First Pitch: White Sox vs. Royals

Guaranteed Rate Field exterior

TV: NBC Sports Chicago

Lineups:

https://twitter.com/whitesox/status/1659944873145802755
https://twitter.com/Royals/status/1659946579967524865

Author

  • Jim Margalus

    Writing about the White Sox for a 16th season, first here, then at South Side Sox, and now here again. Letโ€™s talk curling.

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a-t

Two Royals cut down on the bases in as many innings. Not used to good defense favoring us but Iโ€™m sure happy about it.

Terrible baserunning from Pratto though. With Moncada converting the putout, thereโ€™s two outs; thereโ€™s no tagging up or scoring from 3rd on a groundout, and since thereโ€™s 2 down heโ€™s running on contact and scoring on just about any hit anyways.

Adam

Lol, Steve Stone in the first inning, โ€œThere will be no complete game today for Lylesโ€ as he threw pitch 26. 20 pitches laterโ€ฆheโ€™s through 3 innings.

Never underestimate our hitters

a-t

nice escape from that jam gio

Adam

Getting nervous for Yoan. He came up funny on that Pratto double. Wincing and limping. Kind of had the same limp on his swing this inning. He makes such a difference on both sides. Need to build a giant bubble to keep him in

As Cirensica

Hard to tell with him. He is always wincing and limping

Adam

This string of consecutive quality starts is so refreshing. Seeing what it could be. Plus our pen has been downright good when they arenโ€™t overtaxed.

a-t

it’s a very talented pitching staff. issues with walks and depth but there’s a high ceiling here

As Cirensica

I have a feeling we’re gonna need more than two runs today

Last edited 1 year ago by As Cirensica
a-t

that’s more than 2!

Joliet Orange Sox

I have a feeling we’re going to get more than two runs today.

As Cirensica

I was wrong. Two were enough.

a-t

Robertโ€™s been getting that catcherโ€™s interference a lot

As Cirensica

Vaughn strikes out silly with ball four and bases l8aded with no outs.

Have I said that I am still waiting for Vaughn’s breakout?

Adam

I really like Vaughn. But if we were full strength (insert laugh here), and we have Eloy, Burger, Sheets, Vaughn to fill Rf, 1b, Dhโ€ฆVaughns the one sitting

As Cirensica

I am OK with that

soxvu

Or the one traded?

FishSox

RISP
Vaughn .417/.917/1.417
Eloy . .333/.481/.881
Burger . 300/.700/1.048
Sheets .318/.727/1.194

So you want to sit Vaughn? Is your aim to score fewer runs?

Right Size Wrong Shape

2023 wRC+

Vaughn 102
Eloy 103
Burger 185
Sheets 111

So if your aim is to score fewer runs, Vaughn has been your man so far.

FishSox

Baseball games are decided by runs on the board, not stats. You are using a stat to make a false presumption that Vaughn contributes fewer runs on the board when the actual evidence, is that when runs are available to be scored, RISP, Vaughn delivers better than any Sox player and also most of MLB.

wRC+ uses an imperfect/arbitrary formula to try and achieve a measure of relative worth. I’m not claiming it is bad, has no value or isn’t a good indicator, just that it’s not imperfect. RISP uses absolute numbers to show who actually drives in runs when the opportunity presents itself. None of those players does that with the proficiency that Vaughn does. If you put any of those players up to bat with RISP, they will deliver less productivity than Vaughn.

Last edited 1 year ago by FishSox
FishSox

What drags Vaughn’s wRC+ number down are his pedestrian numbers without RISP. But to believe you don’t need an RBI producer in your lineup everyday, hitting behind the guys setting the table, is to ignore the truly human aspect of clutch hitting, which Vaughn demonstrates that he’s better at than any of the players mentioned.

Last edited 1 year ago by FishSox
FishSox

Have any of you looked at his numbers with risp? He’s an rbi machine. BA .417 Ops 1.417, with 2 outs BA .583, ops 1.956, bases loaded BA .333 OPS 1.000.

Those are elite, top of mlb numbers, 7th in the AL for BA RISP. And you want to sit him? Wtf?

Last edited 1 year ago by FishSox
HallofFrank

Serious question: do you believe Vaughn will keep up that kind of production or exhibits a special skill of hitting well with RISP?

Stats like wRC+ are designed to eliminate some of that noise, like things he canโ€™t control (i.e. whether runners are in scoring position).

a-t

a little touch and go, but ultimately a good outing for reylo

Adam

Boy, TA has been a disaster on this home stand. Both sides of the ball

Good luck against Joe Kelly right now. Sheesh.

I’m so jealous of the fans who got those track jackets.

a-t

Good stuff. That felt like a โ€˜21 game, in a good way. Strong pitching staff holds down a crappy ALC opponent, while a lineup of 6 good hitters and 3 automatic outs generates sufficient run support for a cruising win. +14 run differential over these 5 home games.