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Three Strikes: Nothing justifies the White Sox’s result this season

As we enter the final stretch of the regular season of Big leagues, several things are written. Some of them, we will analyze in today’s column. Sometimes we use Yogi Berra’s famous line (“It ain’t over ’til it’s over”) to get our hopes up, but in this case I don’t think it applies to the Chicago White Sox’ campaign.

Want to do yourself a favor this coming September? Try to see the last games of Albert Pujols, do not miss the opportunity to watch the goodbye of the best foreign batsman who has passed through MLB. We will also be writing about this legend later, at the end of this work.

Before, in a second moment, we will try to answer the following question: Will Yadiel Hernández continue to support the Nationals in 2023? Without further ado, let’s call the first strike Play Ball!

First Strike

When the off-season arrives, one of the things I miss the most is chatting with my friend Drian Bernal. The goal of each is to review the landscape of the White Sox. Perhaps there aren’t many people who feel as strongly for the South Chicago team as Drian, though he does sometimes put aside his role as a fan to provide interesting insights. The last time we spoke, he told me: “Nothing justifies what happened this season.”

That phrase not only captures the painful campaign that the White Sox have had; it also works for every team that has a good core and for various reasons doesn’t take advantage of it (Ex: Last year’s Padres, 2019 Cubs, or 2018 Mets). When you have a lineup with good players and you’ve gone through the rebuilding process, the goal is clear: compete! If you don’t, nothing justifies a losing contest.

Manager Tony La Russa has come under fire for some of his decisions in charge of Chicago. Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports.

Manager Tony La Russa’s Sox are at this point because they’ve faced a lot of negatives, but none of them are enough justification for fans furious at this year’s results. It seems that the players also have a high level of frustration. However, it’s not the end of the world for the franchise, which needs a quick shake-up.

What has gone wrong for them?

1- Injuries have been the main problem and if you want a sample, look at the number of games that some of its main figures have added: Eloy Jiménez (55), Yasmani Grandal (75), Tim Anderson (79), Yoan Moncada (80) and Luis Robert (90). In other words, none of those five players (including three Cubans) has been in more than 66% of the games this season.

If we look at pitching, something similar happens. Joe Kelly, the pitcher they signed to a two-year, $17 million deal to upgrade the bullpen, has pitched just 28 innings. Aaron Bummer and Garrett Crochet, his two best left-handed relievers, are on the disabled list, with the latter recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Three Strikes: Nothing justifies the White Sox's result this season
Injuries have hit the White Sox hard this season. Photo: Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun

2- They have lacked depth in all aerials, but you can’t ask that much of the bench players or those who are still green. Adam Engel had not played 90 or more games since 2018, Gavin Sheets had not played more than 54 games, Josh Harrison had not played 90 games with a single team since 2018, Jake Burger (51) had 42 plate appearances in the Majors at start of 2022, and Seby Zavala had 42 games in two previous campaigns and this year he is already at 48.

3- The previous point has a direct impact on the Following data: The White Sox offense ranks 17th in OPS and 19th in runs scored in all of Major League Baseball. In pitching, things have not been different, as they are the 20th worst ERA team and 22nd in average runners on base per inning (WHIP).

Summary: This advice is for the number of followers that the White Sox have in Cuba, largely due to the presence of José Abreu, Moncada, Robert and Grandal. Breathe and just think that sometimes things have to go wrong to force progressive changes.

Chicago didn’t beef up at the deadline, and from then on GM Rick Hahn had no choice but to apologize to everyone. After two years reaching the promised land, the South Side franchise will have to collide with the reality that they had many years (11), in which they never reached the postseason.

Let’s not blame anyone, not even the lousy baserunning (they are the team with the most runners caught in home) nor the controversial decisions of a Hall of Famer like Tony La Russa. The best that can happen is a reorganization in the short term, and it can be implemented in the off-season, starting in the offices.

MLB in the seventh: José Abreu is the best Cuban hitter of the century

Strike Two

I remember it clearly. When Spring Training ended in 2021, I sent an audio to Jadiel Hernandez in which he commented that the Nationals’ decision not to call him up after his brilliant performance in spring training was absurd. The man from Matanzas responded with a lot of frustration.

Baseball is like life and things change quickly. Six days after the regular season began, the Nationals activated Yadiel and, since then, he has become a useful piece for Dave Martínez, manager of the capital franchise.

“I think he deserves the chance to go out there and play every day,” Martinez said when he first saw Hernandez. The truth is that the yumurino has proven to be a batsman capable of putting the ball in play and achieving an average above the average.

Since 2021, his offensive line is .271/.320/.411/.731 in 206 games, his OPS+ has been six points better than average (106). Also, since last season, no Washington left-hander has hit more against same-handed pitchers than Hernandez (.286). In that span he has hit .266 against righties.

Already the 2022 season is over for Yadiel, who suffered a calf injury and was banned for 60 days. His year has ended with the best totals of his MLB career in hits (82), bases traveled (125), doubles (16), RBIs (41) and extra-base hits (25), in addition to matching his mark with nine home runs. .

In 2023, the Nats are likely to debut their top prospect, Robert Hansell III, who came in the famous Soto trade. Still, Yadiel will continue to add depth to Dave’s pack as an average hitter and a fielder who, without being brilliant, can fill the corner of the outfield. While the residents of the capital are in reconstruction, the Cuban fits into the puzzle.

Strike Three Strikeout!

We are fortunate to see the last at-bats of Albert Pujols on Major League fields. Those will stay forever in our minds. What makes each one of them more special is the moment in which the protagonist is. Think about it: Pujols is hitting over .270 with an OPS over .800 and OPS+ over 140 in his 42-year-old campaign. This is an anomaly. He had only passed once: Barry Bonds in his last campaign (2007).

The greats say goodbye as what they are and in the case of Albert there are still a few chapters left to write. Right now, he is just two homers away from matching Alex Rodriguez for fourth place in history and if he hits six more, he would reach 700, a mark that only three players have reached: Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds.

Few players have impacted the history of the Majors like the native of Santo Domingo, not only on the field, but also outside. His foundation “The Pujols Family Foundation” has focused on helping people living with Down syndrome and improving the lives of the poor in the Dominican Republic.

Last Monday, the 29th, he hit a homer off the Reds reliever, Ross Detwiler, and automatically became the batter who has hit the most home runs against different pitchers (450), beating Barry Bonds by one. His home run history began on April 6, 2001 against Mexican Armando Reynoso and since then he has collected another 449 victims.

The pitchers who have connected the most complete lap hits are Ryan Dempster (eight) and Wade Miller (six), while Odalis Pérez, Chris Capuano, Roy Oswalt, Aaron Harang, Derek Holland, Ian Snell, Randy Johnson and Carlos Zambrano received five home runs of the Dominican phenomenon.

Also, earlier this month he ranked second all-time in total bases (6,159) when he passed Stan Musial (6,134). The next stop is 696 homers and why not 700. We just have to watch each appearance of the only batter with more than 2100 RBIs, 680 doubles and 690 home runs Cooperstown awaits you!

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