The 2015 White Sox are a failure

On a 2-1 breaking ball, Adam LaRoche popped up to Royals’ shortstop Alcides Escobar for the final out of the White Sox Opening Day game, a 10-1 loss. Laroche’s at-bat exemplified what was to come of Chicago’s 2015 season: failure.

Heading into this MLB season, the White Sox were seen as a team on the cusp of the postseason. After going a dismal 73-89 in 2014, the team’s offseason had them looking ahead optimistically. Chicago signed first baseman LaRoche, outfielder Melky Cabrera, closer David Robertson, and in the biggest move of all, acquired starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

However, after all of these moves, the 2015 White Sox can and should be considered a disappointment.

Although two of the five American League playoff teams of 2014 reside in the same division as Chicago, the team was still expected to make huge strides in 2015. Out of the 15 ESPN experts who predicted this year’s playoff teams, eight chose the White Sox to make the playoffs one way or another. Four had Chicago winning the division, one had them as the top wild card team, and three had them second in the wild card standings. In fact, one expert, Pedro Gomez, had the White Sox listed as his World Series winner in 2015.

Funny how quickly things can change, huh?

What has caused the Sox to fall so far out of the playoff conversation? First, it starts with the team’s offense. Alexei Ramirez, who has a career batting average of .274, had a horrible first half offensively. Ramirez hit .209 in April, .237 in May, and .186 in June. Before the All Star Game, he was hitting .224, far below his career average. While Ramirez has had a much better second half (.305 average), he was being counted on to be a leader offensively for the team all season, not just half of it.

Ramirez has not been the only problem for the team on the hitting side. Melky Cabrera was paid big money ($42 million over three years) to bring his career .285 batting average to the South Side. However, the Melkman only hit .266 in the first half, almost .20 points below his career average. He has hit .286 post All Star Break, so give credit where credit is due. But Melky’s slow start hurt. Adam Eaton was also given a contract extension to continue as one of the game’s best leadoff hitters. Yet Eaton only managed to hit .245 before the break (he has hit .320 after).

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Adam LaRoche was also coming off of a great season with Washington where he hit 26 home runs and had 92 RBI’s. He was supposed to break out in Chicago, as U.S. Cellular Field is considered a hitter’s ballpark, especially for a power hitter like Laroche. He never found his niche and has seen the bench more often than he or the team would like.

Even if a team happens to go through a rough season offensively, pitching and defense win championships, right? Well, the White Sox have been a mixed bag of both all season. Currently, the team ranks 23rd in the league errors, which is not the way to win games in October. And pitching? Jeff Samardzija-the team’s offseason crown jewel, is 9-11 with a 4.87 ERA through 28 starts. Also, John Danks is 7-12 with a 4.60 ERA through 26 starts. Having two starting pitchers with the ability of Samardzija and Danks go through such subpar seasons has hurt, without a doubt.

Aug 10, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher

(49) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels during the eight inning at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Enough of all the negativity though, because the team has had some bright spots this season. On the mound, Chris Sale has been very Chris Sale-like, going 12-8 with a 3.31 ERA. He also is on pace to break the Sox season high for strikeouts set by Ed Walsh in 1908. Walsh struck out 269 in 66 games. Sale has 247 K’s in only 27 games. Jose Quintana has a 3.60 ERA in 28 games. Robertson has a 2.44 ERA and 29 saves in 35 chances. Rookie Carlos Rodon has a 3.94 ERA in 21 starts.

In addition, the team has had success offensively, believe it or not. Jose Abreu is hitting .294 with 26 home runs and 85 RBI’s. Avisail Garcia has a .270 average with 12 homers and 56 RBI’s. Trayce Thompson has hit around .400 in his limited time in the bigs. Eaton, Cabrera, and Ramirez all have bounced back in the second half and put up very respectable numbers. 

Looking at the big picture, the White Sox are headed for another season hovering at or under a .500 record. This would have the team missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year and for the ninth time in ten seasons after winning the World Series in 2005. This season is much different than the other nine, however. This team had large expectations placed on them and could not fulfill their promise.

All in all, one thing is clear. The 2015 Chicago White Sox are a failure, and there is no other way to look at it. Hopefully, 2016 brings a winning team and successful campaign to the South Side, one year later than expected.

All statistics provided are as of September 9th, 2015.