The White Sox are trying to be bad. If possible, historically bad. However they currently sit one game below .500 and currently boast the league’s best team ERA at 3.09. Clearly this team did not get the memo on tanking.
I wrote about the White Sox potential to be a somewhat decent team in 2017, with a rotation that included players with solid upside in Derek Holland and James Shields (yeah, that James Shields) along with hitters like Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier, this team could possibly win enough games to be annoying.
It’s still early, and I think everyone remembers the Sox hot start in 2016, but this team is full of fool’s-gold players that are clearly over-performing. However, one of those players who is turning some heads is slugging 3rd baseman/DH Matt Davidson. Currently, the 26-year-old former No. 3 overall pick in 2009 is slashing .324/.333/.676 with three home runs and 10 RBI’s in 36 plate appearances.
So I know the #WhiteSox are off many’s radar, but why is Matt Davidson–10 RBI in 11 games–sitting again after two straight shutouts?
— David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) April 23, 2017
While the sample size is small, it is easily the most encouraging moment in not only Davidson’s time on the south-side but of his entire career. Despite the improvement in production, Davidson is still struggling to crack the lineup card on a consistent basis, playing in 11 games with only 8 starts. For a guy who is currently second on the team in batting average and RBI’s playing on a club who ranks 3rd last in home runs, you would think Davidson’s hot start would warrant more playing time, right?
Well, after doing some statistically digging, I found what may be the issue. Strikeouts.
In just 36 plate appearances, Davidson has struck out 17 times. Good for 2nd on the team…that’s pretty bad despite his power numbers
— Sean Sears (@sean_sears6) April 24, 2017
As I point out in these tweets, Davidson is going down on strikes in almost half of his at bats, good for 17 strike outs on the season. For a guy who has seen about half as any many plate appearances as the White Sox’ regulars, that is just an absurd amount strikeouts. And while it’s unlikely that Davidson will continue to strike out in half of his at bats, he still owns a career 33.6 strike out percentage and has only walked once so far this season.
However, when he’s not striking out, he’s doing stuff like this.
Matt Davidson crushed this solo home run to give the Sox the lead for good! pic.twitter.com/o57B2JjjzG
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 15, 2017
It’s entirely possible that manager Rick Renteria and the White Sox are easing Davidson into the lineup on a more consistent basis, which does make sense. While the slugging DH is 26-years-old, he has only played 43 major league games, with the majority of them coming in 2013 while he was a member of the Diamondbacks.
Another possibility could be that while the Sox would love to see Davidson develop into a bonafide-power presence on their lineup, this team needs to be awful for their “re-tooling” season to be considered a success. Davidson’s hot bat combined with more playing time could have easily helped Chicago push across a few more runs and sequentially added a win or two to their season record. It’s also worth mentioning that Davidson currently holds the 6th best batting average when the game tying or go-ahead run is on base, batting .600 (3 for 5) in those situations according to Baseball Savant.
Of course, this is all speculation and assumption, however the White Sox are in a tough spot in regards to Davidson who has two more club-options before arbitration starts. If Davidson continues to crush and builds a case for a big payday, there stands a good chance the Sox won’t be able to afford the bargain slugger – who is on a one-year-deal worth $537,000. Davidson is also out of minor league options with the Sox, so it’s not like GM Rick Hahn can just send him to Triple A Charlotte to get a few extra at bats.
So really, the only option for the Sox is slowly build off of more good at bats, impressive games, and long hot streaks in hopes of Davidson finally turning the corner at age 26. And while most White Sox fans would love to see the power-hitting Davidson included in the everyday lineup, the best and more cautious approach would be to keep utilizing Davidson in situations he’s more likely to succeed in and hope he develops some patience at the plate. Continue to build his confidence while also focusing on the club’s future in hopes that Davidson’s success in 2017 doesn’t stunt the White Sox’ attempt to rebuild their farm system.
