Rozner: It's safe to watch White Sox baseball again

The White Sox are interesting.

Just let that simmer for a moment. A team that's lost 195 games the last two years is rather watchable and - dare to say - entertaining.

After a 2018 season in which they had 10 players with a 1.0 WAR or better all season, the Sox already have six after two months. It doesn't sound like much, but think about the last few years of White Sox baseball.

It's way too soon to say the rebuild has taken shape, but some of the pieces are starting to find their place and this is not insignificant.

And for a starving fan base, there is at least a product that on most days has been worth the trouble. This is also not a small matter.

The Sox are 29-30 and tied for second place, which leads to the natural reaction of wondering what might have been had Michael Kopech and Carlos Rodon been healthy, had Manny Machado accepted the hundreds of millions they offered in free agency.

This is also part of the fan process, the dreaming of possibilities.

The present reality is the Sox are still far away, but some of those pieces are starting to show some form and they give you a reason to participate.

You can't take your eyes off Tim Anderson (hitting .330 with a 1.7 WAR), the April Player of the Month who has become one of the most exciting players in the game, at the plate and in the field.

Yoan Moncada (10 homers, 35 RBI, .283, 1.7 WAR) needed to have a good year and he has found the start the Sox hoped he would find.

Jose Abreu, so remarkably consistent, is leading the league in RBI (50) and on pace for 41 homers and 137 RBI.

Eloy Jimenez has shown flashes. He simply needs health and reps and he will be what both the Cubs and White Sox thought he would be.

There's the crazy James McCann story and the bursts of delight from others.

And, of course, there's Lucas Giolito.

As of Monday morning, he's the fifth betting choice in the American League Cy Young race at 10-1, behind only Justin Verlander (3-2), Jake Odorizzi (5-1), Jose Berrios (6-1) and Domingo German (7-1).

He's fourth in American League pitching WAR (2.3), and 8-1 with a 2.54 ERA. His 2.63 FIP leads the league. His 0.95 WHIP is second only to Verlander and his ERA is third best.

It's an amazing turnaround from last year, when at this time he was 4-7 with a 7.53 ERA and a WHIP of 1.69. He finished 2018 at 10-13 with a league-worst 6.13 ERA among starters, 5.56 FIP, 1.48 WHIP and a league-worst 90 walks.

It was in April of last year that an email was received here from a gentleman named Matt, who did not identify himself further. Apparently, in discussing the Sox's pitching on radio, I suggested that Giolito had "outstanding stuff," and this aggravated Matt.

The note included a brief insult and explained that he played college baseball and knew a scout.

Matt finished with, "Eddie Butler on the Cubs has better stuff than Giolito and he is the last guy out of the pen. Most guys of Giolito's size have a very hard time repeating their mechanics. This kid does not strike me as a fierce competitor. He will wash out."

Nothing against Eddie Butler, but he's pitching in South Korea and Giolito is among the best starters in the American League.

There was no prediction involved in the discussion that irritated Matt. There is no claim now of seeing this coming, nor is there a forecast of how long Giolito can stay on this run.

It was merely a case of defending Giolito's potential and that of the other young or inexperienced Sox starters within the context of the trades they had made, and those that they might make.

You find guys with stuff, guys with ability and guys who want to compete. You collect as many as you can and you hope a decent percentage can discover the answers and stay healthy.

That's always been the policy here in regards to rebuilds and pitching. It's not exactly a magic formula.

In any case, Giolito is a fascinating watch these days, the result of a tighter delivery, improved mechanics and better use of his four-seamer to offset a devastating changeup and wipeout slider.

Yeah, that's outstanding stuff.

The A.L. Pitcher of the Month for May, Giolito over his last 6 starts is 6-0 with a shutout, 2 complete games, a 1.03 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and .401 opponent OPS.

Giolito is just another reason for Sox fans to buy tickets or stay tuned to the games.

Maybe it doesn't seem like much, but it's a start.