Newest White Sox Outfielder Is Making Most Out Of Opportunity

The White Sox have lost six games in a row and are 1-9 in their last ten games. They have the worst record and winning percentage in MLB by a wide margin. It has gotten so bad that players have publicly voiced their disagreements with Pedro Grifol's comments. 2024 has been a disaster of a season, and the White Sox will likely continue to get worse before they get better. On the bright side, a lost season means new opportunities for players. One of the team's newest members, Corey Julks, has taken advantage of that opportunity.

Julks' Stint In Houston

The Astros drafted Julks in the eighth round of the 2017 draft and he slowly progressed through their farm system over the years before debuting with the Astros in 2023. Unfortunately for Julks, his stay in Houston did not last for long. While he always produced in the minors, he only played in 93 games for the Astros last season. Julks was 20% worse than the league average offensively according to OPS+ and did not show enough to stick around in Houston. The Astros designated him for assignment on May 10th of this year and he was traded to the White Sox for a minor-league pitcher a few days later. 

New Opportunity In Chicago

In fairness to Julks, he never got an extended opportunity to show what he could do in Houston. The Astros have been one of the best teams in the league for years now. It is difficult for players to crack their lineup and get consistent playing time. Kyle Tucker is cemented in right field, and Houston also has Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick who received more playing time than Julks last season. The White Sox, on the other hand, are awful and are looking to get better in any way possible. Julks has made the most of his chance on the south side.

Julks enters the day slashing .320/.452/.560 in 31 plate appearances with the White Sox. It is a small sample size, but his exit velocity, launch angle, barrel %, and hard-hit% are all higher than last year, and he is in the 74th percentile in sprint speed. Julks already has four extra-base hits in nine games and robbed a home run, too. He has done nothing but produce since arriving in Chicago. Even Pedro Grifol has noticed Julks' impact, as he has started hitting him in the middle of the Sox lineup in recent games.

Final Word

Julks will need to continue proving himself for the rest of the season to even have a chance of being in the White Sox long-term plans. However, as a 28-year-old with a productive minor league track record and a lot of team control moving forward, he is precisely the type of player the White Sox should be giving auditions to. Spots are there for the taking, and Julks can earn one if he keeps performing. His emergence has been one of the few bright spots in a season with more negative storylines than one can keep track of. Sometimes, a change of scenery is all a player needs.