Here’s a complete overview of where the AL Central’s first-place squad landed in this week’s power rankings:
MLB.com: 2
Previous Ranking: 3 (+1)
“The Sox have won 10 of 14, and during that stretch, the bullpen has been strong, pitching to a 2.75 ERA. Of the 11 runs relievers allowed, six came in one game — on Friday, during 9-8 win over the Tigers. Chicago’s win over Detroit on Sunday moved manager Tony La Russa into second-place all time on the managerial wins list with 2,764.” – Alyson Footer.
Released on Sunday, June 6th.
CBS Sports: 2
Previous Ranking: 4 (+2)
“The biggest division lead in baseball belongs to the White Sox. They haven’t won the division since 2008.” – Matt Snyder
Released on Monday, June 7th.
The Athletic: 5
Previous Ranking: 4 (-1)
Conducted by Tim Britton and Chad Jennings. If you’re a subscriber of The Athletic, click here for further reasoning.
Released on Monday, June 7th.
Bleacher Report: 3
Previous Ranking: 2 (-1)
“With Lucas Giolito rounding into form and Liam Hendriks pitching lights-out at the back of the bullpen, the White Sox pitching staff is helping pick up the slack for an offense that has been limited to three or fewer runs 25 times in 59 games. The return of Adam Engel helps provide some much-needed depth to the outfield contingent. A series loss to Cleveland bumps them down a spot, but this is still one of baseball’s top-tier teams.”- Joel Reuter
Released on Tuesday, June 8th.
ESPN: 4
Previous Ranking: 4
“The White Sox (19-10) posted the third-best marks in record and run differential during May. Chicago led the majors in run prevention, allowing just 3.07 runs per game. It posted baseball’s second-best strikeout rate last month. The rotation ranked third in collective ERA (2.93) and the bullpen ranked fourth (2.83). The White Sox offense usually grabs the headlines, but this is shaping up as a really hard team to score against.” – Doolittle
Released on Thursday, June 3rd.
FOX Sports: 4
Previous Ranking: N/A
The pitching rotation for the White Sox (1) just continues to dazzle. Carlos Rodon has been dominant in a rotation that also has guys like Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, and Dallas Keuchel. Pair that with an exciting offense and you have a team that sits at the top of the AL Central.” – Ben Verlander
Released on Thursday, June 3rd.
Sports Illustrated: 2
Previous Ranking: 3 (+1)
“The AL has to have at least two catchers on the squad, so Yasmani Grandal—quirky slash line and all—is in prime position to secure a spot. Yoán Moncada is having a career year and could be in line for his first All-Star bid. He’s posting career bests in strikeout rate (27.2%) and walk rate (16.5), and currently ranks second in the AL with a .424 on-base percentage. On a team loaded with good starting pitching, Lance Lynn shines above the rest, with a 1.23 ERA that ranks tops among pitchers with at least 50 innings. Right behind him is teammate Carlos Rodón (1.98), while closer Liam Hendriks has been outstanding in relief with a 1.85 ERA and 15 saves in 26 games.” – Will Laws and Nick Selbe
Released on Monday, June 7th.
Coming up, the White Sox welcome the Blue Jays to Chicago for three games before heading to Detroit this weekend. Check back here around the same time next week for another round of rankings!
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Featured Photo: White Sox/Twitter
