Unheralded McCann making major impact with White Sox

On Dec. 15, the White Sox signed James McCann to a one-year, $2.5 million contract.

If you didn't notice - or didn't really care - there's no need to apologize.

While the 28-year-old catcher did some nice things with the Tigers the past five seasons, McCann joined the Sox with little fanfare and a career .240/.288/.366 hitting line to match. For most, he was viewed as little more than a placeholder for top catching prospect Zack Collins.

It just might be a one-and-done season for McCann, but the White Sox could have second thoughts if he continues making an impact.

"He's been really, really good," Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He came into camp working very hard. You can see he's quite a pro. He takes everything he does seriously. He has an idea of what he wants to do, he works very well with the staff, all the coaches, putting himself where he wants to be offensively.

"He's had a good run here for us and we're able to take advantage of that."

Against the Orioles Monday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, McCann was the White Sox's cleanup hitter for his fourth straight game. He singled in his first at-bat and doubled the next time.

"I don't know that I feel like a cleanup hitter or a leadoff hitter or anything," McCann said. "When it's my turn to hit I try to have a quality at-bat each and every time. If that means moving a runner, if that means driving a runner in or if that means getting on base, I think when guys get caught up in where they're hitting in the lineup they can get kind of mixed up and try to do too much or whatever it may be.

"Honestly, once you're the second time through the order, you're not really a cleanup hitter or a leadoff hitter anymore."

McCann struck out nearly 25 percent of the time when he played for Detroit. This season, he's showing much better plate discipline and it's paying off.

"Staying within myself, taking what's given to me, not trying to do too much," McCann said. "I look back in my past, when things weren't going good I was trying to do too much. When you try and do too much it ends up snowballing, a slump ends up being instead of 10 to 15 at-bats, it ends up 20 or 30 at-bats. But if you stay within yourself and take what's given to you, those highs and those lows will stay more in the middle."