The Chicago White Sox had a horrific year which ended with a record of 61-101. That is not good and the team needs to have a complete overhaul. When going through and grading every player on the team, it is never easy (or fun) after a year like that.
However, not every player on the team was absolutely horrible. Some players were underwhelming based on expectations but certainly not bad. That is a great way to describe Andrew Vaughn in 2023.
Vaughn was not bad by any means but he wasn’t all that good either. For being a number three overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, more is expected of him. He was the best power hitter in college baseball when he was at Cal and the White Sox need him to be great in MLB.
In 2023, he was just okay. He finally moved to first base full time with the departure of Jose Abreu which was nice to see. He had to enjoy finally playing the position that is his natural spot which he grew up playing.
The Chicago White Sox need Andrew Vaughn to be much better.
Producing offense was his only focus outside of playing a position he doesn’t have to learn on the fly. Vaughn gave it his all. The outfield but taking him out was obviously a smart idea.
He was a 1.0 WAR player which is fine but nothing spectacular by any means. He slashed .258/.314/.429 with an OPS of .743. He hit 21 home runs and had 80 RBIs. Again, these are not bad numbers at all. They are just underwhelming for a player with the expectations that Vaughn has.
It is fair to hope that he becomes one of the best hitters in the organization instead of a depth hitter. He has the pedigree and talent to do so. Most good MLB teams have a first baseman that produces a ton of offense so the Sox need that from Vaughn.
2023 Grade: C
Andrew Vaughn deserves a C for his grade. He is one of a few players that don't deserve an F but he doesn't get an A or a B either. We know there is another level that he can get to. Of course, having better players around him would make things easier.
2024 outlook:
Andrew Vaughn will certainly be a part of the team in 2024. He will be their first baseman and surely bat in the heart of their order. They have worse problems than him right now but they'd like him to be a bit better going forward.