White Sox ties in the 2019 MLB Postseason

For the 11th consecutive year, Major League Baseball has decided to stage a postseason even though the Chicago White Sox aren’t involved. October baseball literally and figuratively begins tonight with the National League Wild Card game. The Nationals will host the Brewers at 7 p.m. CT on TBS, followed by Rays-Athletics on ESPN at the same time on Wednesday.

We’re used to being on the outside looking in when it comes to rooting interests, and here’s this year’s survey of the competition regarding which former White Sox are crashing the party. There are a couple of notable first-timers, starting with…

Washington Nationals

Adam Eaton joins Chris Sale and Jose Quintana in making a postseason appearance before the White Sox (the Nats also made it in 2017, but Eaton wasn’t healthy). He’s coming off a regular season that would fit right in with his White Sox production…

… but those numbers aren’t quite what they used to be. Offensively, they lose ground with the home run boom, and paired with below-average metrics in right field, he’s down to an average player.

Also, Daniel Hudson has had a nice season. The Nationals are his fifth team in four years, but he’s moving around because of demand this time.

Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee used to be White Sox North, but Junior Guerra may be the only former Sox on the roster, as Matt Albers doesn’t look likely to make the cut. Albers’ ERA the past four years:

• 2015: 1.21 ERA over 30 games
• 2016: 6.31 ERA over 58 games
• 2017: 1.62 ERA over 63 games
• 2018: 7.34 ERA over 34 games
• 2019: 5.13 ERA over 67 games

Gio Gonzalez only picked up five decisions in 19 games (17 starts), as Milwaukee seldom used him for more than five innings.

St. Louis Cardinals

There’s Jose Martinez, whom the White Sox signed out of Venezuela during the Dave Wilder days, but didn’t reach the majors until 10 years and three organizations later. He’s another guy who hasn’t benefited from the power explosion, as he’s hitting .269/.340/.410. Paul Goldschmidt bumped him to right field, where he is not good. All in all, that’s a sub-replacement-level player.

There’s also Rangel Ravelo, who is somebody in the Jose Martinez mold (came into pro ball with the White Sox as a teenager, made it to the majors 10 years and multiple organizations later, not a traditional power-hitting first baseman). He’s on the fringe of the postseason roster. (Added, h/t Steve)

Atlanta Braves

Good ol’ Tyler Flowers makes the postseason for the second time since the White Sox non-tendered him. He went 1-for-7 against the Dodgers in the ALDS last year. His numbers are back to where they were with the Sox — a .229 average and a 33 percent strikeout rate. He’s still a top-three framer though, and that’s what keeps him employed by teams that know better. Also, Anthony Swarzak should make the roster, and some current White Sox might not mind seeing a meltdown from him.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have avoided playing a former White Sox all season. Jake Peter hit .199 for Oklahoma City this year.

Oakland Athletics

Now here’s a team with some former White Sox.

That was last year’s photo, but Marcus Semien, Chris Bassitt and Josh Phegley are still around and contributing to a postseason team. This time, Semien is an MVP candidate and Bassitt is a 10-game winner in the rotation, with two of them coming against a White Sox team he loves to dominate. Phegley is the only one who looks like we remember him — decent pop, but low OBP and bad defense — but he had to play 106 games because of injuries behind the plate. The A’s don’t seem to mind.

Who else? J.B. Wendelken, traded as a farmhand to Oakland in the Brett Lawrie deal, has resurfaced in the A’s bullpen after a bad start led to him spending most of the year in Triple-A. He’s joined by Joakim Soria, who has been a mild disappointment in the bullpen, but he’s finishing the year strong. Opponents were 1-for-23 against him in September. Frankie Montas would’ve been a part of this, but he’s ineligible for the postseason due to a PED suspension.

Tampa Bay Rays

Add Avisaíl García to the list of former White Sox making his postseason after failing to get there in Chicago. He finally reached 20 homers for the first time in his career after hitting 18 in 2017 and 19 in 2018, attaining the round number in his third-to-last game of the season. He hit .282/.332/.464 over 530 plate appearances for the Rays this season, which basically splits the difference between his last two years with the Sox. Two differences: He stole a career-high 10 bases, and he played 12 games in center field.

Minnesota Twins

Like the Dodgers, the Twins didn’t have a single former White Sox wear their uniform this season.

New York Yankees

The White Sox supplied a fair amount of talent to the Yankees’ postseason roster a couple of years ago, but Latham’s Tommy Kahnle is the last man standing on New York’s side. He’s had a bounce-back year for the Bombers, posting a 3.67 ERA with 88 strikeouts and a 1.06 WHIP over 61⅓ innings. He’s given up a crooked number every three outings over this final stretch, which might be partially attributable to wrist tendinitis, and partially the reason he almost damaged his throwing hand slamming a sunflower seed container in the dugout.

Houston Astros

If it weren’t for Chris Devenski — who never pitched above A-ball for the White Sox before he was traded to Houston in the Brett Myers deal — the Astros would have no relevance with regards to this post for the last two years. Devenski’s effectiveness has diminished, and he might not even be a lock for postseason rosters, but it still turned out to be a pretty nifty deal on their side.

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