate appearances, 78 of those have come against RHP where he’s knocked in seven of his eight career RBIs and hit two home runs. 

His small sample size and the pitcher handedness disparity in baseball are both factors for these stats so it's hard to get too hung up on these numbers.

As mentioned by Ozzie Guillen on 670 the Score this Wednesday, his eagerness and youth are seen in his approach. He's struggled with working the count, often being aggressive on the first pitch resulting in an out but playing time will continue to be his greatest mentor going into the offseason where he'll be able to make those adjustments.

Calling up Baldwin this late in the season makes me think the guys in the front office want to get a head start on the 2025 campaign.

If this is the case I think getting him big league reps while the team isn’t competing for anything is a great idea. If he's able to make the most of this opportunity and find success he could be an integral part of this rebuild.