There is no denying that this year’s White Sox season has been full of many ups and downs, specifically downs. The consistency of the team is as inconsistent as possible – they either have a successful pitching outing during which the offense seems to be asleep (like last night’s 2-1 loss to the Angels), or the bats are doing their job while the pitchers can’t keep them in the game. No matter what happens, recently, there is one positive that seems to bring life to this team: home runs.
The good news? Over the past 15 games, the White Sox have ranked in the top five in baseball in home runs hit.
The bad news? They tend to be solo home runs with no runners in scoring position – or even on base.
Including Luis Robert’s home run in the first inning of last night’s Angels game, 17 of the team’s last 19 home runs have been solo shots. This tends to be due to the fact that the White Sox currently have the lowest OBP in the major leagues – ranking near the likes of the struggling Yankees, Royals, Tigers, and Athletics. Along with that, the team’s OPS is one of the lowest in comparison to the league – ranked 25th in baseball, heavily influenced not only by the team’s OBP woes but also their lack of power before this recent stretch of home runs.
The offensive woes are extremely obvious this season, and we fans are hoping for a change to make these home runs more impactful. A noticeable difference we have seen over this last week is the recent change in the lead-off hitter. Tim Anderson suffered a shoulder injury and left a game early. This led to Andrew Benintendi stepping in to take over the leadoff spot, and since doing so, he has been quite successful. Prior to Monday night’s loss to the Angels, Benintendi was 15-for-35 since taking over at the top of the lineup. He currently leads the team in OBP, which has made him a great candidate to hit at the top of the lineup all season. Based on the early results, surprisingly, this is one positive change this staff has made.
Some Positives
No matter in what form, solo home runs are still better than no home runs – they’re worth being celebrated.
When looking at home runs, there is no denying that there is a superstar on the rise on the South Side. Currently, Luis Robert Jr. is leading the team in home runs with a career-high 22 almost midway through the season. This currently ranks him fourth among all MLB players.
In addition, a player who did not even make the Opening Day roster has made a statement when in the lineup. Jake Burger is proving his point on why he should either be an All-Star this upcoming season or at least compete in the Home Run Derby with his 17 home runs this season. When it comes to RBIs, Andrew Vaughn leads the team with 45, with Luis Robert second with 42. Zach Remillard spent a lot of his time in the minors throughout his career but made an immediate impact late in games since being brought up. In his first Major League appearance, he had a crucial walk and went 3-for-3 during his debut. Seeing his at-bat patience brings hope to a lineup that seems to struggle at plate discipline.
So, there are some positives. But overall, the key thought here is “consistency.”
It’s Time for Some Consistency
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see home runs, especially compared to last season when it seems the White Sox were in a home run drought. In reality, it would be even better if the home runs were enough – or coming at the right times with runners on base. Lance Lynn had a single-game franchise record of 16 strikeouts in Seattle, only for the offense to score a single run. During the series against the LA Dodgers, the team hit four solo home runs to lead the series-winning game, just to end up suffering an 8-4 loss.
The inconsistency is extremely evident, and changes within the offense and bullpen need to be made at the deadline to set this team up for future success.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Great read!😃👍🏼
The problems mentioned above have been plaguing this team for nearly two years! What have ownership and the front office done to address these problems? NOTHING! What will they do to address these problems? Again, the answer is NOTHING!