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Reasons to celebrate the 2014 White Sox

With the 2014 MLB Draft gone, it's time to completely exorcize the ghosts of 2013 by looking at some of the good things that have happened this season.

By Steve_p
Brian Kersey

As we reach that point in the season where many of us will meetup and watch the White Sox together.  It was a season of broken dreams and broken Billy Pierce statuettes. It was a season where this will be the image that many of us will  remember it by.

The Sox have turned the page this season.  This season has been anything but dour.  This season, we have a team that is battling to stay .500.  This season, we have this.

It it time to move on though.  Even Robin Ventura has had enough of last season.

So, to prepare us for Father's Day weekend or whatever other celebrations you have this weekend, here's a few reasons to celebrate the White Sox for this season so far.

  • With wRC+ of 105 and 103 respectively, Adam Dunn and Alex Rios were the only regular position players with over 200 PAs to be over 100 last season (Avisial Garcia was at 109 with 163 PAs).  Jose Abreu has a wRC+ of 153 now.  Conor Gillaspie is at 136, Adam Dunn's is at 135, Alexei Ramirez has a 118, and Gordon Beckham is at 111.
  • Adam Dunn is on a pace for 166 strikeouts.  That would be his lowest strikeout total with the White Sox.  It would also be his lowest strikeout total since 2008.   Dunn's wRC+ of 135 today beats his previous season high with the Sox in 2012 by 20 points.
  • The team currently has a wRC+ of 99.  Last season, the team finished a wRC+ of 83.
  • After last night's game, Adrian Nieto has three walks over 22 games with 14 starts and 53 plate appearances in a little over two months with the team.  Last season, Josh Phegley also got his third walk in just over two months with the Sox.  That was over 51 games, 48 starts, and 171 plate appearances.
  • After a rocky start to the season, the Sox pitching staff has put up a 3.77 ERA and a 4.02 FIP over the past month.
  • John Danks over his last four starts:  29⅓ IP, 19 H, 5 R, 6 BB, 17K, 1.53 ERA, 3.39 FIP.
  • Chris Sale has a FIP for the season of 2.19.
  • Last season with the Dodgers, Ronald Belisario had an xFIP- of 102 (below 100 is what you want).  This season, he's at 87 which is just below his career average of 90.
  • 2012 first round pick Courtney Hawkins got 37 wRC last season with the Winston-Salem Dash.  He's at 37 right now for 2014 with the Dash.  He's just done it in 59 games this season compared to 103 last season.  He also has a wRC+ of 123.  Hawkins and Dash teammate Jason Coats lead active Carolina League players with ten home runs (the actual leader Joey Gallo, a Rangers prospect, was promoted after 21 homers in two months).  He has one fewer double than last season and has matched his walk total of last season at 29.  His K% has also dropped from 37.6% to 26.5%.
  • Even though the Sox failed on their quest last season on the #RoadToRodon, they drafted him anyway with the third pick.

This is a pretty good list for me to feel better about the Sox.  What is making you happy about the Sox this season?

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