White Sox: Yoan Moncada’s comeback season is because of one thing

Chicago White Sox’s third baseman, Yoan Moncada, had a difficult time last season with his performance after contracting the COVID-19 virus but he has reverted to his old ways this season. Moncada had the virus early last season during the shortened stint of the 2020 MLB season. Moncada played 52 games out of the 60 possible games.

Yoan Moncada has been incredible in 2021 following a COVID-19 filled 2020 season.

"“Definitely my body hasn’t felt the same after the virus,’ he said Thursday through team interpreter Billy Russo. ‘I feel a lack of energy, strength, it’s just a weird feeling. It’s different.”"

While Moncada’s full energy was taken from him after contracting the virus, he has certainly turned things around this season at the plate and in the field.

Thus far in the 2021 season, Moncada has played in 58 games. Let’s compare the two seasons to show the drastic changes that Moncada has implemented this season. In the 2020 season, Moncada recorded a batting line of .225/.320/.385 which was seriously below the .315/.367/.548 batting line he put up the season before.

Moncada recorded 231 plate appearances and 200 ABs and resulted in 45 hits, 28 runs, six home runs, and 24 runs batted in. This season, Moncada has had 248 plate appearances and 202 ABs and has recorded 59 hits, 30 runs, five home runs, and 30 RBIs in that time frame.

His new batting line is a much improved .292/.419/.426 and his on-base plus slugging percentage is a second-career best at .845 percent. The longest Moncada has gone without a hit this season is two games. Moncada ranks second in the American League in on-base percentage with an outstanding .419. He also ranks ninth in the American League in wins above replacement with 2.7.

Further with advanced batting, in 2020 Moncada recorded a 31.2 percent strikeout percentage, 12.1 percent walk percentage, and a 33.3 percent hard-hit percentage. This season, Moncada improved every one of those values. He now has a 27.2 percent strikeout percentage, a 16.1 walk percentage, and a 45.9 percent hard-hit percentage. His drastic increase in hard-hit percentage exemplifies his returning strength.

In the field, Moncada has certainly looked like the quick and athletic third-baseman the Sox have come to know for the past five seasons. This season with 149 defensive chances, he has 37 putouts, five errors, and a fielding percentage of 96.6 percent – all improved from last season.

After looking at all of the facts, it’s exciting to know that White Sox fans can rely on Moncada to be an intricate part of the batting order and a reliable third baseman in the field. The only question for Moncada remains, how good will he continue to be this season?