On Wednesday, the MLBPA and league agreed to a 60-game season with a universal DH, a series of health restrictions, and three divisions of 10 teams each among many other rule changes. The White Sox, a member of the MLB central division, will face the Royals, Tigers, Indians, and Twins, as well as additional opponents from the corresponding National League region – those being the Brewers, Cubs, Cardinals, Reds, and Pirates.
In this article, I’ll be breaking down how I think the White Sox may fair against the nine other opponents on the docket in 2020.
CHICAGO CUBS
2019 Record: 84-78, 3rd
After a disappointing 2019, the Cubs made some changes in the offseason. Theo Epstein and the Ricketts parted ways with skipper Joe Maddon, replacing him with former player David Ross. The 2016 World Series champion will be left with a Cubs roster that has a ton of question marks. Similar to the Sox, pitching is what the team may struggle with. Jose Quintana is no longer the same and Yu Darvish’s ERA either increases by two runs or decreases by a run and a half each season, so it’s hard to tell which player will show up. However, if one thing is for sure, Chicago is going to be a fun place to be when these two go head to head.
CINCINNATI REDS
2019 Record: 75-87, 4th
Prior to COVID-19 when everyone made their predictions on how teams would perform, the Reds were a name that kept popping up as dark-horse contender in the NL Central. This is a club that has a good mix of veteran presence and young talent. Players such as Joey Votto, Mike Moustakas (a former World Series champ with Kansas City), and Sonny Gray, will help younger players like Kyle Farmer grow. Let’s not forget they also signed Nick Castellanos, one of the top outfield free agent targets in the offseason.
On paper, you could make the argument that the White Sox appear to be the better team. BUT, their starting pitching has to be solid for at least six or seven innings against the Reds. This may not be too terribly difficult for Lucas Giolito or Dallas Keucel, but when it comes to Gio Gonzalez, Dylan Cease, or Reynaldo Lopez, (even Michael Kopech, being a young arm) you really aren’t sure what you’ll get. If those guys are unable to meet that task, the Sox could struggle with Cincinnati.
CLEVELAND INDIANS
2019 Record: 93-69, 2nd
The White Sox actually played fairly well against this AL Central foe last season. The South Siders led the series 11-8, and hit the ball often off of the Tribe pitching, averaging 5.6 runs per game. Cleveland did not make any huge moves in the offseason but they lost Corey Kluber to the Texas Rangers and declined the option of Jason Kipnis, who landed with the Cubs. That being said, they are still a team that nearly won the title in 2016 and have decent pieces remaining in Fransisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Carlos Santana, and a young Zach Plesac in their rotation.
The White Sox’s success against the Indians varies from season to season. This year, however, the Sox’s bats look better on paper than what the Tribe’s arms can account for. There really isn’t a star-studded pitcher in their rotation, in my opinion. Mike Clevinger seems to be in and out of injury, most recently a partial meniscus tear, and with the offensive additions of Edwin Encarnacion, Yasmani Grandal, and Luis Robert to mesh with familiar faces like Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu, and Eloy Jimenez, things favor the White Sox. I see the Sox being above .500 against Cleveland.
DETROIT TIGERS
2019 Record: 47-114, 5th
Although the central may have a lot of really good teams, there’s almost an equal amount of teams who could find themselves towards the bottom of the league. This Tigers team has really taken a nosedive in the past five or so seasons. Miguel Cabrera is now 37-years old, and there is not a ton of standout young talent at the Major Leauge level. Ivan Nova, former White Sox pitcher in 2019, is the only major addition made to the pitching staff in the offseason.
The White Sox will play well against this team in all facets. Games against Detroit should be on the easier side and ones the Sox will want to take advantage of in this shortened season.
KANSAS CITY ROYALS
2019 Record: 59-103, 4th
If there’s one team that could outperform expectations in this expanded central division, I believe it could be the Royals. Now, while outperforming expectations does not mean being a contender or making the playoffs, I still think the Royals could be closer to .500 in this shortened season than most think. This is a team that has been known to play well against National League opponents, including the Cardinals, who they fared decently against last season. Kansas City still has some names, as well as some up-and-coming talent on their roster. Jorge Soler is one existing guy to keep an eye on, having led all American League batters with 48 homers in 2019 – third best in all of baseball.
The Sox struggled with the Royals at points last season. One of those rough patches was a four-game set in Kansas City last July where they were swept. However, the Sox also claimed a sweep of their own to even things out a bit. The South Side bats will be much better this season and the Royals pitching staff has not made any moves to improve. A team ERA of 5.20 last year would struggle against this new-look, potent Sox offense.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
2019 Record: 89-73, 2nd
A team that could truly go either way in 2020 is the Milwaukee Brewers. While they appeared to be dead in the water in September last season, they turned it on and clinched a playoff berth without the help of then-reigning NL MVP Christian Yelich.
The White Sox do not know the Brewers well. The Brewers do not know the White Sox well. The last time the Pale Hose played the Brew Crew in Miller Park was all the way back in 2014. With that being said, I would almost say these two teams are equal in talent. They both have strong hitters, but their bullpens leave some big question marks.
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
2019 Record: 91-71, 1st
Possibly the best National League team in the division is the St. Louis Cardinals. This is a club that commits very few errors, has skill at all positions, and boasts one of the most underrated hitters in the majors, with Paul Goldschmidt – someone who reminds me of Paul Konerko a lot.
The Cards are strong and there’s no doubt about it. They’re another team that might be similar to the Sox in overall skill level. The key difference is guys like Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, Yadi Molina, Goldy, and Adam Wainwright who have pieced it together. The Sox are still young and although they have added some new major talent via offseason acquisitions, they have yet to all play as one on the big stage. Sox-Cardinals games will be a lot of fun to watch.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES
2019 Record: 69-93, 5th
The Pirates will begin a new era this season. After parting ways with GM Neal Huntington and manager Clint Hurdle, the mid-decade success is now in the past. Additionally, they released the last piece of talent from those teams, that being centerfielder Starling Marte who is now in Arizona. The Pirates have an uphill climb ahead of them and they start in less than ideal circumstances.
The team has first baseman Josh Bell who broke out for a 37 home run season in 2019, Bryan Reynolds who had a stellar .317 batting average, and a remaining roster that features only two players over the age of 30 on the depth chart. The pitching talent is almost nil, which should bode well for the White Sox in upcoming series this season.
MINNESOTA TWINS
2019 Record: 101-61, 1st
Last, but definitely not least, the best team in the division. After hitting the cover off the ball in the 2019 regular season, the Twins were swept fairly easily by the Yankees. This came as a surprise to me and many others. However, thanks to their offseason additions, this team might just be among the top five in all of baseball. Not only did they add Josh Donaldson, but they also signed Kenta Maeda to their rotation – two veterans with several postseason games under their belts.
The White Sox have a lot of talent, but the Twins have even more and a lot more experience. They hit 307 homers in 2019, and the pitching was solid. If there’s one weak spot, it’s their bullpen but even that isn’t enough to harm this team too much in a shortened season. Expect the Sox to compete, but have some problems against this Minnesota team.
Baseball is back. I’ve been waiting to say those three words for quite some time now, as I’m sure you have too. Regardless of what happens, the 2020 season is going to be strange in many ways. Teams who are expected to do well will struggle and there will be that one club who sneaks into the playoffs that no one could have ever predicted. Let’s all embrace the weirdness that will be the 2020 MLB season and enjoy the ride.
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