Benetti: Underrated prospects give Sox some excitement

I was walking through Midway Airport recently when a man stopped just ahead of me. He turned around and said, "Get the Sox to win!" I let that phrase roll around in my head for a while on the way to the gate.

First of all, I love the guy's passion for the Sox and baseball. It takes fandom to stop a talking head in the airport and say anything ...

... let alone to tell said talking head what he needs to do as it pertains to the team. So, a tip of the hat to the gentleman for letting me know how he felt.

I am disappointed to say that I have no control over the outcome of each night's game. I know some people like to blame me - and Len on the north side - for smashing up no-hitters and perfect games, for ending streaks and for yanking opponents out of slumps with simply our words, but we are sadly unable to do these things. Or are we? Maybe our feigned realism is a clever ruse designed to make you think we can't control outcomes. Hmmm.....

Then there's the whole "win" idea. Friday night, the Sox won in Texas. The final score was 4-3. It felt good, as winning always does. That win put the team at 46-73. I know, I'm a wet blanket for saying the record. And, yes, it's the airport man's point.

As written in this column a few weeks ago, the Sox and General Manager Rick Hahn have been very transparent about what the goal is in regards to winning. Lose some now, win a lot more later. That doesn't mean it's necessarily easy, fun, comfortable, calming or exciting to watch any team lose, although this team has been rather spirited. I get it. Remember, though, the team with the worst record gets the highest draft pick next year.

To me, the greatest win for the Sox in a season like '17 happens when a team member who isn't one of the writ-large "TOP PROSPECTS" plays above where he's expected to. It's a good sign for the franchise, but it's also inspiring to anyone not on one of those lists. It's also purely added value.

That's exactly what Nicky Delmonico is providing for the Sox. At age 25 and a rookie, Delmonico is on his third MLB franchise. This week alone, he's had a pair of two-homerun games. That includes Friday's second round-tripper which began with Delmonico playing matchmaker for Nomar Mazara and a Globe Life Park fence. Delmonico also holds a White Sox record for reaching base in the most consecutive games to start a career at 13.

A series of players like Delmonico outdoing expectations can turn an already robust farm system into a nightmare for 29 other teams. Those sorts of wins will come as close to guaranteeing future actual wins as is possible.

Yes, Delmonico as a bonus player requires that the prospects perform as expected over the long-run. Some will, some won't, generally. This is why someone like Nicky Delmonico can be a major positive, too. His unexpected performance (by the rankings and numbers - I know he planned to do well) can negate another "prospect's" underperformance.

Root for whatever you'd like at the end of this year - wins, sunny weather, exceptional plays, the first draft pick, anything. I'm rooting for guys like Nicky Delmonico who surprise us in the best way. That, more than words from the TV guy, will "get the Sox to win."

• Jason Benetti is a play-by-play broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox, as well as ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @jasonbenetti.