The Chicago White Sox are coming off a very promising 2020 going into the 2021 campaign as there is a lot of potential on the South Side of Chicago. With young talent and seasoned veterans on this squad, this might be the best side to ever play in the 120 year history of the franchise. The only question remains is how long will this long term success last for this core group of players before the next rebuild begins. That being said, all the potential and hype of what could happen with what the Pale Hose have coming into 2021, let's preview the White Sox in this new season.
The Bullpen
This might be the strongest part of the team as this is very much likely the best relief corp in the league. They'll carry over youngsters in Codi Heuer and Matt Foster who proved to be valuable when called up to the majors last year. The Pale Hose also have Evan Marshall who is slowly becoming one of the best relievers in baseball and they also have Aaron Bummer who is undoubtedly one of the best in the league. Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet, future starting pitchers with absolutely filthy stuff, will come out of the bullpen as well as that gives them more options and durability. Lastly the Sox signed the best reliever on the free agent market this offseason as they brought in Liam Hendriks who was a dynamite closer for Oakland last season. This relief corp is scary good and as this group should be able to lock down a lot of games for Chicago.
The Rotation
This part of the squad is actually not of the strongest parts of the team and yet it's quite an excellent group as they are one of the best rotations in baseball. Lucas Giolito, the ace, will look to continue his domination as he keeps getting better and better. Dallas Keuchel will look to continue his success as the sub-ace on this team and continues to get betters to ground out consistently. The new acquisition Lance Lynn will look to keep up what he did in Texas, but he brings stability and control, plus he strikes out a lot of batters. The hope is that Dylan Cease figures how to harness his stuff as he has some of the best on the team and could make him a very good pitcher in the future. Lastly, the hope is that Carlos Rodon will solidify the fifth starter role, but they also hope he stays healthy and can harness what made him a first round draft pick.
How Will The White Sox Make Up For Eloy Jimenez In The Lineup
Losing Jimenez for at least the majority of the season is going to be very tough as he's a big bat. Expect players like Adam Engel or Leury Garcia to get playing time in left field as they have shown some sorts of productivity as those two could possibly platoon. Then there is Andrew Vaughn, who while made the team, is going to get some playing time out in left field, which will be interesting to see. Vaughn has an advanced bat, which might help mitigate the loss of Jimenez, but this experiment is not ideal. However, expect the team to go out and make a trade midseason.
The Lineup
The second best part of this is the offense as these guys can slug. Despite the loss of Jimenez, the Sox should still be able to put a lot of runs on the board. Jose Abreu is coming off an MVP season where he consistently drove in runs and hit a lot of balls out of the park. Yasmani Grandal, Luis Robert, and Tim Anderson are some of the best at their positions that are strong hitters. Vaughn should also bring more to the table with his advanced bat. However, if the team gets a rebound from Yoan Moncada, who was dealing with the after effects of his bout with Covid-19 during the 2020 campaign, then this lineup is even scarier. Even Engel and Garcia have the potential to go yard. Expect Chicago to score a lot of runs.
What Adam Eaton Are The White Sox Getting
Eaton was a head scratching move this offseason as there were plenty of other options on the market for a right fielder. However, this move could pay off dividends as Eaton signed on a prove it deal and could also be the bridge to a younger player like Yoelkis Cespedes for next year, but production from right field has been lacking the last few seasons and the Sox need Eaton to be as productive as he was in the past. His last good season was in 2019 as he put up a 117 wRC+ line with Washington, so there is hope that he comes close to that, but the team knows they'll at least get strong defense and speed on the bases from him. It will be interesting to see what Eaton does this season.
Can Andrew Vaughn Perform Well After A Short Time In Minors
Vaughn is highly thought of and is thought to be an American League Rookie of the Year candidate for this year, but there is one small problem: he hasn't spent much time developing in the minor leagues. Yes, he does have an advanced bat, which impressed the Sox while he was at Schaumburg last season, but that's not quite the same as getting enough at bats against opposing pitchers. Plus, the highest level of competition he has played is Single-A. While the team is confident in his abilities, which is a good sign, the question is how well will he be able to adjust to major league pitching. Should find out soon.
Staying Healthy
Realistically this is true about any team trying to compete for a championship, but the problem for the Pale Hose is going to be depth. That all might change once the minor league season begins, but depth is going to be a problem. The Sox might have a good bench, but if a major injury occurs then things get a bit thin. Outside of the Jimenez injury, most of the players in the starting lineup will need to stay healthy if this team wants to compete. There might be bumps and bruises along the way, but an injury that will require a player to miss significant time might make things a bit more difficult.
How Will 2021 End Up Being
If everything works out as planned, then expect a deep run in the playoffs. Yes, the playoffs are a crapshoot and they could get swept in the Division Series, but the Sox have the pitching and the offense to allow them to make run at a World Series trophy. While a championship might be hard to win, especially with all the quality teams in the majors, they're expected to compete for one and could very well win it. Otherwise, expect this to be a fun year on the Southside.
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