A dismal spring now leads to a daunting regular season
The last three days have been an emotional roller coaster for the White Sox, and it doesn’t appear like things will stabilize until the season officially starts. From anticipating the finalized Opening Day roster to watching more pitchers get added to the doom and gloom Tommy John surgery, Sox fans are ready to get this show on the road.
As Spring Training officially ends with the 8-5 Sox win against the Athletics (tying for last place in the Cactus League), here are the biggest takeaways from Camelback Ranch.
1. Will Venable trusts established players more than prospects to start the season
The new skipper wants to lean heavily on players who already have big league innings under their belt to start the season. Although he hasn’t been officially reassigned to the minors, Chase Meidroth won’t make the 26-man roster to start the season. Rule 5 picks Shane Smith and Mike Vasil (the former making enough of an impression to win a roster spot outright) might normally be bubble pitchers, but must remain on the active roster all year or be returned to their former clubs.
It’s hard to argue against Venable’s logic. As fun as it would be to see Kyle Teel or Hagen Smith on the field in March, giving prospects time to hone their skills is the safest move. The Sox won’t become a 90-win team with prospects on the roster this year, so it’s best to be patient and not rush their development.
2. Half the lineup is either still warming up or going to struggle at first
There aren’t many position players who are hitting well — or even at league average. For every player who’s looked ready since February (Luis Robert Jr.) there are a half-dozen who look like they’ll need another six weeks before they kick into full gear (Michael A. Taylor). Regardless of the extremes, the Sox collectively don’t appear ready to play their first game of the season.
Although Spring Training isn’t a good indicator of regular season performance, a hot-and-mostly-cold lineup shouldn’t surprise fans. Between a new manager, coaching staff, and teammates, the team’s newness doesn’t foreshadow any success this year.
3. Ethan Katz and Brian Bannister have plenty of talented pitchers in their arsenal
It’s no surprise that the biggest strength of this team is the pitching. The Sox love identifying and developing talented lefties, as Noah Schultz and Smith seem to be following in Carlos Rodón’s, Chris Sale’s and Garrett Crochet’s footsteps. Additionally, the Sox seem to have identified a diamond in the rough by poaching starter Smith from the Brewers in the Rule 5 draft. And there’s a lot of hope that Cam Booser and Penn Murfee can shape up the bullpen.
Pitching has been the strongest area for the Sox for the last five years, at least in the regular season. Postseason, don’t remind me of what happened against the Astros in 2021. But in the short-term future, the tides continue to favor the Sox pitching staff.