vilehoopster

That stat is about teams, not individual players. Completely apples to oranges.

Again, if Meidroth hits .250 with only two doubles this spring; and Sosa and Antinocci both hit five home runs this spring, Meidroth will still be the starting 2nd baseman for opening day and week. But he better have a good March and early April or he will be replaced. Not that long runway. I guess that’s what I’m saying: A couple doubles would help secure Meidroth a longer runway for the start of the season.

Yes, ST is a small sample. I have to admit that is a strong argument against ST’s value. But still, it is still a sample, and whatever you may say, it is considered. Plus there are sooo many stats now taken during ST, especially for pitchers. Again Shane Smith last year.

Zero correlation. . . ? That is too simple to possibly be true. Certainly for a secure veteran, you can somewhat say that, but only somewhat. Your one example Rollins means pretty much nothing; there are many examples that show spring does matter. A super easy example is Shane Smith last spring. He was a rule 5 pickup, no reason to pay him any attention for opening day. But (to anybody paying attention) it was pretty obvious, long before spring training over, that he was something special. Again, based on what the Sox already knew about Antonicci, his three EVs this spring of over 100 mph, have probably taken, at least a couple months off how soon he is brought up to the majors this year.

Spring training means nothing. You really don’t know a lot about a player just from his spring training results. Everyone knows and understands this. Except, when spring training is added on to other things, then we start to think that, maybe, spring training is telling us something. It has been understood that Meidroth is a big part of the core, and he’s gonna be the starting 2nd baseman, even to the point that he has a bobble head this summer. But Antonicci has killed the ball this spring. Add that to his minors performance last year, and add on his AFL results. Hmmmm. Sosa led the team in home runs last year. He seems to be pounding the ball this spring. Hummmm. Again spring training means nothing, but there are starting to be discussions. I think it would help Meidroth to get a couple hits today, maybe one for extra bases.

If you watch the replays of Sox home runs on MLB.com, which are a little longer than the videos shared on this forum, you get to hear more and more interesting comments from the Cub announcers. Pretty much whenever a Sox hit a home run, we were told “that the ball is really flying out today” or reminded that “the air is light here in Arizona today”. It was pretty funny. Hmmm, it seemed that the air was lighter for one team a lot more often than for the other.

They have Sosa. He led the team in home runs last year, but so many people here seem to ignore him or forget about him. I don’t think he’ll lead the Sox in HRs this year, but if he gets enough at bats, I feel confident he’s good for 25 to 30. That’s why I think he should be the main person at 2nd over Meidroth. That power goes a long way. With Quero and Benitendi, there are not enough DH at bats to take advantage of Sosa’s power. A example of my point about people forgetting about Sosa is that I was listening to a podcast saying that Sam A, with his EVs, should replace Meidroth because he is good for 12 to 15 homers a years, clearly more than Chase can hit. I listened to that realizing that Sosa could double that amount.

I don't understand what is behind this post. It has like no credibility at all. Did you pay attention to what Smith did for Birmingham in the playoffs last year. This is copied and pasted off google AI. In the 2025 Double-A Southern League playoffs, Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Hagen Smith was dominant for the Birmingham Barons. Key Playoff Performance: On September 18, 2025, Smith threw 5 hitless innings against the Chattanooga Lookouts, racking up 10 strikeouts and allowing two walks, leading to a 4-0 victory. Total Playoff Stats: Across two Southern League playoff starts, Smith threw 9 innings, striking out 16 batters while allowing only 2 hits. Did you pay attention to how he pitched in the AFL last fall. According to MLB.com, (I remember seeing it last fall and it was easy to find) again copied and pasted off google. Astros right-hander James Hicks was named the 2025 Arizona Fall League (AFL) Pitcher of the Year after throwing 14 scoreless innings for the Scottsdale Scorpions. Other top pitchers in the 2025 AFL included top prospect Hagen Smith (Glendale) and dominant reliever Cade Denton (Salt River), both named to the 2025 All-AFL Team. MLB.com +1 Key pitchers in the 2025 AFL included: James Hicks (Scottsdale/HOU): 2025 AFL Pitcher of the Year, 14 scoreless innings, dominated with a versatile arsenal. Hagen Smith (Glendale/CWS): Top prospect selected for the All-AFL team. Cade Denton (Salt River/COL): All-AFL Team reliever. Emiliano Teodo (Surprise/TEX): Tied for the AFL lead in saves (2) with a 2.25 ERA. Karson Milbrandt (MIA): Featured one of the hardest fastballs in the league at 99 mph. I listen to so many White Sox podcasts that I don't remember which one, but one of the guys predicted that Hagen would leave spring training as the Sox's 5th starter. So, wherever you're getting your information or opinion from, I don't know what to say.

Or . . . it's a game in this upcoming late September and Hagen Smith enters in the 8th inning and gets 3 out (two by strikeouts), and then turns the game over to Seranthony Dominguez, who nails down the win in the 9th and the White Sox clinch the final Wild Card spot. I think this is very possible; I will admit unlikely, but it is possible NOW. I expect the Sox to win, at least 75 games, and I believe will be serious contenders for a wild card spot. I expect . . . The SS/ 2B duo of Colson and Sosa to hit 60 homeruns this year. 60 home runs from the combination of Teel, Vargus, and Baldwin. Shane Smith to win 14 games, doubling his total from last year (this right off the latest FutureSox podcast) Davis Martin to be very solid, and Sean Burke to surprise with how good he will be. 30 home runs from the Benintendi/ Hays combo - that's a easy one to pull my hair out at times from the outfield defense of Baldwin and Acuna, while pitchers pull their hair out as Acuna steals, at least, 25 bases this year. (This also off the FutureSox podcast) - Something like, "Johnny Cueto, Erik Fedde, Clevenger his first year, and last year Adrian Houser, every year they find a veteran who is a nobody and make him really good. Who's it gonna be this year. You know it's going to be someone." I'm not confident enough in predict 35 HRs for Murakami, but it's very possible. It's also possible he could hit .190 with 17 home runs. But my main point is I expect the Sox to be competitive, so it's time to use our best players and start winning game, not keep saving players, flipping players, and hoping for the future. So, if he will help win games this year, let's put Hagen in the bullpen.

I do not start to understand this fear or displeasure of having Hagen Smith in the bullpen this year. Why would it be bad or terrible? It turned out great for Garrett Crochet and Chris Sales, just great. According to MLB.com, along with Skubal, those two, who both started out in the White Sox bullpen, are two of the top three left-handed starters in baseball right now. Really, an argument could be made, using those two as examples, that starting out a young talented left-hander in the bullpen is a great developemental move. Why is it a bad idea? Give a reason why Hagen in the bullpen is not good. Now, I don't think it's a great idea to leave Hagen there long. In fact, when Squimen Yermen (however he spells it) suggested putting Hagen in the bullpen a couple months ago, and I agreed with him; one of my reasons for agreeing with Hagen in the bullpen was so the Sox could start making Taylor a starter, or move Taylor to a starter in the minors.

I know I keep saying this over and over, but I can't see how Sosa, the returning team leader in HRs, RBIs, and hits, is going to end up out of the lineup. Now, I don't think he will lead the team in any of those categories this year, but I still think he can/ will hit 25 to 30 HRs this year. I am really stumped how everyone can just continue to ignore that (Not all ignore that; some podcasters agree with me). Some people on this board don't even have him as the DH. How can a team that struggles for power and runs just sit a guy who, if healthy, is going to hit, at least, 25 HRs. I also say this over and over: his defense at 2nd was not that bad; it's his 1st base defense that hurt his D-stats. But I am realistic, and I get this vibe from White Sox management that Meidroth is, right now, set at 2nd. When people like Merkin and Garfien are listing Meidroth at 2nd in their preseason predictions, they're hearing that from Sox management. But this will be the 3rd season in a row that Sosa has been dismissed/ underestimated by Sox management. I think/ predict that starting with spring training and into May, Sosa, with his bat and improved glove, will force management to open their eyes and put Sosa full time at 2nd base. I also have said this over and over: not that I think Meidroth is bad or even average; I just think it's easier to believe that Sosa will improve his defense and walk rate (which he already was improving in 2nd half of season), then ever believe Miedroth will hit more than 10 home runs in a season. Also, back on the topic of the opening day 26 roster, I would like to add vote to the people who predict that Vasil will be the Sox's 5th starter. And let me state a 2nd surprising prediction: I think that Hagen Smith will leave spring training as a member of the bullpen. The right handers in the bullpen look very, very solid. I know, I know relievers are volatile and all that. But you have to be impressed with the quality of RH arms in the Sox bullpen. But the left side, even if Sean Newcombe is not starting but in the pen, the rest of the left handers look well below average, at best. That's why I see Hagen leaving spring training as a lefty in the bullpen.

I'm sorry but I have to use some serious sarcasm here: You're right, starting out in the bullpen just destroyed Chris Sale and Garrett Crochet. Oh my God! It ruined both of them and their careers! I am surprised that so many people are against this. Do the fans here have no sense of history, no memory of Sale and Crochet? I've been thinking the Sox should move him up for the bullpen since watching him in the AFL. He is a strikeout machine, and since the Barons' playoff run and in the AFL, his walk problem has really improved (or become less bad). Plus the White Sox really need help from the left side in the bullpen. Plus, with a quality bullpen (Get a closer, Getz), I think there is a very real possibility that the White Sox will be competitive next year. (My definition of competitive is to win around 75 games and be able to claim you're in the hunt for the last wild card spot into early September) Plus, I want to go one step further: After you put Hagen in the bullpen, now you can start working on making Grant Taylor the starter that he wants to be and should be. Are we not worried about Taylor's psychological makeup at this point in his career? Only Hagen's?

On a slightly different topic but referring to Garfien's lineup, isn't it nice to see a Sox lineup without the 3 or 4 terrible bats at the end of the order. How long has it been since the Sox had a lineup with real bats batting 7th, 8th, and 9th? Tooooo long.

I have said this over and over and I'm going to say it again: Lenyn Sosa led the team in home runs, RBIs, and hits, and this is on a team that lacked power and really struggled to score runs. And yet, the overwhelming majority of people on this board have him playing backup or want to trade him. I really like Meidroth (there's a lot to like), but he has to sit and Sosa has to be playing 2nd base next year. I know everyone is going to complain about his defense, but again, I heard on a podcast that he was slightly below the league average at 2nd, and it's his stats at 1st that pulled his D-stats down. And the thing with Sosa (I said it before) is his mistakes are so obviously bad (as opposed to a missed grounder by Meidroth) that he appears much worse defensively than he is statistically. When people think of Meidroth, they think of his demeanor in the dugout and his cute play where he avoided that tag stealing 2nd. Those are great things, but they don't put a player in front of the guy (again) who led your team in home runs, RBIs, and hits. People seem to forget that Sosa is also young and he's going to keep improving. It's a lot easier to accept that Sosa will become acceptable on D at 2nd before ever thinking Meidroth will hit 20 home runs in a season and lead the team in RBIs.

It should be no surprise that any sort of projection has the White Sox as a below average team, including this ZIPS projection; no surprises there. But I have a couple problems. 1) There seems to be a real problem with the Colson Montgomery projection. The Sox Machine article described it as "laughably pessimistic", and I have to agree. I was listening to a podcast yesterday that was discussing Colson. It said that his defensive metrics were really, really good; his defensive numbers put him among the top 5 or 6 defensive shortstops in baseball. The podcast guys was saying that with little improvement of his offense, and he approaches 30 home runs, his War will be around 5. The guy went further and said that if he can improve his OBP (batting average and walks) and hit over 35 home runs, he could have a War of between 7 & 8. 2) Going on the stated premise that a 2.0 War is average, I have a real hard time accepting a projected War of 1.9 from our catching trio. I just can't believe that those three (baring injury) are going to accumulate numbers that put them below average, especially with what I expect from them offensively. That one also strikes me a "laughably pessimistic".

Why is he odd man out? Why isn't Meidroth the odd man out? That's the entire point of my post. Sosa hit 17 more homers last year, often times clutch homers. Sosa improves every year. I keep saying it, even with his mental lapses, he was a 46th percentile defender, barely below average. It's much more likely Sosa will be a average defender than Meidroth ever hit 15 home runs. I'll go further: I would say it's much more likely Sosa will hit 30 home runs than Meidroth hit 10 next year (wouldn't you posters agree?) Someone brought up Sosa's not taking walks. Come on, that might be of all things last year, the one area Sosa improved in the most, especially the 2nd half of the season. Is there any reason to think he won't take even more walks next year, again he improves every year. Actually, I and the board sort of had this conversation last year before spring training. After the trade with his walk metrics, many people already had Meidroth at the starting 2nd baseman for last year. I would bring up Sosa's five homers in September in 2024 and tell people, "Guys we need his power."

I guess my answer would be that it's not that hard to get 22 home runs from LF. How many teams are getting 22 home runs from 2nd base?

So, since the season has ended, I've been listening to a bunch of Sox podcasts and trying to watch the AFL (Unless a Sox is pitching or batting, BORING). But anyway, I am really surprised how on the podcasts and on this board also, a clear majority of people don't see Sosa as the Sox's starting 2nd baseman next year or going forward into the future. On the AFL thread in FutureSox Board, there's a discussion on whether Antonacci would move up and replace Meidroth at 2nd next year, no real mention of Sosa at 2nd next year. And when I listen to most of the podcasts, they always mention trading Sosa and an infield of Montgomery and Meidroth going into the future. I don't understand this thinking at all; I sort of get it, but not really. On a team STARVED for offense and power, everyone is dismissing or ready to move beyond the player who led the team in hits, RBIs, and home runs last year. What?! Now, again I sort of get it: Sosa is bad on defense, but really, is he that bad?? Not at all. I just googled it. He has a career DWAR of -0.9 in four years, and in 2025 his defense was in the 46th percentile. That's barely below average. Also, on one of the many podcasts I listened to (I've listened to so many that I can't recall which one), and according to AI google, many of his errors were after he was moved to 1st base. Also, the one of the few podcasters who were pro-Sosa, to me, made a great point: he said that with Sosa, he doesn't just make errors, he makes blunders. Sosa's errors are obvious mental mistakes that seem more egregious than just a muffed ground ball and therefore seem worse than they are, when really, it's just another error. Again, statically, Sosa is barely a below average defender. It seems to me that we want/ need Sosa and his power at 2nd base next year. The reality is that it is much more realistic that Sosa work hard and become a solid/ average defensive 2nd baseman than to think that possibly Meidroth or Antonacci will ever hit even 15 home runs in a year. That pro-Sosa podcaster said that it very likely, with Sosa at 2nd and Montgomery at short, that the White Sox will be able to, going forward, get 60 or more home runs a year out of their middle infield. Does anyone else in baseball have that?! Also, one very nice thing about Sosa is that, so far, he always takes a solid step forward every year that he has been with the Sox. I really don't think we want to forget that. Another point: Wasn't bad defense the reason why the Sox moved on from Marcus Semien?

1. Vaughn was key in the Brewers eliminating the Cubs. 2. Civale pitched innings as the young starters became tired. 3. Vaughn was important in the Brewers eliminating the Cubs. 4. Most people just wanted to dump or DFA Vaughn anyway. 5. Vaughn was crucial in the Brewers eliminating the Cubs 6. Civale was a veteran guide for the young Sox pitching staff. 7. Vaughn was clutch in the Brewers eliminating the Cubs. 8. The Sox were able to flip Civale for a prospect. 9. Vaughn was instrumental in the Brewers eliminating the Cubs. 10. The Sox only had to pay a small portion of Civale's salary. 11. Vaughn was essential in the Brewers eliminating the Cubs. My two favorite teams: The White Sox and whoever is playing the Cubs.

As long as this thread has returned, I may as well put in my vote. So many good pitcher signings, bringing up talent when it was needed, a 19 win improvement. So I give Getz a B+, and before people make fun of this, the two guys on the Sox FutureSox podcast also gave him a B+ for the season; so I think their opinion give a little validity to my grade. **well, one of the FutureSox guys moved his grade down from a B+ to B because he felt Getz needed to do something about the thinning starting pitching at the end of the season with too many bullpen games.

Wait, so what happened to yesterday's game thread?? Certain posters can be as insulting as they want to be, and REPEATEDLY insult another poster in several posts (three)?? But then someone else comes on and calls out that behavior and then that thread is pulled down? What is that? Come on moderators?? Is "Whitesox2023" (the Getz hater) a moderator. Does he decide that he and other posters ARE allowed to call out and insult positive and pro-Sox and pro-management posters? But if someone questions all the continued negativity and the irony of their insults, then that post is taken down? What about fairness and objectivity in a forum?

I've been trying to stay out of these, but I HAVE to go after this one. I have to. So, I googled the definition of "psychological projection". Here it is, copied and pasted: In psychology, projection is a defense mechanism in which an individual attributes their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to others. This is done unconsciously to avoid confronting their own internal conflicts and protect their self-esteem. Wow, just wow. Could there be a more clear example of "projection", especially if you look at his continuing comments to Tray. Tray really?? Trays is the old man yelling at the clouds?? This from a guy, no exaggeration at, who posts, AT LEAST, a hundred times a week on this site complaining about Getz. There you go folks, a clear example of psychological projection to ""protect their self-esteem".

Welp, Perez just told the Sox don't bother considering me for the rotation next year because no way I can make it through a season, or even 50% of a season.

You'd rather see Quero at DH over Benintendi at DH?? Why? Why now? Especially now, Beni is killing the ball right now. With Colson cooling off some, only Teel is close to Benintendi with the bat. And Quero is a much better batter right-handed than left-handed. I'm sorry but this makes no sense to me at all.

Actually, it's very easy to argue with Thor. The guy who wrote the article made it clear that Thor had nothing really to complain about. He wanted a chance back in MLB; the article said only the White Sox would give him one. It was a long-shot chance and both sides knew that. Thor was given his chance and he was terrible. The White Sox paid him for his time and released him. Again, the article makes it clear he wasn't shafted at all. Now to your comment: What does Clevenger have to do with any of Thor's complaint or issue? The Sox continue to employ a whole lot of pitchers who are not Thor. Your point makes no sense at all.