2023 Pre-Season Profile: Chicago White Sox

 #8

The Chicago White Sox underwhelmed in 2022 and missed the playoffs.  Will a new manager change the fate of the franchise before their championship window closes?

2022 Predictions

#3 - 1st in AL Central, lose in ALCS

MIH - Luis Robert

MIP - Michael Kopech

PTW - Yoelqui Cespedes

2022 Results

#16 - 81-81, 2nd in AL Central

Highest WAR (Position) - Jose Abreu

Highest WAR (Pitcher) - Dylan Cease

Almost everything about 2022 for the Chicago White Sox was a disappointment.  Many of their established stars either fought injuries or struggles throughout the year.  However, the biggest disappointment seemed to come from their Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa.  Some questionable decisions and erratic behavior had everyone questioning if he was still able to do the job.  He ended up stepping away from the team for the last month for health concerns.  No matter how the season went, watching Tony LaRussa became the distraction that dominated most of the story around this team in 2022.  I said most of the story.  The one positive to come out of 2022 was the emergence of Dylan Cease.  If it wasn't for an other-worldly season from the ageless Justin Verlander, Cease would have won the Cy Young with his insane 180 ERA+.

Additions / Subtractions

The White Sox have a pretty established core.  This offseason was all about complementing it.  That job started with the hiring of new manager Pedro Grifol.  Then, starter Mike Clevinger was brought in to round out the rotation after the departure of Johnny Cueto.  Andrew Benintendi was signed to fill in the leftfield hole left by A.J. Pollock.  Former MVP Jose Abreu left in free agency and was replaced internally.  Possibly the most unexpected change in the roster was closer Liam Hendriks being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  No timetable on recovery or return has been given yet, but it sounds like the best case scenario is a return in June.

Most Important Hitter

Luis Robert Jr.

So much of what the White Sox do offensively revolves around Luis Robert Jr.  The team clicks and wins when he is on the field.  That's the problem though.  In 2021, he was held to 68 games.  In 2022, he played in 98 games.  Robert is starting to feel a little like Byron Buxton in that he is one of the most dynamic players in the game as long as he can stay on the field.  Especially with losing the consistency provided by Jose Abreu, the White Sox need Robert to be on the field as much as possible.  With him only entering his age 25 season, the hope is the health will come.

Most Important Pitcher

Lucas Giolito

If you were to ask anyone after the 2021 season who was the best starting pitcher for the White Sox, the answer would probably be Lucas Giolito.  He had gone from being one of baseball's top prospects to complete bust to All Star.  Well, 2022 saw another mood swing in the colorful career of Giolito.  He was the White Sox worst starter in 2022 with a 4.90 ERA and an 81 ERA+.  With the emergence of Dylan Cease, the consistency of Lance Lynn, and the dynamic talent of Michael Kopech, the starting rotation has the potential to be elite.  With that said, to be elite, Giolito has to be better.  He made some mechanics changes over the offseason.  Hopefully it produces results.

Prospect to Watch

Oscar Colas

The White Sox had a huge wave of talent that hit the big leagues a few years ago.  This left a depleted farm system that hasn't recovered yet.  Currently, the White Sox have 2 prospects in the Top 100 with the most intriguing for 2023 being outfielder Oscar Colas.  This 24 year old Cuban import was signed by the White Sox in January 2022, and in one season in the organization, he moved from High-A to Triple-A while hitting .314 and 23 home runs.  Watch for Colas to get a chance to play rightfield or even centerfield if Luis Robert Jr. struggles with injuries again.

2023 Prediction

1st in AL Central, lose in ALDS

This might be an odd pick, especially after the success of the Guardians last season and the dumpster fire the White Sox were at times last season.  However, through all the chaos in 2022, the White Sox were a .500 team.  If they can get some stability and some health, it is very realistic for the White Sox to return to the postseason.  It might be a stretch to say they could compete for a championship in 2023, but there is a version of this season that could end that way.  At the same time, I have been really high on this team for three years in a row now.  I had them in the World Series in 2021 and the ALCS in 2022.  If the White Sox fail me again, I'm out.

Fearless Prediction

Andrew Vaughn has a better season in 2023 than Jose Abreu.

Andrew Vaughn was the 3rd overall pick in the 2019 Draft, and the White Sox have been waiting for him to become a star.  Last season, Vaughn took a big enough step forward that they felt good enough to let Jose Abreu leave in free agency and hand over first base to the kid.  Andrew Vaughn has this potential in him, and the White Sox are hoping he breaks out.  Between Vaughn's potential and Abreu's age, I see this hot take having a good chance to hit.

2021 Pre-Season Profile: Chicago White Sox

 #2

The Chicago White Sox have some of the most exciting young talent in the league.  Can a strong offseason turn a playoff appearance last season into a deep postseason run in 2021?

2020 Predictions

#15 - 2nd in AL Central

MIH - Eloy Jimenez

MIP - Lucas Giolito

PTW - Luis Robert

2020 Results

#8 - 35-25, 2nd in AL Central, lost in Wild Card Round

The Chicago White Sox continued to grow in 2020 as their young roster cracked the postseason.  The season was highlighted by the play of first baseman Jose Abreu who won the AL MVP.  They may not have advanced past the first round, it was an encouraging step in the right direction for this team that is starting to see the fruits of a rebuild that started a few years ago with the trade of Chris Sale.

Additions / Subtractions

The White Sox had one of the most active and fascinating offseasons leading into 2021.  They updraded their rotation by trading for Lance Lynn from Texas.  They upgraded their bullpen by signing one of the best closers in the league in Liam Hendriks.  They added some veteran leadership to their lineup by signing former White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton.  Then came one of the most talked about moves of the winter in the hiring of 76 year old Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa after a decade of retirement.

Most Important Hitter

Yoan Moncada

Yoan Moncada broke out in 2019 with a stellar season, hitting .315 with 25 homers and finishing with a career high 139 OPS+.  He followed that up in 2020 with a rough season, only hitting .225 and a 93 OPS+.  Especially with the injury to budding star Eloy Jimenez who will most of the season, Moncada needs a bounce back season to add depth to this lineup.

Most Important Pitcher

Dallas Keuchel

Back in 2015, Dallas Keuchel won a Cy Young for the Astros.  After that season, he had varying success from 2016-2019 before signing with the White Sox leading into 2020.  Last season, Keuchel was outstanding and made a great 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation with Lucas Giolito.  Now he needs to repeat that success of last season.  If he does, this rotation could be really good with Giolito at the top, Lance Lynn and Keuchel as the veteran 2-3, and the young phenoms filling up the back half.

Prospect to Watch

Nick Madrigal

The White Sox have 4 prospects in baseball's Top 100 Prospects, all of which will have opportunities to make a big impact on the big league roster.  #13 prospect Matthew Vaughn will get at bats to start the season to try and fill the hole left by Eloy Jimenez, while #18 Michael Kopech and #89 Garrett Crochet have already seen the big leagues and will look to help either in the rotation or bullpen as they are two of the hardest throwers around.  The player that will have the most opportunities to have a big year is second baseman Nick Madrigal.  The 36th best prospect in baseball, Madrigal may be small at 5'8" but he knows how to hit.  He got in 29 games last season and hit .340 in that time.  He will start Opening Day at second and looks to be a fixture at the top of their lineup for years to come.

2021 Prediction

1st in AL Central, lose in World Series

This is my team to make the big leap in 2021.  They seem to have a perfect roster to compete deep into the postseason with a great mix of veterans and budding stars both in their lineup and rotation.  The injury to Eloy Jimenez does hurt, but their lineup should be deep enough to absorb that loss.  I also love the addition of Tony La Russa who knows how to win.  Over the last decade, he has been working in front offices around the league so he hasn't just been sitting at home.  He knows the game better than almost anyone, and he will lead this team to new heights.

Fearless Prediction

Tony La Russa wins AL Manager of the Year.

If the White Sox are as good as I think they could be in 2021, this is an obvious win for Tony La Russa.  What a way to make a comeback for the Hall of Famer!

2019 Pre-Season Profile: Texas Rangers

#26

The Texas Rangers hit the reset button over the offseason this year.  Will the new faces in Arlington bring about more success in 2019?

2018 Predictions

4th in AL West

Cole Hamels will be traded before the end of the season.

2018 Results

67-95, 5th in AL West

The Rangers did not have as strong of a season as I expected them to have.  They struggled in many ways, including being in an extremely strong division in 2018.  Cole Hamels did indeed get moved to the Cubs at the Trade Deadline, making that a wasted deal for the Rangers.  However, the 2018 season in Texas will be remembered as the farewell tour for Adrian Beltre, who retired once the season ended.

Additions / Subtractions

There wasn't much turnover in the Rangers' lineup going into 2019.  Veteran Asdrubal Cabrera replaces Beltre at third base, and Jeff Mathis goes behind the plate to replace Robinson Chirinos.  The pitching staff had much more change, with Mike Minor being the only returning starter.  Gone are Bartolo Colon, Yovani Gallardo, Martin Perez, Doug Fister, and Matt Moore.  In their place, the Rangers have Lance Lynn, Drew Smyly, Edinson Volquez, and Shelby Miller.  The bullpen had some big turnover as well, with Keone Kela, Alex Claudio, and Jake Diekman moving on.  With all these changes, possibly the biggest change is Chris Woodward taking over as manager from Jeff Banister.

Most Important Hitter

Elvis Andrus

It wasn't that long ago that the Rangers were playing in the World Series.  However, the only player remaining from those great Ranger years is shortstop Elvis Andrus.  He has already been in the league for 10 years even though he is only entering his age 30 season.  He has become the grizzled veteran of the team and continues to be a cornerstone of what the Rangers want to do.  However, Andrus had a bad 2018, posting only a 1.7 WAR and the lowest OPS+ since 2010.  Andrus is only halfway through an 8 year contract, which means he will be paid by the Rangers through 2023.  If he is going to earn the second half of this contract, he has to play a lot better than he did last season.  If he is going to be the veteran leader the Rangers need him to be, he has to be a leader with his play.

Most Important Pitcher

Jose Leclerc

Relievers can be so up and down from season to season.  However, the Rangers are hoping Jose Leclerc's 2018 season gets repeated over and over again.  Leclerc had one of the most dominant seasons of any reliever in 2018, posting a 1.56 ERA in 59 games, averaging 13.3 strikeouts per 9 innings.  As a setup man, Leclerc posted the fourth best WAR on the Rangers' roster in 2018, and was named one of the ten best relievers right now on MLB Network's yearly countdown.  With so many bullpen arms moving on this offseason, Leclerc is now the closer and will now have much more expected of him.  If he can continue his dominance from last year, he will be the anchor this bullpen will need to be effective in 2019.

Prospect to Watch

Jonathan Hernandez

The Rangers have a pretty good farm system, but most of their top prospects are at least a year or two away.  Their highest prospect that has a chance to impact the big league club this year is starting pitcher Jonathan Hernandez.  The Rangers' 5th ranked prospect, Hernandez is a 22 year old righty with a strong fastball and a good slider.  He struggles a little with command, but if he puts it all together, there is a good chance he starts games for the Rangers before the end of the season, especially considering how old the starting rotation is slated to be to start the season.

2019 Prediction

5th in AL West

The Rangers are headed in the right direction.  They are riding a line few teams attempt anymore.  They are rebuilding and waiting for their farm system to pay off while also featuring enough veterans and big league talent to be interesting this year.  They will end up in the cellar again simply because of the strength of this division.  The AL West has become one of the strongest in baseball, which will lead to rookie manager Chris Woodward having a bit of a struggle in his first season.

Fearless Prediction

No pitcher for the Rangers will throw over 150 innings in 2019.

New manager Chris Woodward is a sabermetric guy, coming over from the Dodgers.  One of the goals of managers like this is to limit the innings of starters and lean on the bullpen.  Now let's combine that with the makeup of the Rangers' rotation.  Mike Minor threw 157 innings in 2018, which was his most since injuring his arm several season ago.  Lance Lynn is coming off a very disappointing season split between the Twins and the Yankees.  Drew Smyly is coming off Tommy John.  Edinson Volquez is a prime candidate to be traded to a contender mid-season if he pitches well.  If he doesn't, he will probably be released.  Shelby Miller has never quite found his form that made him the centerpiece of a trade that brought the Braves former number one overall pick Dansby Swanson.  This is an aging rotation this is bound to break down as the season progresses.  None of these starters can be counted on entering the season.  This might change throughout the season, but there is no way any of these guys rack up even a modest amount of innings.