Well, the wait is finally over. Many fans were left wondering what the White Sox Opening Day roster was going to look like, as they released it much later than other teams in the league. Now, we finally get a glimpse at what the lineup is going to look like, as many combinations have discussed, but we never knew for sure.
Many people were wondering who would be the leadoff hitter, as that was a gap left by the departure of longtime White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson. There was also a question on who would be batting second, as manager Pedro Grifol gave a few long winded responses when it comes to who should be hitting in the two hole.
But, with all that in the past, the lineup is official for the first game, and it looks like a lineup we will see pretty consistently to start the season.
As stated above, Andrew Benintendi is leading off, followed by Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Jr. Eloy Jimenez is in the cleanup spot, getting protection from Andrew Vaughn in the five spot. The top five are all of the returning guys from last year, while the second half of the lineup is filled with all the newcomers. Honestly, this is a very good 1-5 in the lineup and if they get hot, this will be a tough five outs.
Newcomer Paul DeJong will bat sixth and play shortstop, while Kevin Pillar will play right field and bat seventh. Martin Maldonado gets the nod behind the plate and will bat eighth, while Naperville’s own Nicky Lopez will play second and bat ninth. Garrett Crochet gets his first ever start on the mound, and that is how the White Sox will start the season off.
The last four batters will ultimately determine how the White Sox fare in terms of offense this season. Paul DeJong had a very nice spring, but he has underperformed each of the last few years in major league action. Perhaps a change of scenery and fighting for his career could give him a jolt back to his older days.
Kevin Pillar starting in right field is probably the most interesting storyline. After getting released after the White Sox signed Robbie Grossman, he was re-signed to a major league deal. Now, he gets the nod on Opening Day over rookie Dominic Fletcher. This is likely due to the fact that Tarik Skubal is a lefty and they want to have a better matchup. We could see Fletcher start some games later in the season against a lefty, but for right now it seems they have a platoon in right. If a right handed reliever comes in, don’t be surprised if Fletcher comes in. Also, if Pillar struggles to start the season, he could be demoted in favor of Robbie Grossman, who notoriously hits lefties very well.
Maldonado starting Opening Day is not really a surprise, as he is a strong veteran presence behind the plate, which should help ease Crochet into his first start. He does not offer much with the bat, but that is why he is batting eighth. Any positive offensive contribution out of him is a plus, as he is strictly here to help with the young staff and play solid defense behind the plate.
Nicky Lopez batting ninth was something we all saw coming. The last few years he has not hit very well, but he also had a very solid Spring Training. Anything we get out of him offensively is a plus, as he is mainly here to provide solid middle infield defense. If he can come close to his 2021 numbers, that would be huge for the lineup.
Overall, I know most White Sox fans are going to be underwhelmed by this lineup, but I have some optimism. If the newcomers aren’t performing well, we have younger players that can come in and take their spots. If DeJong/Lopez don’t play well, Braden Shewmake, Colson Montgomery, and others are waiting in the wings to take their spot. This should be an interesting season and there are a wide range of outcomes we can get out of this lineup.
