fine, i'll do it

 

 

I’m thinking they’re gonna need to score at least 5 with Clevinger going.

I have been fairly positive about the last three games and optimistic about this season, but I do not have much hope for today’s game. 

I just cannot visualize Clevinger pitching a good game against the Astros.  

 

Random team ranks across a minuscule sample:

• BB rate: 29th (5.0%)
• K rate: 23rd (26.4%)
• ISO: 12th (.134)
• BABIP: 7th (.377)
• wRC+: 15th (106)
• GB rate: 5th (53.8%)
• LD rate: 14th (20.0%)
• FB rate: 25th (26.3%)
• HR/FB: 13th (14.3%)
• Avg LA: 30th (1.4)
• Barrel %: 19th (3.7%)
• HH %: 18th (38.3%)
• O-Swing %: 1st (43.9%)
• O-Contact %: 24th (53.6%)
• Z-Swing %: 11th (68.8%)
• Z-Swing %: 8th (84.0%)
• Zone %: 24th (37.8%)
• SwStr %: 1st (16.8%)

Would have liked to see Romy get the start at 2B today. Elvis hasn’t made good contact with a ball yet. 

Did Britton or Giles sign anywhere? Give ‘em minor league deals.

Obviously the stats above aren’t an indicator of go forward expectations, but definitely some red flags there that will need to be addressed in order for this offense to reach its potential.

Probably the most concerning issue so far is our chase rate, which is not highlighted above but can be backed into based on a league worse out-of-zone swing % along with a very poor contact rate on those pitches.  That lack of discipline is leading to an incredibly poor walk rate and a very high K rate.  This should surprise no one if you’ve watching the games, with both Robert & Andrus in particular standing out in this department.  Yoan also sporting a 43% K rate with no walks, but at least with him there’s been a trade off for power.

The other major issue is a league worst launch angle and corresponding fifth highest GB rate.  Obviously facing Framber skews these figures a bit and again I know this is a ridiculously small sample size, but this is an area that will need to be watched closely.  Andrus, Anderson, Grandal, & Eloy are all sporting negative launch angles at the moment, although none of that is sustainable and should regress favorably at some point.  Also, it’s really good to see Vaughn at 19.9, which has greatly reduced his GB rate and should set him up for a sizable increase in power if he can maintain and right his current contact issues.

17 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Would have liked to see Romy get the start at 2B today. Elvis hasn’t made good contact with a ball yet. 

He’s been legit bad.  Hopefully just a bad start and not an indicator that 2022 is a complete abberation.

34 minutes ago, Sambuca said:

I have been fairly positive about the last three games and optimistic about this season, but I do not have much hope for today’s game. 

 

Exactly my thoughts, they actually resemble a team this year and when Crochet and Hendriks return its going to be a big boost to this miserable pen.

1 hour ago, reiks12 said:

Exactly my thoughts, they actually resemble a team this year and when Crochet and Hendriks return its going to be a big boost to this miserable pen.

Let’s score 10 today.

Man, White Sox Twitter is pretty brutal on Robert already. “Move him down” “he’s done” etc. It’s 3 freaking games. He will be fine. 

1 hour ago, ChiSox59 said:

Would have liked to see Romy get the start at 2B today. Elvis hasn’t made good contact with a ball yet. 

Id hope Romy at 2nd for the home opener while the rest stays the same 

1 hour ago, reiks12 said:

Exactly my thoughts, they actually resemble a team this year and when Crochet and Hendriks return its going to be a big boost to this miserable pen.

Every year we keep Ruiz and he sucks. Every time he goes in a game you know something bad is going to happen. His fastball is now slowing down and it's never had any movement, nor could he pinpoint the pitch to the right part of the zone. His secondary pitches are also weak and pathetic. Please DFA this loser and bring someone else up.

I am sick and tied of watching the other good teams show how they can properly evaluate and develop good bullpen pitchers and we keep failing miserably in the front office, scouting and coaching departments. 

23 minutes ago, Greg Hibbard said:

Man, White Sox Twitter is pretty brutal on Robert already. “Move him down” “he’s done” etc. It’s 3 freaking games. He will be fine. 

They have every right to get on him. Once again he is chasing way too pitches early in the count and getting behind. Pitchers now know to not throw Robert anything in the zone on the first few pitches.

Yes, Robert will be fine once he gets more patient (which hopefully he and better learn) at the plate and wait on those early terrible outside the zone pitches, to get ahead in the count, so he can go attack the fastballs and be the hitter we know he can be. 

A split in Houston would be more than OK for me. 

35 minutes ago, Greg Hibbard said:

Man, White Sox Twitter is pretty brutal on Robert already. “Move him down” “he’s done” etc. It’s 3 freaking games. He will be fine. 

There is little reason to be concerned about Robert being “done”, but I think an argument can be made to move him down in the lineup until he gets his s%*# figured out.  That being said, there isn’t an obvious solution at the moment.  I’d probably consider something like this for a couple games and see if it helps.

1. Anderson, SS
2. Benintendi, LF*
3. Jimenez, DH
4. Moncada, 3B#
5. Vaughn, 1B
6. Grandal, C#
7. Robert, CF
8. Colas, RF*
9. Andrus, 2B

We’re going to have to score more than the Astros to pull this one out.

A split would be nice 

1 hour ago, Greg Hibbard said:

Man, White Sox Twitter is pretty brutal on Robert already. “Move him down” “he’s done” etc. It’s 3 freaking games. He will be fine. 

I think moving him down in the order is fair.

6 minutes ago, ron883 said:

I think moving him down in the order is fair.

It'd be one thing if his at bats even looked competitive. I don't think its necessary to move him down yet, but I wouldn't argue against it if it happened either.

White Sox Fans: I hope Grifol sticks to a relatively consistent lineup, unlike TLR

Also White Sox Fans: Grifol needs to shift multiple players up and down the order based on a 3 game sample

In fact, Luis was 2-4 in the first game, so it's more like a 2 game sample.

FWIW:

Anderson is looking good 

Another lead off guy left there

luis is fixed

Move that bum down!