Team Fantasy Preview - Chicago White Sox
Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more.
Throughout the preseason, we will be previewing all 30 teams and what their rosters bring to the fantasy baseball table. This edition covers the Chicago White Sox
Projected Lineup
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
| ORDER | POSITION | NAME | BATS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CF | Charlie Tilson | L |
| 2 | SS | Tim Anderson | R |
| 3 | 1B | Jose Abreu | R |
| 4 | LF | Melky Cabrera | S |
| 5 | 3B | Todd Frazier | R |
| 6 | C | Geovany Soto | R |
| 7 | DH | Cody Asche | L |
| 8 | RF | Avisail Garcia | R |
| 9 | 2B | Yolmer Sanchez | S |
| BENCH | IF | Carlos Sanchez | S |
| BENCH | OF | Rymer Liriano | R |
Projected Rotation
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| ORDER | NAME | THROWS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jose Quintana | L |
| 2 | Miguel Gonzalez | R |
| 3 | Carlos Rodon | L |
| 4 | James Shields | R |
| 5 | Derek Holland | L |
Bullpen Hierarchy
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
| ROLE | NAME | THROWS |
|---|---|---|
| Closer | David Robertson | R |
| Set-Up | Nate Jones | R |
| RP | Dan Jennings | L |
Top Prospect to Watch in 2017
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
2B/3B/SS Yoan Moncada will begin the season in the minors but has the talent to become Chicago's franchise player. He struggled in an eight-game stint with Boston at the end of last season, but he slashed .277/.379/.531 with 11 homers and nine stolen bases in 45 games at Double-A. He's a future 20/20 player who could be called up by June.
Who Will Drive You Crazy?
The White Sox will need a pitcher to step up behind Quintana with Chris Sale traded. Rodon was as the team's No. 3 starter the past two seasons, but he owns a career 3.95 xFIP and 3.90 ERA over 304 1/3 innings. His strikeouts trended up last year and he lowered his walk rate dramatically, but he allowed 13.8 percent HR/FB. Wins will be rare with little run support expected.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
The One to Own
The case could be made for either Abreu or Frazier. Here's how the two compared in each of the five fantasy categories last season:
| AVG | HR | R | RBI | SB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abreu | .293 | 25 | 67 | 100 | 0 |
| Frazier | .225 | 40 | 89 | 98 | 15 |
While Frazier won three of the five categories, including an impressive 15 SBs, Abreu is still the safer option based on a grossly superior batting average. The White Sox are expected to have a difficult time scoring runs in 2017, so Abreu's steady average and on-base percentage offer the most likely success.
Top Sleeper
Anderson got in 99 games and 431 plate appearances with the White Sox after being promoted from Triple-A last season. He slashed .283/.306/.432 with nine home runs and 10 stolen bases. He swiped 49 bags at Double-A in 2015, the area he's most likely to make a difference for fantasy owners. He's a quality late-round option at a thin position.