White Sox Expected to Run Away With AL Central in 2022

The Chicago White Sox have a lot going for them heading into the 2022 season. One of the biggest reasons to feel good about Chicago going over their projected win total of 91.5 is how bad the rest of the AL Central is. The Guardians finished with the second-best record in the division but were a full 13 games back from the White Sox. The Tigers, Royals, and Twins round out the rest of the division. No other team in the AL Central is expected to win more than 81 games this year. 

The White Sox roster looks nearly identical to the one that closed out the 2021 season. But, that is a good thing in my book. They have a couple of scary hitters in Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson, and OBP hitters like Yasmani Grandal and Eloy Jimenez. They have speed, power, and are capable of grinding down teams in tight games. 

Another reason to be excited about the White Sox is their rotation. The group will be anchored by Lucas Giolito and Lancy Lynn this year with Liam Hendricks taking care of closing duties. Giolito continues to improve as his career progresses and I think this could be the year he challenges for the Cy Young award. Giolito threw 178 ⅔ innings last year with a 3.53 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. He struck out 201 hitters while walking 52. He still has a little way to go, but he has shown nothing but the ability to grow in his five years in Chicago. I will say that the White Sox are doing a great job of pissing off their ace in recent weeks due to how cheap they are. This is because the White Sox are heading toward arbitration with arguably their best player. The difference between what Giolito wants to take and what the White Sox are willing to give is $50,000. The issue will be resolved soon and hopefully won't spill into the regular season. 

The White Sox won 93 games last year and haven’t lost much production from that roster. They actually gained a few pieces to work with. I think they are a pretty safe bet to go over this total in 2022.