It’s too early to anoint White Sox kings of Chicago
The White Sox are fighting to become the kings of Chicago.
The Chicago White Sox have not made the postseason since 2008 and entered 2020 with high hopes. Those hopes remained even with the shortened season and the team is off to a great 17-12 start.
It is easy to see that hot start and declare them as the dominant team in Chicago. But even while the Chicago Cubs are preparing for roster changes in the near future, they are still the top team in the Windy City.
White Sox trying to take Cubs’ crown
The Cubs are off to a 17-10 start and enter Monday atop the National League Central division. The St. Louis Cardinals are in second place with a 9-8 record and the other three teams all have losing records.
The main story with that franchise is the fact star players like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, and Javy Baez are all in need of new contracts soon and the team isn’t going to keep everyone. Bryant, arguably the best of the group, seems like he will be gone for sure after losing a grievance against the team last offseason.
But this is all to come after the 2020 season. For now, David Ross gets to manage a team stocked with talent that still has the swagger of being a world champion.
Meanwhile, the White Sox are just trying to finish with a winning record. The team hasn’t done that since 2012. But the rebuilding process brought in some great young talent and the likes of Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, and Tim Anderson are all key pieces in the lineup. Abreu and Anderson have OPS’ over 1.000 and the latter is batting .350 so far in this short season.
The Sox also invested in the pitching staff and Dallas Keuchel has responded by posting a 2.65 ERA in six starts. Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease have ERAs under 4.00 and in the bullpen Alex Colome has six saves and a 0.90 ERA.
The excitement around the team is real, but proclaiming them to be great is a bit premature. A total of 29 games played has a team near the end of April or early May in a normal season. The White Sox are also in third place in their own division, but would still qualify for the postseason right now as a Wild Card team in the expanded playoffs.
The Cubs appear to be a lock to make the postseason for the fifth time in six seasons. The White Sox have one of those spots now, but they are by no means a true lock. This is a team that still hasn’t had even a .500 record since 2012 as any signs of hope faded away over the course of a season.
We will need more than just nice starts from players like Anderson and Abreu to even consider the White Sox as a contender in their own division, let alone in the city of Chicago. There is still half the shortened season to be played and the White Sox have some tough divisional games on the schedule.
Next. Cubs and White Sox set to make history. dark
If fans do want to create a legitimate case for the White Sox there is a chance to do so at the end of the season. Both Chicago teams are set for a three-game series to end the regular season and that could involve the White Sox fighting for a playoff berth. Breaking their playoff drought by getting past the Cubs would be a big step toward gaining back the respect earned after winning the World Series in 2005.