Chicago White Sox: Recapping the Month of April
By Ian Blum
The 2017 Chicago White Sox are off and running in this new rebuilding era. Rick Renteria has made some changes to the club compared to last year and it has shown in the month of April.
The rollercoaster ride that is the Major League Baseball season has the Chicago White Sox sitting at 13-10, only half of a game back of the first-place Cleveland Indians. The team has had a lot of players step up at the start of the season and it has helped the team surge as of late.
The month of April ended as it began for the Chicago White Sox, rainy and playing the Detroit Tigers. The April 3rd Opening Day game was rained out but was highlighted with the players being paraded around the stadium in cars and a Scott Podsednik ceremonial first pitch.
Jose Quintana took the hill as the White Sox ace in a 3-6 loss in the first game of the year. This would start the rough month of work Quintana. In five starts, he is currently sitting at 1-4 with a 5.22 ERA. This concerning to most fans.
With the White Sox trying to rebuild, there were a lot of Quintana trade talks at the start of the year. A bounce back will be needed and more than likely will come in May for Quintana in order to max out his trade value in July.
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One of the best stories from the first month is obviously Outfielder Avisail Garcia. Coming into 2017, many fans had a rough relationship with Avi. Between less than impressive defense and below exceptional performance with his bat, many did not see his start coming. In 87 at bats he is hitting .368/.409/.621 with five home runs and 20 RBIs. He has been absolutely tearing the cover off the ball and now the only question among fans is, how long will it last?
Matt Davidson is also doing great things with the bat as well. His .286 average and four home runs have been a great April surprise. Stars like Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier had a tough start. As of late they have really started to turn things around. Frazier’s flu kept him out most of the month but now healthy is getting the bat going into the month of May.
The starting rotation will do the club in. Without James Shields and Carlos Rodon, it will be difficult to keep up this incredible pace. This staff will have to deal with the Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks and Boston Red Sox. These teams have elite players and powerful lineups. The White Sox will more than likely be unable to hold these teams at bay and will have to look to the offense to keep things close.
Next: White Sox: Ranking the Top 10 Prospects
The Chicago White Sox are due for a call back to reality this month. There is no doubt this team is over achieving but they will look to keep the good times rolling in the month of May.