MLB Power Rankings: Suprising White Sox making noise

Sure, the White Sox just lost both of their games in the Nation’s Capitol. Put that aside, and you will see just how well this team has been playing as of late. They recently had a 6-1 homestand, including taking three of four from the Cleveland Indians.

It seems they just can’t get to that .500 mark, but one thing is for sure — this team is fun to watch. While there are fans out there that weren’t pleased with upper mangement passing on Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel (ugh, Cubs…), the White Sox are certainly ahead of schedule when it comes to the rebuild. However, we need to temper expectations a bit. It’s going to be a season full of ups and downs, but it’s the young talent that has us all foaming at the mouths, and the media is now starting to pay attention…

ESPN (23)

Chicago has been getting resurgent work from its bullpen lately, with closer Alex Colome leading the way. Through Saturday, ChiSox relievers have posted a 2.10 collective ERA … if you subtract one struggling hurler, veteran Kelvin Herrera, who sports a 7.36 ERA overall. According to Statcast, Herrera’s expected wOBA allowed is .352, ranking 204th of 254 qualifying pitchers. The White Sox can’t trust him in high-leverage roles right now and, frankly, probably shouldn’t carry him much longer if the stuff doesn’t start to tick up.

CBS Sports (18)

Well lookie what we have here! A 6-1 week included taking three of four from the formerly-vaunted Tribe.

FanSided (17)

The White Sox finally have a starter they rely on in Lucas Giolito, who was incredible in this past month, winning AL Pitcher of the Month in May after posting a 1.74 ERA with 46 K’s to just 10 BB’s. He’s managed to lower his ERA down from 5.30 to 2.54 on the year. Sadly, Giolito won’t get a chance to face the team that traded him to the South Side of Chicago, but he’s been the only bright spot in an otherwise disappointing White Sox rotation.

Jose Abreu slugged 10 home runs in May but didn’t do much else. With a .250 BA and on-base percentage through the month, he and closer Alex Colome could be moved at the deadline. But Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson have given White Sox fans plenty to cheer about and top prospect Eloy Jimenez is healthy and finally back in the lineup as the pieces are starting to take shape for Chicago, despite some horrible pitching to start the year.

Bleacher Report (19)

Sports Illustrated (23)

The White Sox have been slightly exceeding expectations lately—their monthly record for May was above .500 (16-15), which is a feat the team has otherwise pulled off seven times in the last five-and-a-half years—but no one here has exceeded his expectations so much as Lucas Giolito. The 24-year-old is coming off of a season in which he had a very convincing case as the worst pitcher in baseball, which seemed to mark a fall from grace for a pitcher who’d been one of the game’s most promising prospects just a few years before.

Now? He’s reversed all that damage, and then some. Since the beginning of May, he’s looked like a different pitcher, adding some velo back to his fastball and relying on his change-up more than ever, to grand results. His 1.74 May ERA helped him earn the rightful honor of AL Pitcher of the Month, which would have been unthinkable less than a year ago.

Yahoo! Sports (20)

The White Sox have won six of their last seven games and can reach the .500 mark for the first time since April 5 with a win over the Nationals in Tuesday night’s series opener in Washington. Lucas Giolito continues to look like an emerging ace with an 8-1 record, 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 78 strikeouts through 67 1/3 innings (11 starts) this season. He struck out nine batters and issued zero walks over 7 1/3 innings in his last turn through the rotation Sunday against the Indians — a game which the White Sox won 2-0. Jose Abreu is tops among all American League hitters in RBI (50), despite a relatively underwhelming .797 OPS. Is he still a trade chip, or might the Pale Hose be buyers in July?