The White Sox decided to part ways with Gavin Sheets last November by non-tendering him after a disappointing 2024 season. The move ended his tenure with the only professional organization he had ever known as a second round draft pick in 2017. Shortly after, the San Diego Padres signed him to a minor league contract. And if the early results are any indication, Sheets has proven the White Sox wrong by giving up on him.
Sheets' Blazing Hot Start
Sheets enters the day hitting a robust .309 with a .351 on-base percentage, a .500 slugging percentage, and a .851 OPS in 74 plate appearances over 23 games with the Padres. While he is running an inflated .383 BABIP, his hot start isn't a fluke. The underlying metrics support his improvement. So far in 2025, Sheets ranks in the 77th percentile in bat speed, the 89th percentile in average exit velocity, the 96th percentile in hard-hit%, and the 100th percentile in launch angle sweet-spot% per Baseball Savant. He is hitting the ball with more authority than ever, and these numbers starkly contrast the meager .233 batting average, .660 OPS, and underlying stats he put up with the White Sox in 2024.
Mechanical Changes
Sheets' drastic improvement thus far in San Diego begs the question, what changed? His transformation reportedly began in spring training when the Padres hitting coaches and sports science staff improved his posture, athleticism, and consistency in the batter's box while breaking the negative habits he developed while with the White Sox.
“It just showed me some stuff in my posture with my body, getting it to move in a better direction, getting it to be in a better spot to where I can fire off my ‘A’ swing,” Sheets told Padres reporter Gabe Smallson. “If I can clean up my posture and know where my body is at all times, I feel like I can get off my ‘A’ swing. Just getting my body more athletic and using it in my swing in the right way."
The adjustments have paid off. Sheets hit .315 with six home runs in spring training alone, earning him a spot on the Opening Day roster and creating positive momentum he has carried into the regular season. Sheets started this season hitting as low as 7th in the Padres lineup, but has moved up because of his success. Just last night, he hit 2nd, sandwiched between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado.
Change Of Scenery
His new surroundings have also played a significant role in his resurgence. Not only is he now playing for a winning team with fans chanting his name, but he is now part of a star-studded lineup. Sheets himself acknowledged this recently.
"You're in between two superstars -- it's a great place to be," Sheets said. "Great spot in the lineup to hit. … You've got to protect Tati [Fernando Tatis Jr.] a little bit and get it going for Manny [Machado]."
Unlike in Chicago where he was viewed as one of the primary power threats and run producers in the lineup, Sheets now has the luxury of being in the same lineup as stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, Manny Machado, and Jackson Merrill. He no longer has the same pressure and lineup responsibilities he faced in Chicago.
Padres Properly Utilizing His Talents
The Padres' utilization of Sheets has also worked in his favor. Even when he was successful with the White Sox, Sheets has always had heavy platoon splits. Historically, he has performed significantly better against right-handed pitchers than lefties. With this in mind, the Padres have shielded Sheets from having to face lefties for the most part. He has just ten plate appearances against left-handers all season, compared to 64 against right-handers.
By comparison, Sheets made 92 plate appearances against lefties with the White Sox in 2024, hitting just .205 with a .575 OPS in those scenarios. San Diego protecting Sheets from his weaknesses is another example of how a winning organization has put him in a better position to succeed.
Sheets' Post White Sox Transformation
Sheets' transformation after moving to a winning team is reminiscent of that of former teammate Michael Kopech, who was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. Kopech also improved significantly after leaving the White Sox. Sheets has acknowledged how the change in scenery has benefited him.
"It's been so much fun coming to the ballpark every day, just the excitement I have, waking up, getting ready to come to the ballpark," he said. "It's brought the fun back in baseball for me. I kind of lost it there for a year and a year or two, and to get it back and just the excitement of coming every day and being with this team and playing in front of this fan base has been something that I have not taken for granted."
Learning Lesson For White Sox
Gavin Sheets will have to prove himself for a much bigger sample size to say he has officially turned a corner. But he has always had the talent. He wasn't a second-round pick who mashed in the minors by accident. However, it is telling that he never reached his full potential for an extended period while with the White Sox, but has looked better than ever as soon as he joined a new team. His resurgence with the Padres is a reminder that a player's potential is often realized not just through talent but by the proper coaching, a winning environment, and an improved mental approach.
The White Sox have made advancements on the hitting side of the organization in recent months, hiring Ryan Fuller as the Director of Hitting and incorporating more technology like Trajekt machines into their preparations. It remains to be seen if Fuller's work will pay dividends, or whether White Sox players will continue to improve once they leave the organization.
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