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Chicago White Sox striking out at a record pace

In the midst of a dubious franchise record set earlier this month, Chicago White Sox hitting coach Todd Steverson spoke out.

"We had that string there and I had no problem walking in and telling my team, 'Look, we have to clean this up,' " Steverson said.

From Aug. 5-13, Sox hitters struck out 10 or more times in eight straight games. According to STATS, that was one game short of the major-league record the Milwaukee Brewers set last season.

Heading into Friday night's game against the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox ranked second in baseball with 1,163 strikeouts. That put them on a pace for 1,570, which would easily surpass the club-record 1,397 set last year.

"It does," Steverson said when asked if this season's high strikeout total bothers him. "You don't make them make a play because you're turning around and walking back to the dugout. You only get 27 outs a game. You end up getting to two strikes, you've got to find a way to fight, you have to find a way to do your best to put the ball in play."

Yoan Moncada led the majors with 172 strikeouts through Thursday and was on pace to break the all-time, single-season record of 223 set by the Arizona Diamondbacks' Mark Reynolds in 2009.

In his first full season, Moncada has a good eye and the patience of a veteran hitter. On the flip side, he takes way too many close pitches for called third strikes.

"I understand it's not that easy, hitting is not that easy," Steverson said. "But the mindset has got to be there to fight, to battle and make them throw a strike and get you out. There is some anxiety that sets in on a lot of hitters, and that's everywhere.

"You have two strikes and only have one left. I don't want the umpire to make the decision for me. If it's close, you have to swing at it."

Moncada's high total has attracted attention throughout the season, but Matt Davidson, Tim Anderson and Daniel Palka also rank in the Top 50 among major-league strikeout leaders.

"The two-strike approach is something we talk about a lot and still has to be implemented in practical terms so that it's useful," manager Rick Renteria said. "We don't want our guys swinging out of the zone. We do want them to be able to defend themselves and keep a ball in play when need be.

"I'm not thinking in regards of how (strikeouts) continue to mount and what that indicates or doesn't indicate. We look at all of our guys individually and figure out what it is we can help them with in terms of attacking that strike zone and being ready to hit."

Considering this is the first offensive season in major-league history that could end with more strikeouts than hits, the White Sox's high total isn't overly alarming.

But it is definitely an issue, and that's why contact hitters such as Nick Madrigal, Jake Burger, Gavin Sheets and Zack Collins have been high draft picks the last three years.

"We talk about it," Steverson said. "Choke up, spread out, do what you need to do to try to put the ball in play. Don't forget about the two-strike approach. If they're going to get us out, make them make the play on us.

"That's my thing when it comes to strikeouts. I know they're high, I know they're going to happen. But they don't have to happen for a lack of an approach."

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