Ladies and Gentlemen, baseball games that actually matter are just around the corner. Soon we will be able to head to Guaranteed Rate Field and cheer on our South Siders as they look to shock the MLB while further developing their young talent. Before every season, regardless of the sport, everyone shares their bold predictions of what the future might hold. So without further ado, here are my bold predictions for the 2018 White Sox.
Four Players Named All-Stars
Last season, the only All-Star the White Sox had was Avi Garcia. This year, he will be voted in again, along with teammates Jose Abreu, Lucas Giolito, and Yoan Moncada.
Avi Garcia seemed to finally turn things around last season as he finished second in the A.L. in batting average behind Jose Altuve. Early signs point to him batting second in front of Jose Abreu, who will offer much needed protection, forcing pitchers to give him good pitches to swing at. While he probably won't bat in the .330's again, he is a good bet to hit around .290 and has the power and speed to leg out 20+ doubles, 20+ home runs, and 80+ RBI's.
Jose Abreu had arguably his best season last summer as he slashed .304/.354/.552 after a slow start to the year. This year he comes out of the gates hard and the league takes notice, consequentially giving him an All-Star birth.
Last season Lucas Giolito wowed audiences in a short yet impressive call up. He has been lighting it up in Spring Training and can throw any of his six pitches (4-seam fastball, 2-seam fastball, curveball, slider, 4-seam circle change, 2-seam circle change) for strikes. While James Shields got the nod for the Opening Day start, Giolito is the most talented pitcher on the staff aside from a healthy Carlos Rodon. His fastball velocity seems to be up from last year, and the confidence in his voice is clear to anyone who has listened to him speak to the media this spring. The first full year of Giolito in a White Sox uniform will be a memorable one.
Yoan Moncada's season last year was frowned upon by some who maybe had a bit too high of expectations for him. He only hit .231 but only played in 51 games. He recently openly stated that he is most comfortable in the leadoff spot, and it looks like he will play that role in 2018. Here he will get more at-bats, see more pitches, and kick start the offense. People seem to forget that he was the no. 1 prospect in all of baseball a year ago. He has all the physical tools to succeed and the plate coverage you want in a leadoff hitter. I expect a .275 average with 20+ doubles, 20+ home runs, and 30+ steals. If he is on pace for these numbers at the All-Star break, he should receive the honor.
Tim Anderson Bounces Back
No one had a tougher 2017 than Tim Anderson. Playing in his first full season in Chicago, expectations were pretty high. Then his best friend was murdered and he spiraled out of control. Fast forward a year and Tim seems to be in a much better place. While he probably won't put up All-Star type numbers, he should at the very least resemble the year he had as a rookie where he slashed .283/.306/.432 in 99 games. Most importantly, he needs to cut down on his errors at shortstop. If he does, he will be a very solid player for the White Sox. In a horrid year at the plate, he still managed to hit 17 home runs and steal 15 bases. If he improves like I think he will, a 20/20 season should not only be expected, but it should be the norm.
Adam Engel Hits .250
White Sox fans have a love/hate relationship with Adam Engel. While he is incredible in center, he was abysmal at the plate last season as evidenced by his .166/.235/.282 slash line. He vowed to fix his swing this off-season and he has added a noticeable leg kick that so far seems to be helping. In Spring Training, he is hitting .364/.429/.682. Now he obviously won't touch these numbers when the regular season starts, but if he can come into the 9-hole and hit anywhere around .250, it would be a huge boost to the offense. Add in his regular jaw-dropping plays in center and Engel has a chance to really turn things around in 2018.
Matt Davidson Leads The Team In Home Runs
If there is one player that desperately needs the season to start this very moment, it is Matt Davidson. The man has been on absolute fire so far this spring, batting .358/.433/.679. When it comes to raw power, he probably has more than Jose Abreu, although Abreu is the much better all around hitter. Davidson said his main goal this season it to make more contact and walk more. So far he has done just that in spring, walking in 12.5% of his plate appearances and striking out 21.4%. For comparison, last season he walked 4.3% and struck out a whopping 37.2%. If he makes solid contact, the ball is going to travel a long way. So far all signs point to him having a summer where he provides a lot of fireworks.
White Sox Take Advantage Of Hot Avi, Trade Him At The Deadline
While I earlier predicted that Avi will make another All-Star game, I am also predicting that Rick Hahn takes advantage of his highest ever trade value. The package will be a very solid return as whatever team that trades for him will receive an All-Star in the prime of his career. But the biggest reason why White Sox fans will love this move is because it will free up a spot for Eloy Jimenez. Similar to last year's Todd Frazier trade allowing Moncada to come up, an Avi trade will allow Eloy to come up. Whether he will play in right field remains to be seen. Renteria can shuffle Delmonico around to put Eloy in left, but the main focus here will be getting Eloy at-bats at the Major League level.
Michael Kopech Comes Up Mid-June, Wins A.L. Rookie Of The Year
Make no mistake about it, Michael Kopech is ready for the MLB. He knows it, I know it, you hopefully know it too. While he still needs some development, I think it needs to be done at the Major League level. That being said, Kopech will start the year in Charlotte where he can fine tune his fastball command and changeup. I think if he dominates the minors like he did last year, he will come up as soon as the White Sox gain an extra year of team control, similar to what the Cubs did with Kris Bryant. Once he comes to Chicago, there will be a bit of a learning curve, but his pure stuff will be good enough to win games. Coming up in June should give him enough time to gain enough votes for A.L. ROY, ensuring that the future on the South Side is as bright as people claim.
Final Word
Predictions are always fun to make in sports, especially those of the "bold" variety. Hell, if half of these come true, consider me an ecstatic fan. Phase 2 of the rebuild is officially underway, and it just might be the most exciting one of them all.
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