Pedro Grifol, the manager of the Chicago White Sox is going into his second year as head coach. His first season was a huge let down for fans, with the team placing as the third worst team in the entire league. During the off-season, the front office has been making many changes to the roster, with some fan favorite players going into free agency or getting traded. Some of these players are Dylan Cease (San Diego Padres), Tim Anderson (Miami Marlins), Aaron Bummer (Atlanta Braves), and Liam Hendricks (Boston Red Sox). Take a look at the Opening Day Roster Projections for the Chicago White Sox on March 28th, 2024!
Pitcher
Michael Soroka, a 26-year-old from Canada, is one of the most talented new additions to the Chicago White Sox roster from the Atlanta Braves. Soroka would be a strong candidate for Opening Day with his explosive start this Spring Training. Last season, Soroka struggled with a career high 6.75 ERA, but is working to turn his career around with the White Sox. During his first start in Spring Training, Soroka pitched four scoreless innings and struck out five batters in his first recorded win. With the help of Ethan Katz, the White Sox head pitching coach, Soroka is predicted to have the best season of his career.
Catcher
Going into his 13th season in the MLB, Martín Maldonado is looking to win his second World Series title. Last season, Maldonado played with the Houston Astros where he hit a career high of 15 home runs, 36 RBIs, but hit a disappointing .191 batting average. With the release of Yasmani Grandal, the White Sox are looking for a veteran catcher with post-season experience, which Maldonado fits perfectly. With the help from the White Sox coaching staff, Pedro Grifol believes that Maldonado will fit well with the returning players, and new additions.
1st Base
Andrew Vaughn is going into his fourth season with the Chicago White Sox. He’s looking to have another outstanding season through his new role as a clean-up hitter. During the off-season, Vaughn has been working on his hitting, practicing with World Series winning first baseman, Paul Konerko. Last season, Vaughn produced a .258 batting average, 21 home-runs, 146 hits, and 80 RBIs. When looking for a strong player, Andrew Vaughn is a player that will overall help change the face of the White Sox and ensure the team’s win against the Tigers on opening day.
2nd Base
Nicky Lopez is a familiar face to the Chicago White Sox, since his former team, the Kansas City Royals have been battling for the American League Central Division Title. Last season, Lopez struggled with hitting a .277 batting average, one home run, 52 hits, and 25 RBIs. With the help of the White Sox coaching staff, Grifol is looking to improve not just Lopez’s hitting, but his fielding as well. The White Sox are looking to have a strong young team, and Lopez might be the missing piece that the White Sox needs in order to turn the franchise around in the coming years.
3rd Base
Yoan Moncada has been on and off the Injury List for the past two seasons with various different injuries preventing him from helping the White Sox. During this off-season, Moncada has been training for the 2024 season, but in Spring Training, we are still waiting for him to “get hot”. Last season, Moncada played in 92 games, hitting a .260 batting average, 87 hits, and only 11 home runs. With the extra training that Moncada has done, we hope that he can stay healthy this season and play the best season in his career.
Shortstop
Colson Montgomery was the White Sox’s 1st draft pick of the 2021 draft. One could argue that starting Paul DeJong would be the better option since he is a veteran of the sport, but the White Sox have different ideas. The White Sox pride themselves on bringing up rookies as the future of the team. We have seen success through Yermin Mercedes, Andrew Vaughn, Nick Madrigal, and Jake Burger. When drafting Montgomery, the White Sox believed that he could be a replacement for Anderson in case of any injury or Free Agency. In Spring Training, Montgomery is becoming a standout with a batting average of .244, 20 hits and 20 RBIs. Montgomery could help turn the team from one of the worst teams in baseball, to a playoff contender.
Left Field
Andrew Benintendi is a veteran to the sport, going into his 8th season in the league. Benintendi, a Golden Glove winner, All-Star, placed second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2017. Last season, Benintendi hit a .262 batting average, 147 hits, 45 RBIs, and 5 home runs. Benintendi is another former Kansas City Royal that Grifol has coached and a teammate of Nicky Lopez. Having that camaraderie within the team can help change the attitude of the ball-club. In terms of defense, Benintendi earned a Golden Glove in 2021, and continues to prove he is still at the caliber he was three years ago on March 15th, 2024 with his amazing diving catch.
Center Field
Luis Robert Jr. is coming off of his best season with the Chicago White Sox, making his first All-Star debut, earning a Silver Slugger Award, and finishing 12th in AL MVP running. Robert Jr. hit a career high 38 home runs, 144 hits, 80 RBIs, and a batting average of .264. During the off-season, Robert Jr. looked to improve his hitting consistency, working for a post-season push and another All-Star appearance. When looking at options for an opening day roster, Robert Jr. is the first person coming to mind.
Right Field
Gavin Sheets is in the midst of having the best Spring Training of his career. He ranked 2nd on the White Sox in OPS at 1.026, 1st in hits with 15, tied for 1st with a batting average of .333 in 19 games. Going into his third season with the White Sox, Sheets is looking for his breakout season which will also be known as his “career defining season”. Last season, Sheets struggled with a .203 batting average, 63 hits, 43 RBIs, and 10 home runs. During the off-season, Sheets worked to better his hitting and his fielding. He’s able to be a consistent right fielder the White Sox needs, and play first base for Vaughn after his injury. Looking to Opening Day next week, Sheets should be the number one pick for right field.
Designated Hitter
Though Eloy Jiménez hasn’t played a full season in two years due to multiple injuries, he is looking to make 2024 the first of many standout seasons to come. Last season, Jiménez slashed a .272 batting average, hit only 18 home runs, 124 hits, and 64 RBIs. Since Jiménez has taken a break from left field to make room for Andrew Benintendi, Jiménez has been performing more consistently in his last couple seasons. If Jiménez can stay healthy this season, he can help the White Sox turn into the 2021 White Sox with a AL Central Division Title. When looking for a DH for the opening day, there is no doubt that Jiménez should be the number one pick.
Conclusion:
With Opening Day taking place next week and coaches announcing their official lineups, only one of my predictions is incorrect so far. Bench Coach Pedro Grifol announced that Garret Crochet will be the starting pitcher for the White Sox. To see the Opening Day lineup and see if your predictions are correct, watch the Detroit Tigers vs the Chicago White Sox in Chicago on March 28th, 2024!
Glossary:
AL: American League – One of the two leagues in Major League Baseball
CY Young Award: An award given to the best pitcher in each league
ERA: Earned Runs Average – A statistic that pitchers use to total the amount of runs they give up during the game while they are pitching.
“Getting Hot”: The saying when a player starts to hit more consistently
Golden Glove Award: An award given to the best defensive player in each league
IL: Injury List – There are 4 statuses that someone on the injury list can be placed under; day-to-day, 7-day, 10-day, 15 day, and 60-day IL which depend on your injuries. This allows the team to bring up a player from the minor leagues to fill the spot on the 40-man roster.
OPS: On Base Plus Slugging – This statistic shows how well a hitter can reach base, plus how he can hit for average and power
RBI: Runs Batted In – When a player gets a hit and the hit scores runs.
Rookie of the Year Award: An award given to the best rookie in each league. This award is based on offense, defense, and is voted by a committee.
Silver Slugger Award: An award given to the best offensive player in each league.
References
- Andrew Benintendi Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More. (n.d.). Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beninan01.shtml
- Andrew Vaughn Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More. (n.d.). Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vaughan01.shtml
- Chicago White Sox Spring Training Stats. (n.d.). MLB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.mlb.com/stats/chicago-white-sox/spring-training
- Colson Montgomery Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics. (n.d.). Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=montgo001col
- Eloy Jiménez Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More. (n.d.). Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jimenel02.shtml
- Luis Robert Jr. Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More. (n.d.). Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/roberlu01.shtml
- Martín Maldonado Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More. (n.d.). Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maldoma01.shtml
- Michael Soroka Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News. (n.d.). MLB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.mlb.com/player/michael-soroka-647336
- Nicky Lopez Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More. (n.d.). Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lopezni01.shtml
- On-base Plus Slugging (OPS) | Glossary. (n.d.). MLB.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.mlb.com/glossary/standard-stats/on-base-plus-slugging
- 2024 Chicago White Sox Transactions – MLB – CBSSports.com. (n.d.). CBS Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/CHW/chicago-white-sox/transactions/
- 2024 Chicago White Sox Transactions – MLB – CBSSports.com. (n.d.). CBS Sports. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/teams/CHW/chicago-white-sox/transactions/
- Yoán Moncada Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More. (n.d.). Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024, from https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/moncayo01.shtml
