The 2019 preseason hype for the Chicago White Sox was tremendous. Fans and players alike were electric for the season to start. Fans thought the team would get Manny Machado (didn't happen), and the young talent was on the rise. I may have had unwarranted expectations for this team because I always hope for the best. I have been a fan of the Sox for well over 15 years, and I'm only 22. We haven't been a good team in about a decade, yet every season I am optimistic that this team will get it right. In 2019, through 11 games (3-8), I am once again filled with disappointment. This has been a difficult season to watch so far.
Where to start. Well, I had extremely high hopes for Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, Carlos Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and Eloy Jimenez. Many of the players on this list are underperforming so far and it pains me. Rodon, Lopez, Giolito, and Jimenez don't look comfortable. The pitching is horrendous and the power is missing. I will give Jiminez a pass for right now because it's only his 11th game but only one extra-base hit through 11 games? Come on, where is that power? Tatis Jr (the one that got away) is lighting up the baseball in San Diego (with Machado...).
The positives come from Leury Garcia, Yoan Moncada (kind of) and Tim Anderson. Garcia has no power whatsoever but he manages to get on base, and that is what our lead-off man needs to do. Moncada had a massive few games but quickly cooled off after his 6th game. He looks a bit more comfortable at the plate and seems okay at 3rd. He's still developing and his improvements show, which is good. The strikeouts are coming back though, and only time will tell if he learns from last season. Tim Anderson is the only consistent piece in this lineup. His bat is electric (highest batting average in the MLB as of April 10th), and he just looks comfortable. Without him, we may not have won more than one game.
The underperformers are really killing this team. I mentioned the starting pitchers already, but almost everyone else looks horrible. The bullpen, aside from 2 players, look lost. We have given up 53 runs in the last six games. That is almost 9 runs a game! How can any team win when giving up that many runs? Jose Abreu (aside from power), Yonder Alonso, Yolmer Sanchez, Daniel Palka, and Wellington Castillo look as if they shouldn't have an MLB jersey on. These players are a combined 18 for 153, or batting .117, with 9 of those hits coming from Jose Abreu. Those numbers are beyond horrible.
Of course, I am panicking at the moment but it has only been 11 games. The season is extremely long, and I'm sure some of these players will snap out of it. We have also played 6 straight games against the hottest teams in the league. Will we make the playoffs? Probably not. Will we be competitive this year? probably not. But will we show progress towards the future? That is the answer we need. If there is progress, there is hope. So far the team looks lost, but we can only hope for progress throughout the rest of the year. Even though I watch every game, and it pains me a lot, I still love the White Sox. Hopefully, we progress and add some players throughout the next year.