After slow start, Sox rookie Vaughn's bat warming up

The White Sox were confident Andrew Vaughn's bat would start booming once he settled in and calmed down.

The rookie left fielder looks to be right on target. After going 3-for-22 to begin his major-league career, Vaughn has been showing why he was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft.

"I think at first, definitely you are on the big stage and I haven't really been on that stage before," Vaughn said. "I definitely was pressing a little hard, trying to create a result instead of just going out and having fun and playing the game that I love and have been playing since I was a little kid."

Vaughn took a deep breath and kept working with hitting coach Frank Menechino and assistant hitting coach Howie Clark.

On a 9-for-22 tear heading into Friday night's game against the Indians, Vaughn is looking much more like he did in college. Over three seasons at California, the natural first baseman batted .376 and had 50 home runs and 163 RBI in 160 games.

"It's just a better approach," manager Tony La Russa said. "The timing thing is so important. There's a certain timing to where you get your bat ready to, they call it launch. And what the bottom half is doing, does it get on time?

"Sometimes you're a little late getting there and the timing gets messed up and your head flies. But his fundamentals have been better and he's seeing the ball better and he's going directly to it better."