Chicago White Sox: 3 reasons to be excited for 2019

Fans of the Chicago White Sox have many reasons to be excited about 2019.

The Chicago White Sox 2018 season certainly did not end the way they or their fans had hoped. They finished the year 62-100, good for fourth place in the National League Central, and the third-worst record in the majors.

It was definitely a difficult and emotional season for the South Siders. The season wasn’t even a month old when the team experienced an incredibly scary moment. On April 20th, after pitching in relief against the Houston Astros, Danny Farquhar collapsed in the dugout and was rushed to the hospital. Further tests revealed a ruptured brain aneurysm requiring surgery and ending his 2018 season.

Though by far the worst, Farquhar’s injury was not the only one to hit the team — not by a longshot. In spring training, Jake Burger, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft ruptured his Achilles while running out a ground ball. Also, after being called up during the regular season, Michael Kopech, the team’s top pitching prospect, was lost for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL.

However, it wasn’t all bad news for Chicago. Daniel Palka and Matt Davidson were offensive bright spots, hitting 27 and 20 home runs respectively. James Shields struggled for much of the season but really seemed to pitch much better towards the end of the year, winning four of his last five starts.

Finally, backup catcher Omar Narvaez filled in admirably for starter Wellington Castillo, who was suspended for PED use. Narvaez hit .275 with 9 HRs and 30 RBI in only 322 PAs.

But the White Sox and their fans are ready to turn the page and begin looking forward to what’s the come in 2019. When they do, they will see a number of reasons to be excited for what’s in store for next season and beyond. We break down the top three reasons to be hyped about next year and the future of this team.