Grading the White Sox: Gavin Sheets

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!

Gavin Sheets
First Baseman in the Corner Outfield
Midseason: 0.3 WARsss
Final: 2.5 WARsss

The 2022 White Sox season was punctuated by underachievement. Some of last year’s household names were muted by injury, while any bright moments of success were dulled by dugout drama and Tony Troubles.

Despite that, bench players had many moments to shine. Gavin Sheets, in his sophomore season, made some clutch contributions at the plate. Sheets spent most of this season out in right field, with a handful of appearances at first base and as a designated hitter — two of the more populous positions on the current Sox roster.

Sheets played his most notable stretch of baseball in late August, when his spunky bat slashed .435/.440/.652 over a seven-game set. That included eight hits in a road series in his hometown of Baltimore with family watching from the stands. For his efforts, Sheets picked up Player of the Week honors here at South Side Sox.

Defensively, hanging out in the tall grass certainly hasn’t been ideal for Sheets. He’s yet another player standing in the block-long queue waiting to play first base for the Pale Hose, a position that will likely never be solely his. Even with the uncertain fate of José Abreu, Andrew Vaughn is the heir apparent to the first corner.

What does that mean for Sheets’ future? The young gun has proved himself to be a valuable trade option. He’s had two seasons to build up a résumé of clutch hitting, and could easily be a sturdy, dependable first baseman for an up-and-coming team.

Sheets has a bright smile and an even brighter future, and his snappy bat will serve him well as he progresses in his major league career.

2022 White Sox Grades

Gavin Sheets, RF-1B, 2.5
Jake Burger, 3B, 2.2
Romy González, IF, 2.0
Aaron Bummer, LHRP, 1.8
AJ Pollock, OF, 1.3
Matt Foster, RHRP, 1.2
Yoán Moncada, 3B, 0.92
Lenyn Sosa, SS, 0.85
José Ruiz, RHRP, 0.83
Mark Payton, OF, 0.6
Carlos Pérez, C, 0.399
Lucas Giolito, RHSP, 0.392
Adam Engel, OF, 0.237
Vince Velasquez, RHP, -0.4
Reese McGuire, C, -1.1
Kyle Crick, RHRP, -1.65
Joe Kelly, RHRP, -1.75
Daryl Boston, 1B Coach, -2.0
Anderson Severino, LHRP, -2.2
Jerry Reinsdorf, OWN, -2.321
Jake Diekman, LHRP, -2.366
Rick Hahn, GM, -2.401
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, 3B Coach, -3.167
Ryan Burr, RHRP, -3.4
Tony La Russa, MGR, -3.5
Dallas Keuchel, LHSP, -3.9