South Side Sox Player of the Week (May 9-14): Michael Kopech

This past Sunday, Michael Kopech became a Rorschach test for White Sox fans.

The 26-year-old Texas native went six innings against the much-feared Yankees, giving up only one hit. On paper, that looks great.

But the eventual 5-1 White Sox loss was partially the result of a catastrophic collapse in the second inning, where Kopech lost total pitching control and gave up three runs on a combination of walks and wild pitches, all with two outs. The mood in the ballpark was, let’s just say, less than jubilant. And with the South Side bullpen already weary from a workout the previous evening, it was up to Kopech to pull himself together from the brink of disaster. He escaped further damage by getting Aaron Judge, who was eying a grand slam, to ground out.

Michael Kopech’s final line: Six innings pitched, one hit allowed, and four walks. Throw on top of that three strikeouts, all of which came after the second-inning collapse. So, take a look at the Rorschach test that was Kopech’s performance, and tell me what you see.

Was it a case of a promising pitcher failing to deliver? Or did Kopech’s rebound after that disastrous second inning prove that he has the grit and focus to become the ace that we need him to be?

White Sox fans might take two differing viewpoints on Kopech’s performance, but they can agree on one thing. Add in some run support, and that game might’ve been a White Sox winner.

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2022 South Side Sox Players of the Week

Tim Anderson (April 8-17)
Tanner Banks (April 18-23)
Lucas Giolito (April 24-May 1)
Dylan Cease (May 2-8)
Michael Kopech (May 9-14)

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MVP Standings

Michael Kopech (37.8)
Dylan Cease (33.9)
Lucas Giolito (27.0)
Tim Anderson (17.2)
Luis Robert (16.7)
Matt Foster (13.2)
Tanner Banks (12.7)
Andrew Vaughn (8.7)
Fans Braving the Cold (7.0)
The Wind (5.7)

Cold Cat Standings

Leury García (-34.0)
Liam Hendriks (-23.6)
Aaron Bummer (-20.0)
Joe Kelly (-15.4)
Josh Harrison (-13.5)
AJ Pollock (-12.7)
Jake Burger (-11.7)
Yasmani Grandal (-11.5)
José Abreu (-9.4)
Tony La Russa (-7.1)

Confirmation of just how bad a week it was for Joe Kelly? Well, he rocked -15.4 points to jump immediately into the Cold Cats battle, sitting in fourth place based on just a couple of games.

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Writer Standings

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If you’re interested in seeing more of Mitch’s work, or if you’d like to purchase original drawings or prints, contact him via Twitter (@soxsketcher), Instagram (@southsidesharpie), or by e-mail at southsidesharpie@gmail.com. Thanks for supporting local artists!