The long wait is finally over and the 2020 season is underway. The White Sox have been a hot topic of conversation across Major League Baseball because of their young talent and offseason additions. However, the opening few games are the books, and the outcome has not been exactly what most Sox fans had envisioned. After one time through the rotation, Dallas Keuchel remains the only Sox starter to pitch into the fifth inning, as well as the only starter with an ERA south of 10.00.
Given the excitement and optimism heading into the season, it’s understandable that Sox fans are dissatisfied, but is this too small of a sample size to sound the alarm? At what point do pitching woes go from an anomaly to a serious problem?
Let’s take a look at some of the early rough outings.
Lucas Giolito: 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 3 BB
Lucas Giolito’s much-anticipated Opening Day debut went bad from the first pitch. Twins outfielder Max Kepler launched the first pitch of the season into the right field seats, and Minnesota’s offense never settled down. Giolito struggled to locate his fastball, and against an offense as potent as the divisional favorites, mistakes are going to hurt. The Sox found themselves down 4-0 before even getting a chance to hit, and despite a decent offensive performance, they couldn’t match the eventual 10 runs put up by Minnesota. Gio’s poor debut left Sox fans with uncomfortable memories of 2018. Fortunately, the team’s “ace” seems optimistic after a film session with coaches on Tuesday.
Giolito will look to bounce back in Wednesday’s series finale in Cleveland
Reynaldo Lopez: 0.2 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 2 BB (Left game with right shoulder soreness)
After struggling with inconsistency in 2019, Reynaldo Lopez took the ball on Sunday hoping 2020 would finally be his breakout season. Instead, Lopez dealt with decreased velocity and control problems in the first inning. Shortly after surrendering a grand slam to Minnesota’s Jake Cave, Lopez was removed from the game with what the Sox are calling “right shoulder soreness” and was placed on the 10-day IL on Monday. This is obviously a less-than-ideal situation for both Lopez and the White Sox. With a season already shortened, and still no specific word on the extent of Lopez’s injury, the likelihood of 2020 being a breakout year for Reynaldo is running low. The signing of Gio Gonzalez provided the White Sox with another option in the event of an injury such as this occurring, however, Gonzalez’s performance on Sunday was certainly far from good. He’ll get a crack at starting on Saturday in Kansas City.
Dylan Cease: 2.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, HBP
After a dominant performance in his final outing of summer camp, White Sox fans felt good about the development of Dylan Cease entering 2020. Monday’s start was pushed back a day following the rain out, and Tuesday’s outing was nothing short of disappointing. Cease surrendered four runs, including a couple of homers, and didn’t make it out of the third inning. He struggled to control any of his pitches and left a few too far over the plate. Cease will be slated to pitch again Sunday vs. the Royals.
Carlos Rodon: 3.2 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 BB
If there’s anyone in the White Sox rotation who has benefited the most from a shortened season, it’s Carlos Rodon. Coming off Tommy John surgery, Rodon would not have been ready to start the season had it begun on time in March. He also would’ve most likely been on an innings limit upon his return. Since the season has shrunk and didn’t even begin until late July, Rodon was ready to go at the start and shouldn’t see his innings restricted over the next few months. His first inning in Cleveland, however, got off to a rocky start, as he surrendered three runs. Rodon ended up failing to make it through the fourth while allowing five earned runs. Some rust was expected, but this was certainly less than the ideal return from Tommy John surgery. Hopefully, he can shake it off and get a better feel for his stuff next time around. Rodon will be on track to get the ball again early next week.
Time to Panic?
There’s no question these performances are rough, but it’s still only five games into the season. Is it really time to be worried? For me, the answer is yes and no. Hawk Harrelson once said, “you’re gonna win 60 games, and lose 60 games, and its what you do with the other 42 that counts.” The point of the quote is to say that sometimes bad games happen. Even the best teams in baseball have games they’d like to forget. However, with the 2020 season being reduced to just 60 games, each game is of even more importance. There is very little room for error. The expanded playoffs from 10 to 16 teams will mathematically improve the Sox’s chances of making the postseason, but will also make the road to the World Series even tougher.
Whether or not you should panic ultimately comes down to what your visions for the 2020 White Sox are. If you’ve got your sights set on a 2020 World Series ring, yes, it is absolutely time to panic. This team does not have the experience or depth to have championship aspirations this year. If your goals for the season include the playoffs, there is certainly reason for concern. But as a reminder, the Sox still have 20 games against Kansas City and Detroit, and simply finishing the season just slightly over .500 may be enough to squeeze them in.
Yes, the playoff field is expanded, and yes, the Sox have a playoff-caliber offense, but an offense can only do so much. If the pitching doesn’t improve quickly, they’re going to consistently be playing from behind, which is a position that no team wants to be in. So, no, I don’t believe the season is hopeless after the Sox struggled to control the “Bomba Squad” and have had issues with the Indians. The Minnesota Twins have one of the best lineups in baseball and will most likely tee off against a bunch of teams this season, and the Indians won 90 games last season. But there’s no question that the pitching needs to improve, especially if the aspirations include the postseason right now. If starters continue to get rocked in their next outing, it may be time to legitimately panic.
Here’s to hoping that things get figured out quickly, or it could be a disappointing season on the South Side.
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Don Cooper is the man in charge and he is the one that needs to be fired. I can understand maybe 1 pitcher having problems starting a game, but the whole starting rotation. By the time you sit down and have your first sip of beverage or bite of food, the team is already losing. The stress it puts on the offense is crazy. This has been going on with this team since Chris Sales and Jose Quintana and even before them. Seems every damn starter cannot get out of the 1st inning without being scored on.
Time for Don Cooper to face the music ! The coach must take accountability. Time for a change ?