As we head into March we take our tour of our National Pastime to the Windy City, and we begin on the South Side of town. The White Sox come into the 2024 season hoping that things will go much better than 2023…which frankly shouldn’t be too hard given what an absolute mess last season was. 2023 was supposed to be a bounce season for the Sox but it wound up becoming a nightmare filled with ugly losses, club house turmoil, bullets in the ballpark and chin music in Cleveland. This disaster led to some changes in the offseason as new GM Chris Getz takes over a team in desperate need of a culture change. That change has begun with bringing in some solid veterans like Paul DeJong and Martin Maldonado while taking a flier on some pitchers in need a fresh start like Erick Fedde and Mike Soroka. They have lots of attractive pieces for other clubs like righty Dylan Cease, so keep an eye on them to be sellers come deadline time. But since it’s the offseason lets be fair to this group. This team isn’t expected to contend for much but they’re in soft division so don’t rule out a surprising improvement.

Keys to Success

1. Securing a New Ballpark: This may seem irrelevant to things improving on the field, but this franchise needs an improvement in the “vibes department.” A new ballpark on the Southside of town, like the one that is rumored would be a good place to start as the White Sox try to move forward on steadier ground. Their proposed site at the “South Loop” presents an opportunity for some stunning views, ones their fans can look forward to as they look to leave the much-maligned Guaranteed Rate Field.

2. Vaughn Keeps Slugging: One of the White Sox building blocks for their future is slugging first baseman Andrew Vaughn. Number 25 has shown some real promise so far in his brief career and if he can carry that forward, he will be a core piece for the team. Management and fans alike are hoping Vaughn can follow in the footsteps of club legend and fellow first baseman Paul Konerko for years to come.

3. A Big Year for Lu Bob: The undeniable face of the White Sox is number 88, Luis Robert. “Lu Bob” as he is affectionately known had his best year yet last season and the White Sox are hopeful that he can continue that trend this time out. Assuming they can convince him to stick around Robert will be the centerpiece of the next great White Sox team.

The Lineup

1. Andrew Benintendi LF

2. Andrew Vaughn 1B

3. Luis Robert CF

4. Yoan Moncada 3B

5. Eloy Jimenez DH

6. Dominic Fletcher RF

7. Paul DeJong SS

8. Nicky Lopez 2B

9. Martin Maldonado C

The Staff

1. Dylan Cease

2. Erick Fedde

3. Michael Kopech

4. Mike Soroka

5. Chris Flexen

Closer: John Brebbia

The Predicition

72 Wins

While I think this team can outperform expectations, I still don’t see a world where they are playing meaningful games in August and September. Expect general manager Chris Getz to sell off some pieces and determine the future of manager Pedro Grifol as the year goes on with an eye on the 2025 season.

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