Chicago White Sox: Second game against Chicago Cubs a good barometer of future

The second game against the Chicago Cubs this week will be a good measuring stick of what the Chicago White Sox future may hold.

When looking at the success of the Chicago White Sox this season, fans should feel pretty excited on where this team is headed. The team will face off against their crosstown rivals the Chicago Cubs this week. The second game of the series takes place on Wednesday and will feature Lucas Giolito versus Jon Lester.

Since the rest of the White Sox pitching staff is either injured or they do not belong in an MLB rotation, this game against the Cubs is the best one to use as a barometer of where the Sox future might be heading.

I will fully admit that I was too quick to jump ship from Lucas Giolito. The jump he took this year was so drastic, especially with his K:9 ratio, I did not expect him to maintain his new found glory. My negativity towards this team after an awful offseason bled into the season and calling for Giolito to go to the bullpen was an extreme mistake.

Giolito has looked like an ace ever since my article published early this season. Maybe he read it and took it to heart and I am to thank for his 2019 success? Alright, I am out of my mind with that thought too, but the point stands that Giolito has turned into a stud. In fact, he is the only pitcher in the current rotation that can be counted on this year.

Many have compared the White Sox rebuild to that of the Chicago Cubs. I cannot help but get the sense that this game will feel like a little brother versus big brother type game. The Cubs easily have the better national following. That will likely never change. However, from a team standpoint, it does seem like the White Sox are getting closer to being a strong contender.

If Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease pan out in 2020, that will be three strong pitchers on this team to pair up with a solid lineup of hitters. Tim Anderson has made not signing Manny Machado look like an afterthought this year. Yoan Moncada has had probably his best season as a pro. Eloy Jimenez is also on track lately at showing he can be the star many envisioned.

The only prospect in the minors I fully expect to be in the lineup in 2020 who will not be batting against Lester on June 19, 2019, is Luis Robert. Robert has been tearing the cover off the ball in the minors this season and will slot in nicely for the Sox in 2020.

The matchup against the Cubs on Wednesday will be a strong indication on where the Sox team is heading. No matter the final outcome, the game will not fully divulge how the Sox will look in 2020 and beyond. However, it will be a great test. The Cubs are 10th in runs this season with an average of 5.1 per game. The team is fifth in home runs per game too with a 1.59 average. Another glaring stat is that the Cubs are +61 in run differential whereas the White Sox are -57. Yet the Cubs only have five more wins than the White Sox.

Not only will this be a good test for Giolito’s arm against stiff competition, but it will also be important to see how the hitters do against Lester. Lester is not the best pitcher on the Cubs by any means. It would have been great to see Giolito facing off against Kyle Hendricks. Nevertheless, Lester can be dominant at any time.

In 2019, Lester is sporting a 4.08 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. He is 5-5 with six quality starts over 13 games. He has struggled as of late but went 7.0 innings with six strikeouts and only one run allowed just three starts ago. I am sure he will be bringing his A-game in this Crosstown Classic too.

I must also point out that the game takes place at Wrigley Field. This also could weigh into why the game is not the perfect test for the White Sox as they will be playing with National League rules. Again, the point is that the White Sox need to show who they are and who they are going to be by playing a tough fought game against the Cubs. Something they have been proving most games all season. Something I fully expect them to do again in both games of this crosstown series.