Batter's Box Interactive Magazine: Chicago at Toronto, April 24-26

You can't really complain about a 3-3 road trip, especially when you were visiting the defneding WS champs, who won 106 games last season, and the defending division champs, who won 99 games themselves.

The White Sox have lost four in a row, and nine of their last 11, and many of their early troubles can be laid at the door of three pitchers, guys who had been pretty good for them as recently as last year but each of whom has struggled out of the gate so far. They would be starters Lance Lynn and Michael Kopech, and reliever Reynaldo Lopez, who's been filling in as the closer as Liam Hendriks recovers from cancer treatment. Together, that trio has gone 0-6, 7.49, which is the main reason they WHite Sox have allowed more runs than any serious team in the American League (I don't know what the Oakland A's are, but they're certainly not a serious baseball team.)

One assumes that Lynn and Kopech are likely to regain their form, or something close to it. They're going to have to, as this team was never going to be an pffensive juggernaut. The offense, roughly average last year, is a little below that so far this season. Yasmani Grandal has been putting last year's disaster firmly in his rear view. That's the good news, but that's all there is. Andrew Vaughn has been okay, I suppose, but one hopes for a little more than "okay" from someone drafted third overall. The White Sox, of course, lost Jose Abreu, who signed with Houston this winter - Abreu did lead last year's team in most offensive categories. It doesn't help that Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada are both onb the IL. But Anderson spent half of last season on the IL as well, and Moncada didn't hit a lick last year anyway.

And that bullpen looks pretty shallow. This team was always going to live or die on the basis of its starting pitching, and two of the five guys have not quite found their form. Both of whom happen to be scheduled against the Jays this week, so if they need a couple more weeks... fine by me. Take all the time you need.

Chicago at Toronto, April 24-26

Monday, April 24 2023 @ 09:00 AM EDT