The White Sox are Bad... Really Bad

In 2023, a man named “Berto” called in to ESPN 1000 in Chicago and proceeded to lay the verbal smackdown on the Chicago White Sox as an organization. Targeting everything from the team’s inability to develop major league talent to owner Jerry Reinsdorf only hiring “yes men” to the team—his words, not mine—Berto encapsulated everything that was wrong with the White Sox in 2023. Little did he know things were about to get a lot worse.  

But before we get there, let’s look back on what truly led up to Berto’s Meltdown.

The La Russa Era

After making the playoffs in 2020, the White Sox felt that they needed a coaching change entering 2021. So they hired Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa. That season—albeit with some controversy—the White Sox won 93 games, their highest win total since winning the World Series in 2005.

While they were bounded in the ALDS that year, the White Sox looked toward 2022 hoping to return to the Fall Classic for the first time in 17 years.

After a season full of injuries and mismanagement on and off the field, Tony La Russa stepped down after 128 games, finishing his 2022 season with a 63-65 Record. While Miguel Castro was able to go 18-16, it wasn’t enough for the White Sox as they finished 81-81, second in the AL Central.

2023

Pedro Grifol took over the manager role in 2023, and with the signing of 2022 all-star Andrew Benintendi, the White Sox were looking to bounce back and get back into the playoff picture. They didn’t.

Tim Anderson’s shocking regression and Andrew Benintendi’s rough first season and Chicago destroyed the White Sox hopes for a playoff run, as they fell to 4th in the AL Central at a shocking 61-101. More change was necessary.

A New GM Emerges

It started with the hiring of their new GM, Chris Getz. Getz previously oversaw the development of some of the White Sox top prospects, like Dylan Cease, Eloy Jimenez, and Luis Robert. But for every Robert, Jimenez, or Cease, there was an Alec Hansen. Nick Madrigal, or Luis Alexander Basabe.  In fairness, you can’t hit on every prospect.

This hiring signified a shift towards acquiring prospects that could develop into the next generation of stars. At the same time, the hiring showcased an unwillingness to move on from the system that hasn’t produced any success in almost 20 years.

At the time of writing, the White Sox are a league-worst 15-40. They’ve blown leads 17 times and have been shut out 10 times in 55 games. If this pace continues until the end of the season, that means the White Sox will be shut out 19 more times this season. They’ve been beaten by 5+ runs 15 times.

Here’s how the White Sox rank in multiple offensive stats:

I could have picked any offensive stat, and the same notion could have been established. The White Sox offense is so lackluster, there isn’t one player seen as enough of a threat to be intentionally walked.

Also, did Grifol really say that Andrew Benintendi was a “pillar” of the lineup?  He has a -2.1 WAR.

The Final Straw??

Which leads up to Sunday (May 26th), where manager Pedro Grifol exploded talking about his team’s horrific one-hit performance against the Orioles in a 4-1 loss. Grifol said, “We got no hit through 8, had a pinch hitter break it up…Most of the guys were [expletive] flat today. Unacceptable, that’s all I got. Major League game, gotta respect it.” He followed this up by saying that the team made “no adjustments” against starter Kyle Bradish.

Players actually retaliated against this notion. Including White Sox catcher Korey Lee. Scott Merkin, MLB.com White Sox beat writer, tweeted Lee’s response to Grifol, who said, “He’s going to feel that way and obviously we have a different feeling.”

Not only did Grifol double down on that statement the next morning, even after players expressed their disagreements, Grifol flat out said he was “doubling down” while reassuring the media that he hasn’t lost the locker room. (If you have to say that, well, then you’ve probably lost the locker room)

So, what is next for the Chicago White Sox? The worst offensive team in the MLB. They have the 2nd worst attendance in the American League. Guaranteed Rate Field is 15.4% emptier than it was at this point last year, and with some of the Sox’s top offensive prospects struggling in the minors, there is no end in sight to the struggle.