Who's looking up, down after White Sox's rough season
For most of the regular season — which mercifully closed for the Chicago White Sox on Sunday — much of the focus was on Class AAA Charlotte, AA Birmingham, high A Winston-Salem and low A Kannapolis.
That's where the Sox's hopes for the future were playing, and that's where many fans turned their attention.
As for the major-league White Sox, let's wrap up the season with a selective individual look at the good, bad and indifferent.
ARROW UP
Reynaldo Lopez
The right-hander was 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA in 5 September starts. As the Sox suspected since getting him in the 2016 trade that sent Adam Eaton to the Nationals, Lopez is a front-of-the-rotation talent.
Tim Anderson
The biggest question was his defense, and Anderson showed Gold Glove-caliber skills after the all-star break. He also became the first shortstop in White Sox history to have 20 or more home runs and stolen bases in a season.
Daniel Palka
Claimed off waivers from the Twins last November, the left-handed slugger led all major-league rookies with 27 home runs and is a near lock to stay with the Sox moving forward.
Carlos Rodon
He had a tough September (0-5, 9.22 ERA), but the left-hander was a combined 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA in July and August. Only one year removed from shoulder surgery, Rodon should come back strong in 2019.
Jose Abreu
A pair of odd ailments (testicular torsion, right-thigh infection) took their toll on Abreu late in the year. Otherwise, he was on pace for another season with 25 homers and 100 RBI.
Omar Narvaez
Zack Collins is the White Sox's No. 1 catcher of the future, but Narvaez positioned himself for a backup role with a solid hitting line (.275/.366/.429) and improved defense.
ARROW DOWN
Lucas Giolito
It was his first full season in the major leagues, and Giolito figures to benefit from the experience and work to improve. But his 6.13 ERA was the highest in baseball among qualified starters, and the right-hander ranked second with 90 walks.
Nicky Delmonico
He fractured his right hand in mid-May after being hit by a pitch, missed two months and wasn't the same hitter when he did return. A healthy Delmonico should vastly improve this season's slash line (.215/.296/.373).
Matt Davidson
He had 9 home runs at the end of April but only 11 over the final five months of the season. Combine that with the .230/.321/.422 slash line and you have a disappointing year.
Welington Castillo
An 80-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs hurt Castillo, and it hurt the Sox's young pitching staff.
ARROW FLAT
Yoan Moncada
He led the majors with 217 strikeouts but also finished his first full major-league season with 32 doubles, 6 triples, 17 home runs, 61 RBI and 67 walks. When he becomes more aggressive with the bat, Moncada's numbers should improve across the board.
Avisail Garcia
After finishing second in the American League with a .330 batting average in 2017, Garcia dipped to .236 this year. He did hit a career-high 19 home runs while dealing with knee and hamstring injuries all season.
Yolmer Sanchez
The offensive production tailed off in the second half of the season, but Sanchez did step in and play solid defense at third base.
Adam Engel
He has a great glove and range in center field, but Engel's bat remained a problem this season.