Offensive Upside Keeps Lenyn Sosa in the Mix for White Sox

Before the season began, there were questions around what Lenyn Sosa’s role with the White Sox would be. 

The 25-year-old infielder is out of minor league options,  meaning the White Sox would have to be removed from the 40-man roster and placed on waivers if he didn’t make the team. 

Sosa helped his case by having a solid showing playing shortstop in the Venezuelan Winter League. In 113 plate appearances, the 25-year-old slashed .392/.451/.765 with nine homers and 26 runs batted in, after hitting .373/.398/.566 in the final month of the season. 

Now he has become a fixture in the White Sox infield, splitting time between first, second, and third base, with most of his appearances coming at second. However, Sosa’s defense has struggled, leading the league with eight errors at second base.

Despite the defensive struggles, Sosa has remained a staple of the White Sox lineup. Sosa has rewarded manager Will Venable's patience with some quiet production at the plate. 

In his last 15 games, he is slashing .327/.340/.519 with six RBIs. While he currently owns a pedestrian .692 OPS, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Sosa has been hitting the ball hard all season and is finally being rewarded. 

Sosa’s .282 expected batting average ranks him in the top 21 percent of MLB hitters, while his 91 mph average exit velocity places him in the top third of the league. This comes after his .278 expected batting average ranked in the top ten percent in the MLB last season.

The key to Sosa’s success has been his ability to consistently barrel the ball. His 41.2% sweet spot rate—a metric that measures how often a player’s batted balls fall within the optimal launch angle range of 8 to 32 degrees—has been a major factor. The more frequently a hitter can find the sweet spot, the greater the likelihood of generating distance and power.

Sosa’s long-term future remains uncertain. He can play multiple positions but isn’t particularly good defensively at any of them. He also does not draw walks and owns a career 22.5% strikeout rate. In each of the last two seasons, he has ranked in the bottom two percent in the league in walks.

But having a versatile infielder who is showing some offensive potential at the plate could make in an intriguing option off the bench in years to come.