Ostrowski: Rodon, Anderson keys going forward
Even though football season is here and there are 10 American League teams with more wins than the White Sox, fans should be paying attention to starting pitcher Carlos Rodon and shortstop Tim Anderson.
If the front office trades Chris Sale or Jose Quintana for young position players, they're going to need Rodon to step up and be the team's No. 2 starter in his third season. There won't be a front-of-the-rotation option on the open market.
Rodon has lasted at least 6 innings in all 8 of his starts since returning from a sprained left wrist, which kept him sidelined for nearly a month. In his last seven trips to the mound, Rodon has looked like a second starter with a 1.85 ERA, .227 batting average against and allowing only 2 home runs.
A strong finish might sound a little familiar. That's because Rodon was spectacular in 2015 when he closed the campaign with a 1.81 ERA and a .198 BAA in his final 8 starts. That was the reason there were such high expectations for the young starter in the off-season.
Rodon's biggest improvement has been something pitching coach Don Cooper has preached since Rodon's arrival: Throw strikes.
Rodon's walks per 9 innings is down to 2.79 from 4.59 a year ago. However, his ERA, strikeout rate and expected fielding independent pitching is nearly identical. The Sox will need the August and September Rodon for all of 2017.
Anderson was called up June 10, but we're at the point where the rookie has put in about a half-season at the major-league level. Since he is expected to be on the roster for 114 days, this year won't count as a full year of service time. This is important because that means Anderson will be under team control for six more seasons.
He is at 2.0 wins above replacement. In 2015, a four WAR player would be a top-five shortstop, but the landscape of the position has changed in 2016.
Corey Seager will be the NL Rookie of the Year. Addison Russell's emergence has made him one of the best in the game. Trevor Story and Aledmys Diaz came out of nowhere before injuries. There also are young stars Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor and Xander Bogaerts.
If Anderson qualified, his .285 average would be sixth best among shortstops. A .303 OBP and .727 OPS puts him in the middle of the pack. His walk and strikeout rates are troubling but expected to improve over time. Anderson walks just 2.4-percent of the time, the lowest rate at his position.
A .374 batting average of balls in play suggests the shortstop has run into some luck. A normal BABIP is .300, plus his line drive rate, medium and hard contact numbers are in line with the league average.
So far, Anderson has been a much better player at home. His OPS is 150 points higher on the South Side.
The bottom line is the White Sox would be thrilled to have a top-10 shortstop, and this start suggests that's what they might have.
• Joe Ostrowski is a co-host of the "Hit & Run" baseball show from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on WSCR 670-AM The Score with Barry Rozner. Follow him on Twitter@JoeO670.