The White Sox haven’t really looked like a complete team to date and that’s been reflected in the first two rounds of power rankings. Here’s a complete overview of where media outlets ranked the Tony La Russa’s club.
MLB.com: 7
Previous Ranking: 5
Rankings done by Alyson Footer.
Released on Sunday, April 11th
ESPN: 12
Previous Ranking: 7 (-5)
“Starting out on a Western swing, the White Sox are holding their own despite some late-inning issues from the bullpen and a few too many defensive lapses. The avatar for the week probably is Luis Robert, who thrilled with both the long ball and some mad dashes on the bases, but also misplayed a pop fly that ended up plunking him on the noggin. The best news has been the early performance of Zack Collins. If Collins has a breakout season, he can go a long way toward filling the production void opened up by Eloy Jimenez‘s injury.” – Bradford Doolittle
Released on Thursday, April 8th.
CBS Sports: 16
Previous Ranking: 15 (-2)
“Catch the Yermin Mercedes fever! He’s now hitting .536!” – Matt Snyder
Released on Monday, April 12th.
USA Today: 9
Previous Ranking: 7 (-2)
“Yermin Mercedes (15-for-28) has become the everyday DH.” – Jesse Yomtov
Released on Monday, April 12th.
The Athletic: 7
Previous Ranking: 6 (-1)
Conducted by Tim Britton and Chad Jennings. If you’re a subscriber of The Athletic, click here for further reasoning.
Released on Monday, April 12th.
Bleacher Report: 13
Previous Ranking: 13
Despite their middling record, the White Sox rank fifth among AL teams with a plus-11 run differential. Lance Lynn threw a shutout in his first home start in a White Sox uniform, and Carlos Rodon threw five scoreless innings in his 2021 debut after winning the No. 5 starter spot this spring. Those two could be major X-factors on the pitching staff. The offense will be fine, but the bullpen needs to get on track after blowing four save opportunities in five chances. – Joel Reuter
Released on Tuesday, April 13th.
The White Sox will finish out their first homestand against the Indians before heading to Boston for a four-game series beginning on Friday. Check back here around the same time next week as we’ll provide another update on where the team stands.
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Featured Photo: White Sox/Twitter
What is happening with Crochet’s velocity? Last year he threw heat consistently at 100 or above. This season his fastball has decreased to a high of 97. Is he physically less than 100% or is he purposefully holding back to protect his arm?