The White Sox are coming off an impressive 8-1 Opening Day drubbing of the Los Angeles Angels in which first-year skipper Will Venable's ballclub looked like a competent MLB team in every aspect of the game. The season opener was an encouraging start for several reasons, but one development stands out: the improved offensive display from the South Siders.
White Sox Historically Futile 2024 Offense
It takes impressive levels of futility for a big league team to lose 121 games in a season. The White Sox somehow achieved that historical feat in 2024. The team was abysmal in many areas, but their lack of offense compared to the rest of the league last season was startling. They ranked at or near the bottom of MLB in nearly every offensive category, including being dead last in home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.
The old adage of pitching wins championships still holds, but the 2024 White Sox could not produce runs. They scored almost 100 fewer runs than the 29th-ranked Tampa Bay Rays. It's no secret why they lost so many games. You can't win if you don't score.
Significant Organizational Changes
As a result, sweeping organizational changes had to be made over the offseason. Vice president and general manager Chris Getz set out to help revamp the organization's offense from top to bottom by hiring former Baltimore Orioles hitting coach Ryan Fuller as the team's Director of Hitting in November 2024.
Fuller's Influence In Baltimore Is Still Evident Today
Fuller's handprints on the Orioles organization are undeniable to this day. He helped develop now star players like Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson when they were prospects in the Orioles farm system a few years ago. He also helped produce other MLB-caliber position players like Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad, Joey Ortiz, and Connor Norby. It wasn't long ago that the Orioles were in the position the White Sox are currently in. Baltimore lost 110 games as recently as 2021, but are now one of the best teams in MLB. Fuller played a significant role in their turnaround.
Early Results Are Promising
The obvious hope is that Fuller will help transform the White Sox offense like he did with the Orioles. And while it is very early, the initial dividends are promising. Several White Sox players showed significantly improved bat speeds in spring training, which translated to the regular season opener. White Sox batters put nine balls in play with a 100+ MPH exit velocity yesterday, per Baseball Savant. Hitting the ball hard is key, and the results spoke for themselves. The White Sox scored eight runs on nine hits in the opener, including a double and three home runs. One of those home runs came from Austin Slater, who worked with Fuller in Baltimore last season.
Fuller's Hitting Philosophies
James Fegan of SoxMachine took a deeper dive into Fuller's philosophies, and there is a method to his madness. Fuller believes in developing dynamic, customized game plans for every player, including the minor leaguers. The White Sox have started using biomechanical assessments, cameras on the field during batting practice, and individual strength and conditioning plans for each player through research collection from the organization's existing strength and hitting coaches. These deep dives allow Fuller to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each player that can be refined and tweaked.
"I really pride myself on helping create a team that's dynamic," Fuller said. "Whatever challenges are presented that night, we are going to have the skills to match up accordingly… It's whatever is called for, we are going to be trained to execute."
Trajekt Machines
One of the most notable advancements the White Sox have made recently is implementing the state-of-the-art Trajekt pitching machines into the organization. These complex machines are customizable based on pitch type, speed, spin, seam orientation, and even the mechanics of a particular pitcher, which in turn helps swing decisions and the contact rates of the White Sox hitters who use them.
"The closer we get reps to game-like speed in the training, it's more likely to transfer on to a game, but this is where feel and awareness for the coaches is so important: we are not just going to put someone in a situation where they are going to fail over and over again," Fuller said.
Fegan mentioned Luis Robert Jr. and Lenyn Sosa as White Sox hitters who have benefitted from these machines. Sosa praised the machines for helping him prepare and acclimate to pitchers he had never faced. Miguel Vargas and Brooks Baldwin have also reportedly had increased bat speed in the spring, and it is not just the big league team benefiting from Fuller's influence. Chase Meidroth, Braden Montgomery, Colson Montgomery, and Caleb Bonemer are some minor leaguers who have also been working with Fuller and gaining hitting knowledge tailored individually to them. The goal is to develop each player based on their skills and strengths instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.
White Sox Hitting Infrastructure Is Seemingly Improving
It is just one game, and the White Sox will have to make significant strides from top to bottom organizationally to establish an offense that is just on par with the rest of MLB, let alone above average. If the plan works to its fullest, it will take several years. Still, Ryan Fuller's presence and philosophies on the hitting side are seemingly already paying dividends. If the White Sox assemble a good offense down the line, it will likely be in large part because of him.
