Week 8 Record: 7-2 | Overall Record: 33-21, 1st Place in AL Central
The White Sox had two very different series last week: one against a first-place team, and one against a last-place team. The South Siders took care of both, however, winning two of three from St. Louis and sweeping the Baltimore Orioles. Pitching – as it has been all season – was the story of the week, with some timely hitting mixed in to give the Sox another week in which they finished over .500.
This is coming to you a day later than usual – hey, it was a long weekend for everyone, myself included. But, dropping it on Tuesday also meant it lined up perfectly with a new month, so maybe I did know what I was doing. Either way, on the final day of the month, the White Sox split a doubleheader with the Indians, moving their record against the club to 5-5 on the season and their record in May to 19-10.
Let’s recap the week!
Tale of the Tape
Game 46: White Sox 5, Cardinals 1
Game 47: White Sox 8, Cardinals 3
Game 48: White Sox 0, Cardinals 4
Game 49: White Sox 5, Orioles 1
Game 50: White Sox 7, Orioles 4
Game 51: White Sox 3, Orioles 1
Game 52: White Sox 3, Orioles 1
Game 53: White Sox 8, Indians 6
Game 54: White Sox 1, Indians 3
Jordan’s Weekly Wrap Up Thoughts
It’s been one of those weeks where things went pretty well for the White Sox. They took two of three from the Cardinals and took care of business against a rebuilding Orioles team. They split their fifth doubleheader of the season already. The mantra is always the same: beat the teams you need to beat, and go .500 against the rest. The White Sox have certainly been doing that recently.
I personally had a great week, because Tony La Russa has put Yasmani Grandal in the 2nd spot in the order the past couple of games. Grandal has responded with a .333 OBP in four games, so early returns remain the same: he gets on base. I think hitting 2nd will be important for him, because he will start to see better pitches and, hopefully, begin to drive the ball more as a result. It’s hard to get completely in a groove as a hitter if you’re not getting any pitches to hit, and I think being protected by Abreu and Moncada in the lineup will allow Grandal to see better pitches and adjust accordingly – in this lineup, with Jimenez and Robert out, I’m of the opinion that there’s no better option than Grandal to hit second… but more to come on this in an article this week.
In some other news, Liam Hendriks earned himself some attention this week, earning Relief Pitcher of the Month honors from MLB. Hendriks didn’t give up a run in 13 games in May, and hitters slashed just .182/.217/.227 against him this month. On the season, Hendriks has a ridiculous 41.9% strikeout rate and just a 3.5% walk rate. He also leads the American League in saves. In other words, he’s been exactly as advertised.
And, finally, I have reached the end of the Leury Garcia experiment. Yes, I fully understand that a depleted team with injuries to its outfield means it’s not smart to DFA any players. This means that when Adam Engel returns, I fully expect Danny Mendick to be optioned to AAA. However, more importantly, I’m hoping the return of Engel means far fewer at-bats for Garcia. Many have said that Garcia needs consistent ABs to get going this year. However, having played approximately 80% of the games this year, his wRC+ is 68 and he’s posted a .262 wOBA. This means that, currently, Leury Garcia is getting out-produced by Billy Hamilton, and he’s gotten regular playing time all season.
Jake Lamb, Billy Hamilton, and Danny Mendick, in one form or another, provide value to this team that Leury Garcia cannot. I think that, come July or August, that Leury Garcia really should be the odd man out on this team unless things turn around.
Stats on 35th: This Week by the Numbers
This Week’s Numbers:
189, 3, 2.4, 0.876, 1.29
189
As we turn the calendar to a new month today, it’s only natural to look back at performances from the previous month. In this case, Jose Abreu owned the month of May, leading the White Sox with a 189 wRC+. As the calendar turns to the summer months, here’s hoping Abreu’s hot streak from May is here to stay.
3
As I’ve mentioned before, once Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert went down with injuries, the White Sox naturally shifted their focus from run-scoring to run prevention. In doing so, the starting pitching staff finally hit their stride in May, and three starting pitchers finished in the top 20 in fWAR for starting pitchers in May: Carlos Rodon (14th), Dylan Cease (17th), and Lucas Giolito (18th). With Lance Lynn falling just behind the top three in May, it’s clear that the starting staff is establishing itself as a force in the American League.
2.4
Yoan Moncada is quietly having an MVP-caliber start to his season. After having an unreal May in which he slashed .313/.455/.438 with a 162 wRC+, Moncada’s season 2.4 fWAR ranks 15th in MLB across both pitchers and hitters combined. Moncada is on almost a 6-win pace this season, and his growth and return to 2019 form have been awesome to see.
0.876
Yasmani Grandal has had a polarizing season among Sox fans, to put it simply. However, despite his .136 batting average in the month of May, he posted a 0.876 OPS in May, thanks in part to a .409 SLG and an absurd .467 OBP. One thing that Grandal has made abundantly clear this year: there’s different ways to provide value to your team, even if you’re not hitting incredibly well.
1.29
I’ll let the White Sox themselves take this once. The ace is definitely back.
Fan Question of the Week
Thankfully, this week there wasn’t anything too crazy that happened at the major league level. However, the minor league season has just recently gotten underway, so I thought it’d be cool to see what everyone was thinking about some of the early starts in the minor leagues.
When I look at minor league numbers right now, my main focus is absolutely on guys building some value so that they can be included as trade pieces to give the White Sox a boost come the trade deadline. There will be some great diamonds in the rough to find here for the future, but there are more that will be incredibly important to the Sox at the deadline. In looking through the numbers, here are some names that caught my eye:
1) Jake Burger: .280/.333/.600, 6 HR, 16 RBI
2) Gavin Sheets: .326/.370/.512, 4 HR, 19 RBI
3) Micker Adolfo: .238/.322/.500, 6 HR, 17 RBI
4) Luis Curbelo: .266/.310/.620, 7 HR, 21 RBI
5) Jose Rodriguez: .278/.333/.474, 2 HR, 7 RBI
6) Blake Battenfield: 3-0, 2.52 ERA, 25 IP, 23 K, 4 BB
7) Matthew Thompson: 0-2, 5.60 ERA, 17.2 IP, 18 K, 10 BB
8) Jared Kelley: 0-2, 9.00 ERA, 8 IP, 12 K, 10 BB
Now, there are still underlying problems here. Micker Adolfo, for example, is still striking out about a third of the time, which isn’t great. Additionally, you’ll notice there aren’t a lot of pitchers there. That’s because guys like Jonathan Stiever and Reynaldo Lopez are really struggling to start this season. Additionally, players like Matthew Thompson, Andrew Dalquist, and Jared Kelley are guys we look to as potential trade chips that aren’t really performing well either. It’s still early, but there are many guys who have had rough May’s that will need to get it going if you’re in Rick Hahn’s shoes.
It’s only been a month, but with one less month to judge everyone off of, each month matters a bit more.
Let’s get to your responses though. Thanks to everyone who sends them in!
1) @AloneTeenSoxFan: Kannapolis pitching has had its struggles, but remember, a lot of these guys would be playing in Rookie Ball if it still existed – there’s a learning curve for them still. As for Burger, I’m incredibly encouraged as well. I don’t know if his future is with this team or another one, but it’s awesome to see him back on the field and producing.
2) @MillennialSox: It’s a good question – I think Sheets has been getting OF time, and I think in the case of an injury again, he’s one of the next men up after Brian Goodwin. Jake Burger, however, is likely a long-term infielder, and I don’t see that changing any time soon, especially with his injury history. Have to be careful there.
3) Kent Kimpel (Facebook): Kelley does look a tad bit overwhelmed, which is only natural for someone his age. I think the biggest thing is that MLB eliminated rookie ball (Great Falls Voyagers), so kids are going to get tested above their readiness level. I think Kelley is one of those cases.
4) Conrad Schaefer (Facebook): Medeiros does look pretty solid in relief for Charlotte – a 2.79 ERA in 7 outings. I’m not sure what it would take to get him to the majors, but I think there’s still some work to be done.
5) @arude8: Well, great minds think alike, because he made my list. It’s great to see some of the guys at lower levels beginning to establish themselves. Whether they’re with the Sox or traded for bigger pieces, these are necessary developments.
Highlights of the Week
1) Billy the Speedster becomes Billy the Hitter against the Orioles
2) Lucas Gioltio stifles Orioles, strikes out 12 across 7 innings
3) Lance Lynn exacts revenge on his former team in “Most Satisfying Win”
4) Dylan Cease battles through six strong innings against Baltimore, strikes out 10
5) Jose Abreu homers, drives in four against Jack Flaherty and the Cardinals
The Week Ahead: More Time in the AL Central
Tuesday @ Indians: Dylan Cease vs. Shane Bieber, 5:10 PM CT
Wednesday @ Indians: Lance Lynn vs. Eli Morgan, 12:10 PM CT
Thursday vs. Tigers: TBD vs. Dallas Keuchel, 7:10 PM CT
Friday – Sunday: Series with Tigers continues – Lucas Giolito, Carlos Rodon, and Dylan Cease are lined up to start. Additionally, on Saturday, June 5, the White Sox will break out their new City Connect jerseys!
See you next week for another recap, White Sox fans!
Make sure to comment or find me on Twitter @jlazowski to share your thoughts!