The White Sox’s Fearsome Foursome

There is nothing in baseball quite like a promising Rookie of the Year race. Fans try furiously to keep up with the best young players in the game to see which one shines brighter than the rest.

This year is like any other in that regard. Except if you’re a fan of the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox, you have a foursome of rookies that are not only extremely fun to watch but are playing huge roles for a club with postseason aspirations. 

The Sox ended 2020 on a disappointing note. They were knocked out in the AL Wild Card round and fired their manager, who had finished near the top in Manager of the Year voting. They went on to crush the offseason (minus who they chose as their new manager) and came into 2021 with a ton of hype surrounding them as a potential division winner.

The returning talent led by SS Tim Anderson, 1B José Abreu, 3B Yoan Moncada, C Yasmani Grandal, SP Lucas Giolito and company provided a good foundation for newcomers like SP Lance Lynn and RHP Liam Hendriks. SP Carlos Rodón has not only been able to solidify the White Sox’s rotation as one of baseball’s best but is enjoying a breakout year and has legitimately played like a Cy Young candidate so far. 

The White Sox are sitting pretty with talent. But it gets even more exciting when you realize the South Siders have four rookies as big-time contributors to their already impressive lineup and bullpen.

The biggest, and I literally mean biggest, of the bunch is DH/C Yermin Mercedes. The 28-year-old rookie was a Rule 5 draft pick a few years ago and didn’t even register his first major league hit until April. He wasted no time making his presence known by being the first player since numbers were invented to begin his career with eight straight hits in his first eight at-bats. This absolute unit of a rookie is leading a club that is first in the American League in run differential (68), is third in batting average (.254) and is third in OPS (.747).

The next stellar rookie is RHP Michael Kopech. It feels like forever since Kopech was sent to Chicago from the Boston Red Sox as part of the SP Chris Sale package. One Tommy John surgery and a Covid-19 opt-out later, and we’re finally getting to see what all the fuss was about. He’s made 13 appearances, three as a starter, and struck out 45 batters in 30.1 innings pitched. He currently sits with a 1.73 ERA and had a 10-strikeout game in a five-inning start against the weak Texas Rangers. 

Rounding out the fearsome foursome of rookies is 2B Nick Madrigal and OF Andrew Vaughn. 

Madrigal made his debut last season for Chicago and showed enough to earn himself a regular starting job at second. Certainly not the most physically imposing of the group, Madrigal isn’t scaring anyone with power. Instead, he’s killing them with contact. Holding a solid .277 average, it’s his discipline at the plate that’s impressive this season. In 40 games and 148 ABs thus far, he’s only struck out 10 times, which leaves him tied for fewest in the league among qualified hitters with at least 100 ABs. 

Vaughn is the youngest of the four and was the third overall pick in the 2019 draft. A slew of injuries beginning with OF Eloy Jiménez led to him getting a shot at regular time in the outfield, and he hasn’t looked back. His numbers won’t wow anyone, but considering his level of experience playing pro ball, you can see flashes of what made him such a highly regarded prospect. 

Even if it weren’t for these guys, the Sox would still be must-watch baseball. They have a capable offense, a top-tier rotation and a couple of solid weapons in the bullpen capped by Hendriks. But these additions to the next generation of baseball are exciting for fans to see. It’s way too early to call, but don’t be surprised if three or even all four of these guys end up in serious contention for the AL Rookie of the Year.

Cover photo courtesy of Carlos Osorio/AP Photo