White Sox's patience with Moncada pays off big
A decorated prospect in the Red Sox's minor-league system, Yoan Moncada was looking like a dud in 2018, his first full major-league season.
Joining the White Sox in a trade with Boston, Moncada hit .235/.315/.400 in '18 and came dangerously close to setting the major-league record for most strikeouts in a season.
To the many jumping off a Moncada bandwagon that lurched out of the gate, White Sox manager Rick Renteria pleaded for patience.
"I know there are high expectations," Renteria said. "Those high expectations always put people in this idea that the numbers have to be really, really good at the major-league level. I'm sure they'll get there at some point.
"I'd say 1,500 at-bats at the major-league level might be a point of reference for people to determine what he is or isn't."
As it turns out, 1,307 major-league at-bats was enough to convince the Sox - among others - that Moncada is indeed going to live up to the massive expectations.
That's the total number of at-bats Moncada had in the big leagues at the end of last season, when the White Sox's third baseman put everything together.
"My confidence level is very high right now after what I did last season," Moncada said through a translator. "I'm sure I'm able to do big things, and I feel good for this season."
Moncada is feeling even better after agreeing to a five-year, $70 million contract extension with the Sox late last week. The new deal includes a $25 million club option for 2025.
Last season, Moncada finished third in the American League with a .315 batting average and he tied for 10th with a .915 OPS. The switch-hitter also struck out 154 times, down from 217 in 2018, and was much more aggressive at the plate.
"I'm going to keep the same approach I had last year," the 24-year-old Moncada said. "I'm going to try to strike every pitch that's in the strike zone. That's what I did last year and I got very good results. I'm not planning to change that. If I see a good pitch to hit, I'm going to swing at it."
Moncada still has a good eye, and he is likely to open the season as the White Sox's leadoff hitter.
"In 2018, when I was leadoff, I took a lot of pitches because that's the role of the leadoff hitter," Moncada said. "Last year, being second, fourth, it's just different. But I never changed my mind or my approach last year in any of the positions where I hit because I was in a different mindset. I think that was a big key for me in the results I had last year."