Saturday, March 29

CHICAGO -- Forget about 2024.

That will be an understandable mantra for a number of Major League Baseball teams when Opening Day 2025 arrives this Thursday. But it’s an especially salient idea for the Chicago White Sox.

Pay no mind to the single-season record-breaking 121 losses from last year. Forget about the offensive woes plaguing them for almost the entirety of that past campaign. Push aside the myriad tough losses, done in myriad ways.

Will Venable is the new man in charge as the sixth White Sox manager since the end of the 2020 season, and the focus is on better play for the present ahead of what should be an exciting future. Those 222 losses from the last two years combined? They are history.

“Obviously, it seems like a newer clubhouse. It seems like we’ve had a lot of new clubhouses the last few years,” said left fielder Andrew Benintendi, beginning his third season with the team. “It seems like it’s a gritty group.

“Guys play the game the right way, play hard. And that’s all we can do. Go out there and play the best we can, and whatever happens, happens. We are trying to forget about last year and take it a game at a time.”

What needs to go right? Player development

Whether the White Sox simply are improved or somehow make their way to contention, as Martin Pérez suggested during Spring Training, the main story for this latest version of their rebuild is how the young core develops. Chicago has six of the Top 100 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, and left-handers Noah Schultz (MLB No. 16 prospect, White Sox No. 1) and Hagen Smith (MLB No. 34, White Sox No. 3), catchers Kyle Teel (MLB No. 32, White Sox No. 2) and Edgar Quero (MLB No. 65, White Sox No. 6) and shortstop Colson Montgomery (MLB No. 39, White Sox No. 4) have a chance to reach the big leagues at some point this season.

This list doesn’t even touch upon the excellence of right-hander Grant Taylor, the No. 7 White Sox prospect. But it goes beyond the headliners, as the club looks to bring along more from its sixth-rated Minor League system.

Great unknown: How long will Luis Robert Jr. be with the team?

The five-tool talent is coming off a rough and injury-plagued 2024 season, following one of the most complete campaigns in franchise history in ‘23. Robert fully understands the business side of the game, and while he hasn’t pushed general manager Chris Getz for any sort of resolution, he also knows with one year and two team options left on his deal, he’s likely to be traded at some point. Other organizations have witnessed his vast talent but might wait for the 27-year-old to show healthy productiveness before upping their offers. 

Team MVP will be ... Robert

When Robert is healthy, as mentioned above, he’s the most talented player on this squad and will put up the best numbers across the board -- from power output to stolen bases to defense in center. But how can a player who could be traded sooner than later be considered the team MVP, you might ask? Well, in the world of rebuilds, not only will Robert’s solid play help the team in the present, it likely will bring the White Sox a prospect return that helps them in the future.

Team Cy Young will be ... Davis Martin

Martin’s stellar performance during Spring Training clearly was strong enough to earn him serious Opening Day consideration, and his overall body of work since joining the White Sox leaves him as the pick in this category. He worked his way back through recovery from Tommy John surgery to make 10 starts (11 appearances) in 2024 and has not only his most complete repertoire as part of the White Sox but also plenty of confidence on the mound. The list of candidates for next year’s unofficial honor could look a little different.

Bold Prediction: Taylor reaches the Majors

Think of the outstanding way Garrett Crochet was managed last year, going from 12 2/3 innings thrown in 2023 to one of the best starters in baseball in ’24, and apply it on a smaller scale to Taylor. The right-hander, who topped 100 mph in his first Cactus League outing, will be built up in the Minors as a starter, but the deceleration and continuation of innings will come as a reliever or shortened starter in the Majors.

How many consecutive seasons have the White Sox had a different player starting as their Opening Day second baseman, including 2025?

A) 2

B) 5

C) 12

D) 13

• Best of luck to Daryl Van Schouwen, my good friend and colleague for the past 15 years, as he retires from close to four decades of great work with the Sun Times.

• Derek Jeter is a phenomenal choice to deliver this year’s commencement address for the University of Michigan spring graduation. But did my alma mater lose my number? After all, I graduated from there with honors. Maybe next year?

• Speaking of Michigan -- and don’t I always -- are the Wolverines men’s basketball team and the squad from Michigan State on an Elite 8 collision course in the South Region? It would be one of the most memorable NCAA Tournament games of all time, which of course is only true if the Wolverines win.

“In terms of solving the elbow injuries and shoulder injuries, I can’t say we have a clear answer here with the White Sox. I am confident to say most organizations would respond the same way.” -- Getz, whose organization had six pitchers suffer significant arm injuries in the time from one week before Spring Training to the end. Five have undergone or will undergo Tommy John surgery.

“Guy at second base, nobody out? Just get him to third. Just play the game the right way, and in the end, the team with the most runs wins. It doesn’t matter how you get there.” -- Benintendi

D) 13

The starter on Thursday marks a 13th season with a new second baseman, as Gordon Beckham was the last repeat starter at that spot from 2010-13. As for the other 11 … Marcus Semien (‘14), Micah Johnson (‘15), Brett Lawrie (‘16), Tyler Saladino (‘17), Yoán Moncada (‘18), Yolmer Sánchez (‘19), Leury García (‘20), Nick Madrigal (‘21), Josh Harrison (‘22), Elvis Andrus (‘23) and Nicky Lopez (‘24). 

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