The Chicago White Sox weren’t quite the offensive juggernaut that everyone thought they would be in 2022.
Several players that were destined to perform well and be big-time offensive machines fell flat on their faces. Guys like Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert Jr., and Tim Anderson didn’t produce thanks to injuries or a variety of other factors.
Heading into the 2023 season, the White Sox are hoping to pick up where they left off at the end of the 2021 (yes that season, not the dreaded 2022 season) season and play much better on offense.
This means that guys like Jimenez, Robert Jr., Anderson, Yoan Moncada, and Yasmani Grandal need to step up and play better in the batter’s box.
The Chicago White Sox have a few really good hitters on the team.
But which one of the bevy of hitters that the White Sox have available is going to be the best of the bunch? Who is going to have a solid if not spectacular season? Which one of the Sox batters are going to have the best season of them all?
Jimenez has the tools to be able to be the best hitter on the White Sox roster in 2023. He has power, he has the ability, and he has the mindset to do it. However, one thing that he seems to suffer from is the injury bug.
Jimenez has spent a lot of time in the training room with a variety of ailments. Last season, he was struck down with such maladies as ankle, hamstring, leg, and elbow injuries.
He even had an undisclosed injury. The team and fans hope that Jimenez doesn’t have anywhere close to the number of injuries he had last year this year.
A healthy Jimenez would mean a lot to the White Sox this year and if he can step up and play at the level that we know he can play at, the sky is the limit. He has a ton of potential, he just has to live up to it.
Looking at last year’s numbers that Jimenez put up doesn’t do him much justice. He played in a total of 84 games with 327 plate appearances. His average was .295. Jimenez had 86 hits, 54 runs batted in, and whacked 16 home runs. Had he played a full slate of games, his stats might have been stellar.
Hopefully, he will play that full slate of games in 2023 and show us what he can really do. If he does stay healthy, not only will he be the best batter on the White Sox but he may end up being one of the top batters in all of baseball.
Now wouldn’t that be something?
There is a lot of unrealized potential there with Jimenez. I would look for this to be the year that he breaks out and proves to everyone that he is capable of great things.
Just a little side note, there are some other batters that should have a much better year in 2023. Robert Jr., Anderson, and Andrew Vaughan could explode at the plate this season.
The White Sox could end up having one of the best hitting lineups in all of baseball.