Tim Elko Is Sending The White Sox Front Office A Clear Message

To say Tim Elko is on a heater right now would be a massive understatement. He has been playing the best ball of his entire professional career lately, and gone are the days of him being viewed as an afterthought. In fact, he has recently become one of the leading storylines surrounding the White Sox organization because of the massive numbers he is putting up in Triple-A.

Elko's Video Game Stats

Elko has been forcing the front office's hand to call him up to Chicago for some time now, but he has taken his game to an entirely new level. Following another home run last night, his video game numbers include a .343 batting average, .429 on-base percentage, a .914 slugging percentage, a 1.343 OPS, and two doubles, five home runs, and five walks over his last nine games.

Improved Strikeout Rates 

Elko has also improved his strikeout rate over time, which used to be his kryptonite. In that same nine-game stretch, his K rate is just 23.8%, a substantial decrease from his 29.3% K rate over 139 games at the Double-A and Triple-A levels last season. All told, Elko is slashing .355/.432/.684 with seven home runs in 88 plate appearances with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights in 2025, drawing rave reviews from Knights manager Sergio Santos regarding his work ethic, defense, and persona.
 
Among all International League hitters, Elko ranks first in OPS, tied for first in home runs, second in slugging percentage, tied for fourth in batting average, and sixth in on-base percentage. He is better than ever, largely because of significantly improved contact rates and exit velocities compared to last year. Pitchers used to exploit his tendency to swing and miss. Those days are gone. Elko has adjusted accordingly and is now dominating the Triple-A level. James Fegan of SoxMachine reported that Elko has adopted the Trajekt machine in his preparation, which could explain some of his success.

White Sox First Base Dilemma

Andrew Vaughn's struggles have also heightened the urgency to call Elko up. Following another hitless performance last night, Vaughn's batting average sits at a paltry .160, with his .489 OPS ranking as the seventh worst among all qualified MLB hitters. Heading into the season, he was expected to be among the best hitters and run-producers in the lineup. Not only has that failed to happen, but Vaughn's presence has hindered the team's success.

As the former third overall pick and one of the highest-paid current White Sox, Vaughn has retained his starting first baseman job and prominent spot in the lineup. But with their trajectories going in opposite directions, it is fair to wonder if the team would be better off incorporating Elko into the mix or possibly even sending Vaughn to Triple-A entirely to reset and get back on track.

It Is Time For The White Sox To Reward Tim Elko

Tim Elko could have faded into obscurity quickly as a former tenth-round draft pick with a minimal signing bonus. The White Sox did not invest much in him, nor did they expect him to be a meaningful contributor at the MLB level. Yet, after several seasons in the minors, he has firmly put himself on the map and done everything necessary to earn a call to the big leagues. At 26 years old, he is entering the prime of his career. Rewarding him for his efforts is now in the organization's hands. It should only be a matter of time at this point.