The three-year streak of 100+ losses in a season may be coming to an end for the White Sox. They have won 8 of their last 12 and are flirting with .500, just 1.5 games behind first place Cleveland. They have found a few young productive hitters, as well as perhaps the best free agent find of the offseason in Munetaka Murakami. The pitching is not as solid, but top pitching prospect Noah Schultz is in the big leagues, and Hagen Smith shouldn’t be too far behind.
Kansas City Royals (19-22) vs. Chicago
White Sox (19-21) at Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Royals: 4.12 runs scored/game (23rd in MLB), 4.46 runs allowed/game (17th)
White Sox: 4.28 runs scored/game (15th), 4.62 runs allowed/game (21st)
Only five teams have hit more home runs than the White Sox, although they have the fifth-highest strikeout rate. Murakami has the third-most home runs in baseball, but is hitting just .180/.329/.426 with five home runs at home. Chase Meidroth is hitting .321/.362/.453 over his last 14 games.
Andrew Benintendi has had a huge spike in his strikeout rate, up to 32.8 percent, seventh-highest in baseball. Colson Montgomery has a 53 percent pull rate, eighth-highest in baseball. Journeyman catcher Drew Romo has a two-home run game, and a three-walk performance among his nine games with the White Sox. Former Royals outfielder Randal Grichuk has homered twice in six games since joining the White Sox after his release from the Yankees.
Erick Fedde gave up three home runs in less than five innings in his last start against the Angels. He has a 2.66 ERA in four career starts against the Royals. He has a 2.41 ERA at home this season. Salvador Perez is 4-for-8 with two walks against Fedde in his career. Stephen Kolek has a Quality Start in all six of his career starts for the Royals.
Lefty Noah Schultz was ranked the #2 prospect in the White Sox system by MLB Pipeline before the season. Standing at 6’10”, he unleashes a 95.6 mph fastball combined with a devastating slider that opponents are hitting just .111 against. He tossed six shutout innings on May 1 against the Padres, but followed it up by giving up seven runs in less than four innings in his last start against the Angels. Seth Lugo has a 1.31 ERA in 46.1 innings against the White Sox in his career.
Sean Burke has a 14.2 innings scoreless streak snapped in his last start, when he gave up six runs to the Mariners. He has induced a 17 percent pop-up rate, fourth-highest in baseball. He throws a 94 mph four-seamer, with a knuckle curve, sinker, slider, cutter, and change.
The White Sox bullpen has a 4.50 ERA, eighth-worst in baseball. Closer Seranthony Dominguez has converted 9 of 11 save opportunities. Grant Taylor has a 34.8 percent strikeout rate, 11th-highest among relievers. Sean Newcomb has a reverse split with lefties hitting .314 against him. The White Sox acquired former Royals pitcher Trevor Richards from the Phillies last week.
The White Sox and Royals split their four-game series in Kansas City in early April with Royals pitchers tossing two shutouts. Chicago has been rebuilding, and have built a roster that is not a total pushover anymore. The Royals took 10 of 13 from the White Sox last year, but they’ll have to work harder to win this year’s season series.
