Grading the White Sox: Bennett Sousa

At midseason, the SSS staff graded the 46-46 White Sox, from the head of the class Dylan Cease down to Dallas Keuchel. We invented a WARsss metric that could very well be just a cute way to trot out our special site grades — but really for all you know could be the product of years of research in a stats lab.

Our expanded report card will take us through everyone who saw time in uniform for the White Sox, plus some front-office types. Most of our writers will take on a couple of players, with final grades and short writeups, running through the end of November. Enjoy!

Bennett Sousa
Left-Handed Relief Pitcher
Midseason: -1.1 sssWAR
Final: -2.425 sssWAR

Bennett Sousa has had a steady and successful time in the minors (2.78 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) dating back to 2018 and the Great Falls Voyagers. At 27, he was due to make the jump to the majors, and jump he did, parlaying a superior spring (1.69 ERA over six games) into a bit of a surprise trip north with the big club.

Almost immediately, and not aided by some odd use by manager Tony La Russa, Sousa faltered. He ended up pitching in 21 games, crammed into barely two months of the season. Sousa’s 3-0 record and first career save was deceptive, as he put up an 8.41 ERA (48 ERA+) mitigated a bit by a 5.47 FIP. Worse, Sousa never really got rolling back at Triple-A — a 3.95 ERA over 28 games, finishing 13 and leading the Charlotte Knights with six saves.

This is the first of our grading series where the numbers might be bad, but hopes are still high. Sousa is decidedly the second-most important bullpen lefty on the South Side, behind Aaron Bummer.

2022 White Sox Grades

Bennett Sousa, LHRP, -2.425
Frank Menechino, BAT COACH, -2.469
Yasmani Grandal, C/DH, -2.549
Leury García, UTIL, -2.7
Adam Haseley, OF, -3.146
Joe McEwing, Third Base Coach, -3.167
Ryan Burr, RHRP, -3.4
Tony La Russa, MGR, -3.5
Dallas Keuchel, LHSP, -3.9