Not So Fast

Not So Fast

 

I want to believe the White Sox rebuild has finally and fully arrived, but I can’t, not yet.  Allow me to explain why.

Let’s start with some numbers.  After years of acquiring talent through the draft and trades, the Sox have amassed a roster that has the fourth-most strikeouts in the American League; too bad I mean hitting, not pitching.  As far as that’s concerned, the team ERA of 4.28 is ninth-best in the AL.  Whoopee!

 

Right now, the Sox have one really good young pitcher in Lucas Giolito and a promising one in Dylan Cease.  What’s the difference?  Well, Cease needed 99 pitches to get through five innings, not exactly efficiency personified.  And after those two, it’s Dallas Keuchel, then Katie bar the door.  What’s saving the staff so far is the bullpen, and at some point relievers get tired.

 

I don’t like how Eloy Jimenez plays defense in left field, and, by that I mean he doesn’t play much defense in left; they should keep a clip of how Jimenez turned a fairly routine fly ball by Christian Yelich into an inside-the-park homerun as a tutorial on how not to field the position.

 

Speaking of not doing things, I’d have to include GM Rick Hahn’s first-round draft picks.  Carson Fulmer’s gone; Carlos Rodon is injured (again); and Zack Collins is 0 for 2020 (13 at-bats and counting).  Nick Madrigal was supposed to be, I don’t know, the next Nellie Fox, but he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, especially not with that separated shoulder.  But Hahn can pat himself on the back for coming up with Danny Mendick in the 22^nd round of the 2015 “Fulmer” draft.  This is the guy Madrigal should aspire to be.

 

I have a theory that mediocre teams give back half or more of the games they win in a streak.  After winning six straight, the Sox went into last night’s game against Cleveland having lost their last two.  Mediocre or not?  Not, because they shut out the Indians, 2-0, behind Cease and company.  And it’s always nice to see Adam Engel hit a homerun.

So, one last stat to argue/hope the glass is half-full, or just a bit more.  The Sox rank fifth in the AL in runs scored.  Don’t stop now, boys.       

 

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