Sheets is listed far too many times for my liking.

46 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

 

When a team is so bad Zips doesn't even matter. I never quite understood the use for projection systems so I always leaned towards them pretty useless anyway.

So that gives us what… 73 wins (~23 WAR total)?

See? This team IS improving.

7 minutes ago, JoeC said:

So that gives us what… 73 wins (~23 WAR total)?

See? This team IS improving.

If this ends up being close to true it shows how wretched last year’s roster was. It’s not that hard to win 70-something games.

10 minutes ago, almagest said:

If this ends up being close to true it shows how wretched last year’s roster was. It’s not that hard to win 70-something games.

The key factor was trading nearly the entire starting pitching staff at the deadline. They obviously weren't prepared for that and it was a total tank after that. 

Winning Fulgy.

21 minutes ago, ptatc said:

The key factor was trading nearly the entire starting pitching staff at the deadline. They obviously weren't prepared for that and it was a total tank after that. 

At the end of the day on 7/20, the Sox were 41-57. From July 21 through the end of the year, they played 20-44 ball. 

3 minutes ago, WestEddy said:

At the end of the day on 7/20, the Sox were 41-57. From July 21 through the end of the year, they played 20-44 ball. 

But they also started 7-21

For a second, I thought the Sox had signed a guy named Szymborski 

32 minutes ago, wegner said:

For a second, I thought the Sox had signed a guy named Szymborski 

He must be pretty terrible to cause the Sox ZIPs projections to drop. 

1 hour ago, almagest said:

If this ends up being close to true it shows how wretched last year’s roster was. It’s not that hard to win 70-something games.

And quite wretched for an expected Championship team at that!

3 hours ago, almagest said:

If this ends up being close to true it shows how wretched last year’s roster was. It’s not that hard to win 70-something games.

"Win 70 games?!?!?"

3 hours ago, Buehrle>Wood said:

But they also started 7-21

So there was a 70 game stretch of the season where they were 34-36. That's...something?

2 hours ago, Dam8610 said:

So there was a 70 game stretch of the season where they were 34-36. That's...something?

They just had a bad 7 months last year.

7 hours ago, almagest said:

If this ends up being close to true it shows how wretched last year’s roster was. It’s not that hard to win 70-something games.

If last year was wretched, what the hell is this year’s mess? They’ll be lucky to win 60 in 2024. 

3 hours ago, Dam8610 said:

So there was a 70 game stretch of the season where they were 34-36. That's...something?

Totally different teams, obviously.   Especially after Cease is dealt.

2 hours ago, Tnetennba said:

If last year was wretched, what the hell is this year’s mess? They’ll be lucky to win 60 in 2024. 

These ZIPS projections show a 70-something win team. That's why I said "if this is true".

Team Total INF OF SP RP 

1. 42.9 Cleveland 15.9 8.4 14.3 4.3
2. 42.3 Minnesota 15.1 8.9 13.6 4.7
3. 30.6 Detroit 7.5 8.0 11.2 3.9
4. 24.0 Kansas City 11.4 5.3 7.4 (-0.1)
5. 23.5 Chicago 6.5 7.5 7.8 1.7

39 minutes ago, South Side Hit Men said:

Team Total INF OF SP RP 

1. 42.9 Cleveland 15.9 8.4 14.3 4.3
2. 42.3 Minnesota 15.1 8.9 13.6 4.7
3. 30.6 Detroit 7.5 8.0 11.2 3.9
4. 24.0 Kansas City 11.4 5.3 7.4 (-0.1)
5. 23.5 Chicago 6.5 7.5 7.8 1.7

No way we're that close to KC...and what the heck are they projecting both Bieber and McKenzie at?

Depressing all-around.

12 hours ago, almagest said:

These ZIPS projections show a 70-something win team. That's why I said "if this is true".

Just like it's almost impossible to get ZiPS to show a 100 win projection (except for the Dodgers), it's similarly almost impossible to get any of these projection systems to show a 60 win or worse team. The teams at the top and bottom typically scatter more than the projection systems show.

I think there is very little chance this team wins 70 games.

Is the roster as of today 10 games better than last years team? I don't think so. Yeah, the defense will be better but now were just losing games 6-3 instead of 9-3. And 3 seems generous with the projected lineup at the moment.

The starting rotation stinks, the bullpen stinks, the offense stinks.

This roster is no better than the 61 win roster of 2023. If Cease is traded before opening day, our entire rotation is filled with question marks. There is not one reliable starter outside of Cease on this roster or in the minors.

When teams are projected to have a terrible season, many of them can surprise people and have very respectable season.  Obviously, those teams are more likely to be young teams.  The White Sox may ended up better than people expect especially if they make trades to get young talents. 

Edited January 23, 20242 yr by Snowy Demon

2 hours ago, Snowy Demon said:

When teams are projected to have a terrible season, many of them can surprise people and have very respectable season.  Obviously, those teams are more likely to be young teams.  The White Sox may ended up better than people expect especially if they make trades to get young talents. 

Sure, but they haven't really done that yet...maybe some of the players from the deadline trades.  Maybe.

It's pretty likely that NONE of the players acquired this offseason will still be around for the start of the 2027 season, which would be Robert's theoretical final season but he would likely be long gone by then as well.

3 hours ago, Snowy Demon said:

When teams are projected to have a terrible season, many of them can surprise people and have very respectable season.  Obviously, those teams are more likely to be young teams.  The White Sox may ended up better than people expect especially if they make trades to get young talents. 

I’d go with blind luck being a more likely factor.

Last year the Sox were worse than the Royals. Worse talent, worse run differential, more than 5 fewer WAR. However, the Sox had a better record, because sometimes that’s how it goes in baseball, the Royals more dramatically underperformed than the White Sox when they should have been like 5 games better. 

A team with a 65 win talent level will sometimes win 58, and sometimes win 71.