Martín Pérez, the old guy dominating a pickup basketball game at the YMCA with a dizzying array of fundamentally sound post moves of MLB, has provided a wonderful 35 2/3 innings for the White Sox, sandwiched around a career-threatening injury.
He's compiled a 2.02 ERA that every run estimator thinks should be at least a run higher. Seemingly every pitch in his arsenal, including his changeup that strangely has the exact same movement profile of his sinker but is just 7 mph slower, is over-performing expectations and batted ball estimates. Luckily, any confusion about his true ability will be clarified on Sunday, as he faces the best offense in MLB against left-handed pitching.
The Yankees' 118 wRC+ against southpaws is the best mark in the sport, and their 53 home runs against lefties are the most. Pérez will either be humbled or ascend to immortality. Either result would be valuable personal development.
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The White Sox will need a new starter for Monday in Minneapolis, since they allowed Aaron Civale to be claimed off waivers by the Cubs. Will that starter be Bryse Wilson? He's a decent guess, since his contract was purchased and re-added to the 40-man roster, which is a lot of trouble just to have him temporarily take Civale's roster spot.
Wilson has a 3.86 ERA in 39 2/3 innings while swinging between roles in Charlotte, while Civale posted a 5.37 ERA in 67 innings in Chicago after coming over for Andrew Vaughn. Flipping a struggling first baseman who was rotting in Triple-A for a passable big league starter seemed like good value, but baseball is funny like that.
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September call-ups arrive on Monday. Which soon-to-be Rule 5 eligible pitcher are you most excited to see? Tanner McDougal? Peyton Pallette? Duncan Davitt? Ben Peoples? Jake Eder back again somehow?
Whoever it is, they'll probably get Kyle Teel's old locker stall, since he moved across the clubhouse to a spot closer to Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and other positional regulars.
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Speaking of offenses with striking splits, the White Sox have the lowest batting average (.230) and third-worst wRC+ (86) with runners in scoring position, which was reiterated as they collected two singles in 15 at-bats in Saturday's 5-3 loss in 11 innings.
"One year you look at a team and they can be first, the next year they could be 20th," said director of hitting Ryan Fuller. "There's a lot that goes into it. But really, how can you simplify it? A lot of these guys with runners in scoring position, opportunities come up and it's a feeling of 'I have to do this, I have to put a ball in the air. I have to make contact.' That creates anxiety.
How can we go back to the pillars that we have of the pitcher is on the mound, this is the zone we're looking in, when he puts it there, I want to put a good swing on the ball? Usually when we simplify, keep the process the same that it always is in any situation, these guys feel like that's exactly what I know what to do, I don't feel like I have to do any more. That's usually when we're at our best."
First pitch: White Sox vs. Yankees
TV: CHSN
Radio: ESPN 1000 AM, WRTO 1200 AM (Spanish)
Lineups:
| Yankees | White Sox | |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Goldschmidt, 1B | 1 | Mike Tauchman, RF |
| Aaron Judge, DH | 2 | Kyle Teel, DH |
| Cody Bellinger, CF | 3 | Lenyn Sosa, 1B |
| Giancarlo Stanton, RF | 4 | Colson Montgomery, SS |
| Amed Rosario, 3B | 5 | Edgar Quero, C |
| Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B | 6 | Curtis Mead, 3B |
| Anthony Volpe, SS | 7 | Will Robertson, LF |
| Ben Rice, C | 8 | Chase Meidroth, 2B |
| José Caballero, LF | 9 | Michael A. Taylor, CF |
| Luis Gil | SP | Martín Pérez |
