From top to bottom, pros and cons of White Sox' lineup
The White Sox open the regular season on April 6 at Kansas City.
The Sox were all set to play their opening-day lineup in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Mariners, and it looked like this:
1. Adam Eaton, CF
2. Melky Cabrera, LF
3. Jose Abreu, 1B
4. Adam LaRoche, DH
5. Avisail Garcia, RF
6. Alexei Ramirez, SS
7. Conor Gillaspie, 3B
8. Tyler Flowers, C
9. Micah Johnson, 2B
Manager Robin Ventura had to make an adjustment after Eaton was scratched with an illness, but look for the White Sox to play their regulars together more frequently as the season opener draws closer.
Let's take a closer look at the lineup:
Eaton
Pros: Filled a pressing need out of the leadoff spot last season, tying for first in the American League with 10 triples while ranking 10th with a .300 batting average and 12th with a .362 on-base percentage.
Cons: Has trouble staying healthy. Was limited to 15 stolen bases while being thrown out nine times. Walked just 43 times in 486 at-bats.
Cabrera
Pros: With the Blue Jays last season, ranked ninth in the AL with a .301 batting average, tied for 10th with 35 doubles and was 18th with a .351 on-base percentage.
Cons: Was 2-for-14 in September before missing the rest of the season with a broken right pinkie finger. Batted .218 (12-for-55) with runners in scoring position and two outs.
Abreu
Pros: Was everything the Sox were hoping for and much more. Ranked first in the AL with a .581 slugging percentage, third with 36 home runs, fourth with 107 RBI and fifth with a .317 batting average. Was the unanimous Rookie of the Year and fourth in MVP voting.
Cons: Not many, but chased low and away pitches from time to time. Had trouble hitting vs. the Royals, going 12-for-53 (.226).
LaRoche
Pros: With Washington last season, tied for fifth in the National League with 92 RBI, was sixth with 82 walks and seventh with 26 homers.
Cons: The left-handed veteran batted .204 (28-for-137) vs. left-handed pitchers last year. Has to adjust to being the White Sox' primary designated hitter.
Garcia
Pros: Initially expected to miss the rest of the 2014 season after injuring his left shoulder on April 9, he worked his way back into the lineup on Aug. 16. Hit .333 (15-for-45) vs. left-handers.
Cons: Lost valuable development time due to the shoulder injury. Hit .213 (27-for-127) vs. right-handers.
Ramirez
Pros: Ranked first among AL shortstops in home runs (15), RBI (74), slugging (.408) and extra-base hits (52) while winning the Silver Slugger Award.
Cons: Wore down in September, batting .209 (19-for-91).
Gillaspie
Pros: Batted .326 with 4 homers and 35 RBI before the all-star break. For the season, struck out only 78 times in 464 at-bats.
Cons: Totaled 7 home runs for the season. Batted .221 vs. left-handers. Hit .228 in the second half.
Flowers
Pros: Established career highs in home runs (15) and RBI (50) last year. Batted .280 with 10 homers and 24 RBI after the all-star break.
Cons: Tied for fourth in the AL with 159 strikeouts. Had a .297 on-base percentage.
Johnson
Pros: Is batting .444 in the Cactus League this spring. Stole a combined 84 bases in the minor leagues in 2103.
Cons: Has only played 65 games at the Class AAA level. Injuries have been a problem since his college days at Indiana.