SURPRISE, Ariz. — Since taking on as White Sox common supervisor 18 months in the past, Chris Getz has acquired or drafted a plethora of younger energy arms that symbolize the fulcrum of the group’s rebuild mission.
However what concerning the energy on the plate?
The identical franchise that developed Frank Thomas, Harold Baines, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee and shaped formidable mixtures equivalent to Paul Konerko-Jermaine Dye-Jim Thome and most not too long ago Jose Abreu-Jose Moncada and Eloy Jimenez has skilled a extreme energy outage.
A few of it’s because of the rebuild that has centered totally on buying and selling for or drafting pitchers. That got here into focus final June when the Sox drafted Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith over Jac Caglianone, who hit 75 dwelling runs in 2 1/2 seasons for Florida and was chosen by the Royals one decide after the Sox selected Smith with the fifth total decide.
Others, like Luis Robert Jr. and since-departed Eloy Jimenez, had been affected by accidents.
However the chilling reality is that Sox completed their dismal 2024 season with a major-league-low 133 dwelling runs regardless of enjoying half their video games in hitter-friendly Fee Subject.
Moreover, they hit extra dwelling runs on the street (69) than at dwelling (64).
Assistance is on the way in which, however the Sox received’t sacrifice improvement for the sake of energy, which might be provided sooner or later with the likes of Colson Montgomery, George Wolkow and switch-hitter Braden Montgomery, the twelfth total decide within the 2024 draft who may need been chosen larger had he not suffered a damaged proper ankle within the NCAA Tremendous Regional.
The acquisition of Braden Montgomery from the Purple Sox in a five-player commerce involving Garrett Crochet final winter was vital as a result of it marked one of many few instances in the course of the Getz regime {that a} energy bat was dealt to the Sox.
However for now, the Sox return a lineup that features their prime dwelling run producers in 2024 — Andrew Benintendi (20) and Andrew Vaughn (19) with no different ensures exterior of Robert, who hit 14 in 100 video games in 2024 however seems destined to be traded in some unspecified time in the future.
“I like energy,” first-year supervisor Will Venable mentioned. “All of us love guys that may drive the baseball, however we all know that is only one element of being a great baseball participant. So even for guys that possibly that’s not their calling card, to be an entire participant and do the issues we have to do on the bases and defensively, can be vital, too,”
The Sox not too long ago signed Joey Gallo, who hit 81 dwelling runs for the Rangers in 2017-18, to a minor league contract. However Gallo has a profession 38 p.c strikeout price, so don’t count on the Sox to top off on gamers like Gallo. They realized the exhausting means 14 years in the past after they signed nothing-or-all free agent Adam Dunn, who hit 41 dwelling runs however struck out 222 instances in 2012 and struck out at the least 31 p.c of the time in every of his 3 1/2 seasons with the Sox.
“[Getz] has a plan for the kind of gamers he desires to usher in this group,” Venable mentioned. “I go away that to him. No matter he brings us, we’re going to do all the things we will to develop.
“And I don’t assume that there’s a sure kind that we’re searching for. We’re simply searching for baseball gamers who might help us, and he’s performed a great job convey these guys.”
Of the Sox’s 133 homers in 2024, 85 had been hit with nobody on base. So the pursuit of desk setters would possibly assist construct the muse as soon as the likes of the Montgomerys and Wolkow are prepared.
“It’s thrilling to see what we’ve acquired occurring sooner or later,” mentioned Tim Elko, who hit an opposite-field dwelling run Saturday at Sloan Park and hit 28 dwelling runs at three minor league associates in 2023. “Whether or not it’s energy hitter, contact hitter, no matter, I’m simply excited to do no matter I can to assist this group.”
