The challenges facing the Chicago White Sox this season are glaring. Coming off a dismal 121-loss campaign in 2024, the franchise made minimal roster upgrades during the offseason, which doesn’t exactly send a strong message about their ambition. Despite projections hinting at a slight improvement in their win total, it’s essential to recognize that this threshold isn’t particularly daunting given last year’s struggles.
As spring training unfolds, there have been flickers of hope for the White Sox, particularly as they found their footing in recent exhibition games. However, lurking beneath the surface are two pressing concerns that could follow them into the regular season.
Starting with pitching, Jonathan Cannon has faced a rough stretch this spring, owning an ERA hovering around 10.32 following his latest outing. While he rightly emphasizes that spring training results shouldn’t be overemphasized, it’s hard to overlook the concerning trends in his performance. Cannon’s struggles have manifested in a tendency to fall behind in counts, issue walks, and surrender home runs—a combination that often leads to trouble on the mound. In contrast, his peers in the starting rotation, including Sean Burke, Martin Perez, and Davis Martin, appear more prepared to tackle the challenges of the upcoming season. At this rate, Cannon might need additional starts to find his rhythm before the games start to count.
Offensively, the White Sox continue to grapple with a significant issue: scoring runs. While there’s a silver lining in that they aren’t sitting at the very bottom of spring training’s offensive statistics—especially given their last-place finish in virtually every category last season—this statistic can be misleading. They remain tied for 27th in run production alongside the St. Louis Cardinals, with only the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets lagging behind them.
This spring, the front office aimed to return to fundamental principles akin to Moneyball, adding players like Mike Tauchman and Austin Slater in hopes of improving their on-base percentage. However, there’s a fundamental barrier: plenty of baserunners mean little if the team can’t drive them home.
Examples of this offensive plight are stark. In a recent game against the San Francisco Giants, the White Sox went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Likewise, during a tie against the Los Angeles Angels, despite racking up 11 hits and drawing six walks, they managed just one hit in 16 attempts with runners in scoring position, leaving them short of a definitive victory.
If the White Sox want to avoid revisiting the depths of last year’s historical losing record, they must bolster their run production significantly. The team’s lackluster performance with runners in scoring position was a primary contributor to their disappointing total of just 507 runs last season. A .219 average and a .604 OPS in those crucial situations can’t be repeated if they hope to turn the tide.
As spring training wraps up, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely. The performances we’re seeing now are crucial indicators—and the hope is to see marked improvements before facing the season ahead.
