For Chicago White Sox's Abreau, better late than never

With 23 games remaining in the regular season, the numbers say Jose Abreu is having another productive year.

The 29-year-old first baseman from Cuba leads the Chicago White Sox with a .298 batting average, 88 RBI and an .832 OPS. Abreu ranks second on the team with 23 home runs.

When all is said and done, Abreu will end the year with numbers similar to his first two seasons with the Sox, when he hit a combined .303 while averaging 33 homers and 104 RBI.

But in Year 3 for Abreu, the numbers are fuzzy.

"I guess you would say down-and-up year for Jose," said White Sox general manager Rick Hahn. "It was a little more consistent in terms of the last six weeks or so in being that player we saw for the first two years of his stay with the White Sox.

"For the first three-plus months or so (this season), he struggled for the first time, probably at any level for him."

Over the last 34 games, Abreu has been on an impressive tear. He has reached base safely in 33 games during the surge with 12 home runs and 32 RBI.

"I first have to thank God for allowing me to have this moment of success with my offense," Abreu said through a translator. "I also want to give thanks to the hitting coaches, especially the assistant coach (Greg) Sparks. He is the one working more with me and has been the key to success right now with the right approach and to correct some things I've been doing.

"I think it's part of the work. You work hard. You make some adjustments and the results you can find at the end of the day."

Unfortunately for Abreu - and the White Sox - the adjustments came too late.

When the season started slipping away in late May and really plunged in June, July and August, Abreu too often was missing in action.

"He would like to have a little more consistency; he struggled at parts of the season," manager Robin Ventura said. "But at the end of the year his numbers are what they are. It just indicates how good of a hitter he is."

Singling out Abreu for blame in another disappointing season is far from fair. But as the most dangerous hitter in the Sox's lineup, Abreu's early struggles were damaging.

"I've been having some ups and downs during this season," Abreu said. "Everybody knows that. But I think fighting through all those stretches, right now I'm having my best moment in this whole season, and that's part of all my work and all the advice that I've been getting from different people, especially from the hitting coach.

"This is a long season. No matter what, how good or bad your first half was, you still have the second half to do better. That's what I've been trying to do."

Why has Abreu done so much better in the second half, particularly the last six weeks?

He is no longer chasing pitches off the plate and in the dirt, he's no longer vulnerable to inside pitches, and Abreu's bat speed has noticeably quickened.

As Hahn looks ahead to next season's roster, he must feel better knowing Abreu has emerged from a brutal stretch and is back to being a productive hitter.

"It certainly makes you more confident as you see him over the last six weeks, projecting out that he's going to be that same player that he was for the first two years of his career," Hahn said. "Earlier, when he was scuffling, you looked at some of the things he was doing from his approach or some of the mechanical issues he might have been having and you felt confident he was going to be able to get back.

"But, in all candor, you like seeing the performance match what you're projecting, and we've certainly seen that over the last six weeks."

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Scouting report

White Sox vs. Kansas City Royals at U.S. Cellular Field

TV: Comcast SportsNet Friday and Saturday; WGN Sunday

Radio: WLS 890-AM

Pitching matchups: The White Sox's Carlos Rodon (6-8) vs. Yordano Ventura (10-9) Friday at 7:10 p.m.; James Shields (5-17) vs. Edinson Volquez (10-10) Saturday at 6:10 p.m.; Chris Sale (15-7) vs. Ian Kennedy (10-9) Sunday at 1:10 p.m.

At a glance: The Sox opened their homestand winning 2 of 3 against the Tigers. They are 3-9 vs. the Royals this season (2-4 at home). Rodon is 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA over his last 6 starts. Avisail Garcia is 7-for-18 with 4 RBI in his last 4 games. Fighting for a wild-card berth after going to the World Series the last two years, the Royals are 30-42 on the road.

Next: Cleveland Indians at U.S. Cellular Field, Monday-Thursday

- Scot Gregor