The White Sox just completed their 60-game regular season, and it is indeed complete, even if it doesn't look like it. José Abreu's Baseball-Reference.com page shows black ink for the games, hits and RBI Columns, even though none of these should be league-leading columns:
- Games: 60
- Hits: 76
- RBI: 60
And yet you can scour the record books and find nobody else that eclipsed those totals.
This 60-game season is abridged on the whole -- it had a beginning, middle and end -- but for the individuals involved, it's abbreviated. Luis Robert's 60 games featured a meteoric rise followed by an arduous adjustment period. He would've spent the rest of the season trying to reestablish his first-month form, or at least finding a favorable middle ground for the rest of his rookie campaign. Instead, his season only had two acts. A late rally helped him keep his head above water.
On the other end of the career spectrum, Edwin Encarnación might have been designated for assignment by hitting .157 through 60 games. The same could be said for Nomar Mazara, unless he spent the first weeks of the season in extended spring training to regain the pep in his step with the prep lost to strep. Thanks to the conditions of the 2020 season, they both hung around for just about the entire journey.
It's creates a weird dynamic where you can extrapolate the 60-game totals for 162 games and end up with extremes we've rarely seen. Fortunately for the 2020 White Sox, the seasons mostly project for the better. There are only a few stragglers who make this an uglier exercise, with a concentration of them in the rotation.
2020 WHITE SOX HITTERS OVER 162 GAMES
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
No. 1: Jose Abreu was deprived a chance at setting franchise records for home runs and RBIs, as he was on pace to exceed Albert Belle's 49 and 152 from 1998. He would've also posted the single highest WAR total by a White Sox position player since Dick Allen's 8.6 in 1972.
No. 2: Where can I collect on my bet that Yolmer Sánchez would have more extra-base hits than Nick Madrigal, Josh?
No. 3: And yet Madrigal had a higher OPS+ than Luis Robert, which is a testament to the gap in hit tool. Robert's season numbers. Given Robert's relatively thin track record, ZiPS did a nice job (104 OPS+, 55 extra-base hits, 27 steals). He drew more walks than anticipated, which helped keep his production afloat even despite the September slump.
No. 4: Speaking of walks, the White Sox hadn't had three players collect 49 or more walks since 2011 (Adam Dunn, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez). Yoán Moncada might've drawn fewer walks had he been able to get the bat through the zone with the same intensity as previous seasons, but it's one of the better byproducts of his compromised state.
No. 5: Speaking of 2011, Edwin Encarnación would've challenged Dunn for the lowest batting average on record, although this has him coming up 13 plate appearances short of qualifying. Nomar Mazara invoked 2011 Dunn in another column, as that was the last time a guy played over 100 games while slugging below .300. Here's hoping neither factor into the White Sox's postseason games. Heal up, Eloy Jiménez.
2020 WHITE SOX PITCHERS OVER 162 GAMES
FIVE TAKEAWAYS
No. 1: Dallas Keuchel would easily lap the field as Rick Hahn's greatest proven veteran free agent signing, with only the innings being a mild disappointment. And even that, 170 innings from a 32-year-old crafty lefty is fine.
No. 2: Lucas Giolito's 262 strikeouts would be good for third on the White Sox's single-season list behind Chris Sale and Ed Walsh. I'm not sure whether he would've been able to last 195 innings, as Rick Renteria seemed to manage him with the 60-game sprint in mind.
No. 3: I like the idea of Matt Foster going 16-3 over 76 innings. I think Cy Young voters have advanced beyond wins and losses as a chief metric, but that might've broken the electorate regardless.
No. 4: Jimmy Cordero would have posted a -2.2 WAR while stranding 94 percent of his inherited runners.
No. 5: Scott Eyre holds the White Sox record for the fewest innings pitched by a guy who gave up 24 homers in a season, as he threw just 107 in 1998. Reynaldo López would've beaten his record by 37 innings.