It didn't take long for Andrew Vaughn to make the White Sox look bad. He is already making history five games into his stint with the Milwaukee Brewers and is not dispelling the narrative that hitters improve after leaving the White Sox.
Vaughn's Historic Start In Milwaukee
Vaughn has been on fire ever since putting on a Brewers uniform. He collected two more hits this afternoon, including a game-tying two-run double in the bottom of the ninth inning. He drove in four runs on the afternoon and became the first player in Brewers franchise history to drive in a run in each of his first five games with the team. The former White Sox first baseman already has 10 RBI in just five games with Milwaukee. The Brewers have also won every game he has played. And the craziest part is that he would have never gotten called up had Rhys Hoskins, the Brewers' starting first baseman up to this point, not landed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left thumb.
Aaron Civale's Struggles
The White Sox traded Vaughn for right-handed pitcher Aaron Civale almost a month ago in a classic change-of-scenery swap. Civale requested a trade out of Milwaukee after getting demoted to the bullpen. He wanted the opportunity to continue starting games, which the White Sox provided.
Unfortunately, the beginning of Civale's tenure on the South Side has not gone as hoped. In five starts, he has recorded an elevated 5.40 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, and has struck out just 14 hitters in 25 innings. Control has been his biggest problem, as he has issued 13 walks as well. The White Sox hoped he would be able to eat innings to help a young pitching staff. That has not happened either, as he has averaged just five innings per start.
Parting of Ways
The White Sox have undoubtedly gotten the short end of the stick on this trade thus far. However, it is not the type of situation where they didn't know what they had. Vaughn spent parts of five years with the White Sox, playing in over 600 games and collecting almost 2,500 plate appearances. The team gave him ample opportunities to prove himself, but he failed to improve over time. In fact, he regressed to the point where his 2025 stats were the worst numbers of his entire MLB career.
White Sox Hitting Development Questions Loom
Five games is a tiny sample, but Andrew Vaughn is off to a scorching hot start in Milwaukee. And he is not the first White Sox position player to improve elsewhere this season. Gavin Sheets and Romy Gonzalez have also improved significantly after leaving Chicago, and Luis Robert Jr. could be the next if he gets traded. We will have to wait and see if this is a fluke or if Vaughn has figured it out. Either way, it raises questions about what the White Sox are doing wrong with their hitting development at the MLB level.
