Despite their struggles in last night’s series opener against the Tigers, a decent week has allowed the White Sox (12-10) to jump in several power rankings. Here’s a complete overview of where media outlets ranked the club!
MLB.com: 6
Previous Ranking: 10 (+5)
Rankings done by Alyson Footer.
Released on Monday, April 26th.
ESPN: 7
Previous Ranking: 7
“Chicago has been stuck in a win-one, lose-one cycle that reflects the up-and-down tendencies of a starting rotation that still looks promising. The last week or so has seen this pattern, with Carlos Rodon throwing the 20th no-hitter in White Sox history and ace Lucas Giolito getting tagged for eight runs in two innings at Fenway Park. When the rotation can piece together a couple of consistent weeks, the White Sox will be poised to go on a tear.” – Doolittle
Released on Thursday, April 22nd.
CBS Sports: 5
Previous Ranking: 9 (+4)
“Michael Kopech was one of the most promising prospects in baseball, but then had to have Tommy John surgery and went through some off-field stuff. He hadn’t thrown a big-league pitch since 2018 until this year. Sunday, he struck out 10 in five strong innings and now has 27 strikeouts against four walks in 15 2/3 innings this year. Keep an eye on this one.” – Matt Snyder
Released on Monday, April 26th.
USA Today: 6
Previous Ranking: 8 (+2)
“Michael Kopech stellar out of the bullpen — will he force his way into rotation?” – Jesse Yomtov
Released on Monday, April 26th.
The Athletic: 4
Previous Ranking: 8 (+4)
Conducted by Tim Britton and Chad Jennings. If you’re a subscriber of The Athletic, click here for further reasoning.
Released on Monday, April 26th.
Bleacher Report: 8
Previous Ranking: 8
“The White Sox have the second-best run differential (+21) in baseball, and a weekend sweep of the Rangers vaulted them above .500 for the first time all season. Michael Kopech made a spot start Sunday in place of the injured Lance Lynn and allowed four hits and one run while racking up 10 strikeouts in five innings. Expect him to return to the bullpen as his innings are closely monitored, but what a weapon to have in a hybrid role.” – Joel Reuter
Released on Tuesday, April 27th.
theScore: 4
Previous Ranking: 6 (+2)
“The White Sox field the AL’s second-highest scoring offense, but that might not be the most exciting development early on. Michael Kopech has been incredible during his return from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander struck out 10 over five innings Sunday, and he now owns a 1.72 ERA and 0.70 WHIP to go with 27 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings.” – theScore Staff
Released on Monday, April 26th.
NBC Sports Edge: 4
Previous Ranking: 8 (+4)
“Michael Kopech got his second start of the year on Sunday against the Rangers and struck out 10 batters across five innings of one-run ball as the White Sox won 8-4 and finished off a three-game weekend sweep of Texas. Kopech began the season in the bullpen but is filling in now for the injured Lance Lynn (trapezius) and suddenly looks like a must-have in fantasy. The 24-year-old former top prospect owns an overall 1.72 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, and 27/4 K/BB ratio through 15 2/3 total innings here in 2021.” – Drew Silva
Released on Tuesday, April 27th.
Sports Illustrated: 3
Previous Ranking: 3
Released on Monday, April 26th.
The White Sox will close out their three-game series against Detroit this week before welcoming Cleveland to town this weekend. Check back here around the same time again next week for another round of rankings!
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Featured Photo: White Sox/Twitter