Chicago White Sox: Eloy Jimenez is a man among boys

The Chicago White Sox have 12 wins in their last 19 games, thanks in large part to the bat of Left Fielder Eloy Jimenez…can he keep this up?

Fresh off of a top of the ninth, game winning home run against the Chicago Cubs, his original ball club, Chicago White Sox Left Fielder Eloy Jimenez has to be feeling pretty good about himself these days.  Since the end of May, Jimenez is batting a strong .340, with six home runs and 14 RBIs.  He is slowly, but surely getting more comfortable facing major league pitching and the results speak for themselves.

Tuesday night’s opener against their celebrated crosstown rival from the North side had all the makings of a downer for the ChiSox.  Cole Hamels was on the mound for the Cubs and pitched a strong outing.  Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber, put them up 1-0 off of Sox pitcher Ivan Nova‘s very first pitch of the ballgame.  The game was tied 1-1 , when Jimenez, a rookie who was acquired from the Cubs in 2017, blasted a two-run homer off of reliever Pedro Strop in the top of the ninth inning.

One can imagine how sweet this must have felt for Jimenez.  He had once dreamed of joining the friendly confines of Wrigley Field as the latest call up on a contending team full of homegrown players, only to find out that he was dealt to the White Sox in exchange for starting pitcher Jose Quintana. While Eloy no doubt down played the significance of this game, you could see how important this was to him every time he went up to bat.  He wanted to crush the ball and show his old team that they made a huge mistake.  I think they took notice.

At 6-4 and 205 lbs, Jimenez is an imposing figure at the plate. While he may yet still be a raw project as a left fielder, there is no doubting his unlimited potential at the plate. Providing he continues to improve and produce in this area, the sky is the limit for him. It would not be far-fetched to see Jimenez hitting averages of .300, 35 HRs, and 100 RBIs over the next decade.  This is exactly what the Sox envisioned when they agreed to part ways with Quintana.

Despite not landing any marquee free agents during the off-season or making a move to acquire anyone to improve their odds at competing fora Wild Card playoff spot, the Sox have to be feeling pretty good about where they are these days. With a strong core in Jimenez, Tim Anderson, Lucas Giolito, Yoan Moncada, and a score of others on the ball club and in the farm system, winning consistently and competing for the division crown may not be too far off in the future.

As the Sox prepare for game two at Wrigley Field, White Sox fans should be tuning in to catch a glimpse of the young slugger from the Dominican Republic.  He’s fun to watch, wants to win, and most importantly, wants to ensure that the Chicago Cubs regret ever trading him.