White Sox series preview: This team stinks!
The White Sox are having a historically bad season.
The Chicago White Sox are an absolute mess of a baseball team. Chris Getz has taken the losing stench of the Royals teams he played for back in the day and has enhanced it in Chicago, giving White Sox fans a huge dose of terrible baseball. The team has already lost more games than they did in all of 2021 - not that long ago! - and are on pace for 115 losses, which would be tied for fourth-most in MLB history.
Chicago White Sox (27-71) vs. Kansas City Royals (52-45) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO
White Sox: 3.19 runs scored/game (30th in MLB), 5.00 runs allowed/game (28th)
Royals: 4.56 runs scored/game (12th), 3.94 runs allowed/game (6th)
The White Sox lost six of seven to the Royals earlier this season, and they may be worse now. They lost seven of eight heading into the All-Star break They are just 10-37 on the road this year. Players like Tommy Pham, Luis Robert Jr., Eloy Jiménez, and Garrett Crochet could be traded any day now.
The White Sox released former Royals catcher Martín Maldonado over the break, and will call up journeyman catcher Chuckie Robinson and prospect Brooks Baldwin. Former Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi has a 59 RC+, fourth-worst of any hitter with at least 250 plate appearances. Catcher Korey Lee is hitting just .133/.177/.280 over his last 24 games. Shortstop Paul DeJong is tied with Bobby Witt Jr. for fifth in home runs among shortstops, but he also has the sixth-highest strikeout rate in baseball.
The White Sox as a team have hit the third-fewest home runs and have the third-lowest walk rate. They are dead last in Defensive Runs Saved at -52 and second-worst in Outs Above Average at -26. They have been particularly dreadful in the outfield with Tommy Pham and Andrew Benintendi, and at shortstop with DeJong. They can swipe some bases with 62 steals at an 82 percent success rate, but are dead last in extra bases taken.
The Royals will avoid All-Star Garrett Crochet, as the White Sox may look to limit his innings in the second half. Chris Flexen has gone at least six innings in four of his last five starts, but the White Sox have lost 12 consecutive games he has started. He has a very low strikeout rate of 17 percent and his fastball grades as one of the worst among starters. In addition to his 91 mph fastball, Flexen throws a cutter, change up, curve, and slider.
Jonathan Cannon turns 24 today, and has had mixed results in his rookie campaign, tossing 8 2⁄3 shutout innings against the Astros on June 18, but following that up by giving up eight runs in one inning against the Tigers in his next outing. He gave up just one run in five innings in his MLB debut against the Royals back in April, allowing just three hits and one walk in a 4-2 Royals win. Cannon relies heavily on a sinker and sweeper to generate a 44 percent groundball rate, mixing in a cutter, change, and four-seamer.
Drew Thorpe was the primary piece of the Dylan Cease trade with the Padres and was ranked the #58 prospect in the game by Baseball America before the season. He has gone at least six innings allowing two runs or less in his last four starts with an ERA of 1.85 over that time. He throws his change up 35 percent of the time - only two starters in baseball throw it more often - and it has a 37.9 percent whiff rate. He also throws a 91 mph fastball, a cutter, and a slider.
White Sox relievers have a 4.72 ERA, third-worst in baseball, with the most walks. Michael Kopech has high velocity but trouble with command and the seventh-highest home run rate. He is tied for third in baseball with five blown saves with just nine converted saves. John Brebbia has allowed 47 percent of inherited runners to score. Lefties are hitting just .191/.240/.265 against Tanner Banks. Jared Shuster has the seventh-lowest strikeout rate among all relievers.
The White Sox stink, their players have seemingly given up on the season, and the Royals are avoiding their only good pitcher. The Royals have a prime opportunity to get the second half off to a good start with a successful homestand against the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Cubs.