The 2018 MLB All-Star game takes place July 17th at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. The White Sox have not had a great All-Star showing as of late. The Pale Hose have not sent more than two players to the Midsummer Classic since 2014 when Jose Abreu, Alexei Ramirez, and Chris Sale represented the South Side. With brighter days ahead, we should start to see that number trend upward
So here is my official prediction: the White Sox will produce THREE, count them, THREE All-Stars in 2018. All three will be everyday position players (sorry, Giolito).
Jose Abreu (1B):
This is no surprise. I was caught off guard when I realized Abreu has only been an All-Star once in his career. It is sometimes taken for granted how special of a hitter Jose is. A consistent .300/30 Home Run/ 100 RBI guy, Abreu has the making of a perennial All-Star. He is off to a scorching start in 2018, slashing .438/.500/.688 in the first two series. He sees the ball all the way through the zone and can shoot it to all fields. I could gush all day about his approach at the plate but I won’t bore you with that. Abreu is the safest bet to be an All-Star in 2018.
Avisail Garcia (OF):
The White Sox lone All-Star from 2017 will be making the trip to our nation’s capital for his second consecutive All-Star Game. Avi’s 2017 campaign came as a surprise to most people. He finished hitting .330 which was good for second in American League behind reigning MVP, Jose Altuve. With Garcia batting second for the foreseeable future, Abreu provides a lot of protection. Avi is going to see a lot more pitches in the zone, leading to more hits. If the other night’s 481-foot monster shot is any indication, expect to see a jump in power from Garcia as well.
Welington Castillo (C):
Here is where I go out on a little bit of a limb. Castillo was an underrated signing heading into 2018. He provides stability for a young pitching staff and also supplies the White Sox with some pop behind the plate. In 2017, Welington hit 20 long balls and drove in 53 runs in an injury-plagued, 96 game season. Barring injury, Castillo will be our everyday catcher with Narvaez or Smith picking up a few starts here and there. Guaranteed Rate Field is a very hitter-friendly ballpark where Castillo’s numbers can really jump. It is also worth mentioning that the American League is not terribly deep at the catcher position. Gary Sanchez is a runaway favorite to land an All-Star bid but there is a steep drop off after him. Salvador Perez is beginning 2018 on the shelf due to a freak knee injury suffered while carrying his luggage. All of these factors pave the way for Welington Castillo to represent the White Sox in Washington D.C.
Note: I really wanted to add Tim Anderson to this list but The American League is too deep at shortstop with Lindor, Correa and now Machado back playing his natural position. TA7 will get there.
