I can’t remember the last time there were this many talented, deep teams in baseball.
For example, there are the Blue Jays and reigning MVP runner-up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. In Tampa Bay, Randy Arozarena and friends haven’t lost any steam. The Dodgers — who are clearly in possession of baseball’s lone infinite Bag of Holding — will always be a factor as long as they have Mookie Betts and Trea Turner, and Freddie Freeman. (Oh my goodness.)
Lest I forget, there are also the Astros, Yankees, Padres, and Brewers, among other potential powerhouses. Phew.
Which, look: These teams are all well and good. And I certainly respect the preseason baseball sentiments of some of my colleagues defending them. I get it. I do.
They’re smart, but most of them are so very, very wrong: The White Sox are about to have a dream season.
Come on: You cannot argue with stellar center/right fielders that wear Adidas Samba shoes at the tender age of 34.
A.J. Pollock, take a bow, sir.
AJ Pollock is in the building. pic.twitter.com/b0d7BHRLTf
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 2, 2022
Look at that casual fit! That’s a .355 on-base percentage and 137 OPS+ outfit if I ever saw one.
On a serious note, if you want to seem baseball smart to your casual sports-watching friends, you’ll tell them the White Sox might possess the deepest lineup in baseball. A lineup that features Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Jose Abreu, Yasmani Grandal, Eloy Jiménez, Yoan Moncada, and of course, Pollock. Whoops, sorry. I’m out of breath.
Robert, especially: The inarguable best player the Sox roster — an elite centerfielder that hits for power — is criminally underrated as an MVP candidate by Tipico Sportsbook. +1500 odds (sixth-best overall) is an absolute steal for a player of Robert’s gifts. After some poor injury luck to start his career, if Robert plays in a majority of the Sox’s games this season, he’s unquestionably walking away with hardware. He’ll carry the Sox the entire year.
As far as the starting rotation, the initial temporary loss of Lance Lynn to knee surgery hurts, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better one-two punch than Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease. They are more than capable of holding the fort down.
Cease, in particular, who possesses some of the filthiest, most electric stuff in all of baseball, is also curiously being somewhat overlooked for his first career Cy Young. The 26-year-old has struggled with his command, and those issues might still yet come back to haunt him.
Call it a hunch: He’s a polished pitcher now and will be untouchable for the majority of the next seven (yes, seven) months. Take those paltry +1200 odds for the AL Cy Young and run with them.
Katz: You're at 50 right now how do ya feel
Cease: I could go 9
Katz: No pic.twitter.com/DhUxUtAMXD
— Jay Cuda (@JayCuda) April 5, 2022
Run and don’t stop running, Forrest!
Now, ultimately, I know a lot can happen in baseball. A 162-game season opens up a lot of opportunities for pitfalls. Heaven only knows the White Sox have plenty of experience with walking into traps and general misfortune.
But this is the year. This is the season a top-flight lineup with minimal holes, a stellar rotation with two aces, and the arguable best bullpen in baseball led by reigning Reliever of the Year, Liam Hendriks, pieces it together. This team is so dang good top to bottom; not even Tony La Russa could screw it up. They have an answer for every contender and their manager. (Don’t ask me to elaborate.)
I want that +1000 for the South Siders to win the World Series, and I’m never looking back. After the 2005 title that may or may not have happened, maybe people will actually remember this eventual season full of achievement and glory.
Roll with the 2022 White Sox across the board. You can thank me later.
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