It’s no secret that the Chicago White Sox are going through a rather excruciating rebuild, but for even those with the lowest expectations, the team’s disappointing start to the 2024 season has been hard to fathom.
With a record of 3-19, the White Sox have had the worst start to a season in their franchise’s 124-year history. As if that’s not enough, the team has been shut out eight times in their first 22 games, the most of any team through 22 games in modern MLB history (since 1901), putting their shutout percentage (.363) at more than double their win percentage (.136).
In 22 games, the White Sox have scored just 45 runs, tying them for fourth-fewest in history and ranking them last in MLB this season with the next-closest team — the Oakland Athletics — 20 runs ahead. The White Sox also rank last in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, home runs, and RBIs.
According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol is extremely aware of just how bad this start to the season has been.
“We can’t deny what’s happening. Our record sucks,” Grifol said on April 22. “But what are you going to do about it? We have to come tomorrow and get ready to play. You have to forget about today. Learn and move on.”
Pitching Woes
As part of their rebuild, the White Sox’s starting rotation has gone through a lot of change over the last year.
In their biggest move of the offseason, the White Sox traded ace Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres in exchange for outfielder Samuel Zavala and pitchers Steven Wilson, Drew Thorpe, and Jairo Iriarte on March 13. The team traded away Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito before the deadline last season, and on March 14, the White Sox moved Michael Kopech to the bullpen.
On April 4, the White Sox re-signed controversial starter Mike Clevinger to a one-year, $3 million deal, making him the only starter from Opening Day 2023 to still be in the rotation this season, though he won’t be making his debut until May.
As it currently stands, Chicago’s starting rotation is made up of Garrett Crochet, Michael Soroka, Erick Fedde, and Jonathan Cannon, with Nick Nastrini having been optioned to Triple-A after two starts.
After 22 games, the rotation’s 5.09 ERA ranks them a disappointing 28th in MLB.
Injuries Have Kept the White Sox’s Best Players Off the Lineup
While the White Sox’s record this season certainly isn’t something a single player can fix, the team’s offense has been hugely affected by the fact that third baseman Yoan Moncada and All-Star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. are both on the injured list, and designated hitter Eloy Jiménez only just returned.
In 2023, Robert Jr. slashed .264/.315/.542, leading the White Sox in home runs (38), RBIs (80), runs (90), and doubles (36). Unfortunately, he suffered a hip flexor strain while running the bases on April 5, sidelining him for at least six to eight weeks and leaving the White Sox without their star slugger. Just days later, Moncada fell on his way to first base and has since been ruled out for three to six months with a severe left adductor strain.
Jiménez was on the injured list for just over two weeks before being reinstated on April 15 and finally hitting his first home run of the season on April 21.
“I feel better at the plate. My confidence is coming back,” Jiménez told reporters after the game.
According to Merkin, Grifol is staying optimistic despite the team’s hitting woes leading to eight shutout losses.
“Today we got our ass kicked,” Grifol said on April 22. “You go home and you reflect and tomorrow is a new day. You can only learn from today and then tomorrow you start the day and that’s it. This day is over. If you start mentally crushing yourself on what’s going on or what’s happened or our record or what I’m hitting, it’s going to get even worse.
“You have to start fresh every single day,” Grifol continued. “How else are you going to do it? You can reflect, but you reflect to learn. You don’t reflect to live in that negativity space where it will just continue to crush you if you can’t flush it.”
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