Benny Changes Sox

 

It took Andrew Benintendi 66 games for him to hit his first home run in a Chicago White Sox uniform. For comparison's sake, Luis Robert hit 16 home runs in his first 66 games of 2023. 

It's both strange and not strange at all. Strange because Benintendi has hit 20 home runs before. Not strange because he only 5 last year, his comeback, ASG-nod campaign. The fact of the matter is that Andrew Benintendi has embrace pure contact, and is less of a power hitter and more of a sneaky doubles type of guy. This is a beneficial strategy when he's on, and this season with the White Sox, Benintendi is...sort of on? He's hitting .283, and only has 23 RBIs. It's a very okay season from someone who seemed to revitalized and confident last year. It's a question of whether he's running down the middle of the road because that's where he's at, or if it's because that's where the White Sox are at.

I mean, to be honest, even if last year's Royals were flawed, they at least were capable of one-dimensional power and getting runs across, even at the risk of getting their pitching battered. This White Sox team isn't doing a lot of outward offensive dominance, Robert aside. The big pieces this team has been trying to thread upwards, like Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, Andrew Vaughn and Jake Burger, aren't really handing in a lot that's worth talking about. This team hasn't exactly been winning big lately, save for a big win over the Angels last month. They really only put up 4 or so points per game, and when you're playing teams that have their offense in line a bit more, it's not gonna go well.

It's worth thinking about if Kenny Williams is just gonna start dealing people or not. That's really where we're at with this team. They built this team up from the mid-2010s, they got some success, mostly unlucky, buckled under their own weight, began to lose people and now can't be taken seriously. Tim Anderson, Lance Lynn, Lucas Giolito, Yasmani Grandal, even Liam Hendriks could all be dealt this deadline, as those guys might be leaving in free agency anyhow. I didn't think we'd be at this point so soon, but I think we're really looking at the White Sox as sellers this year. I don't think Benintendi's in danger, as he was last year, but he may be relied upon a ton more as people start leaving. And while he's been passable and serviceable as a contact guy so far, he might need to step up some of his other abilities. Because if not, that contract's gonna sag on them more and more as they go.

I really wish there was a happier story to this White Sox team. Things looked so promising a few years ago, and they at least still look alright with Robert still playing well. But man, what a drop-off they've seen.

Coming Tonight: I'm at a ballgame in the Bronx today, so I'm not even sure if I'll post anything tonight, or if the game will be worth writing up tomorrow. I guess we'll see.