A White Sox fan can be reassured by the White Sox running away with the division in 2021 despite getting fewer than 100 games from three of their four top outfielders, their star catcher and their up-and-coming second baseman.
Another White Sox fan can wonder if the stunning overall health of the pitching staff and fluke performances at the DH spot means it'd be hard to absorb such a high injury toll yet again.
This is one area where the White Sox were proactive, because they replaced longtime strength and conditioning director Allen Thomas with Goldy Simmons, who served in that role in the minor leagues to better recent results.
They just couldn't talk about it because of the lockout, and then it ended up being buried by everything that's happened post-CBA agreement.
Fortunately, James Fegan circled back to the move. Simmons himself isn't going to elaborate on any changes he intends to make from the Thomas era -- "there but for the grace of God go I" comes to mind -- but Fegan is able to flesh out (soft tissue joke) a bit of a track record thanks to success stories on the farm. Jake Burger and Gavin Sheets both cited Simmons as integral in reshaping their bodies to increase athleticism:
“I hate to see AT go because I loved AT, but when I saw Goldy was taking his place, I was fired up,” said Gavin Sheets, who also said Simmons was instrumental in helping him become lean and quick enough to play the outfield. “The most important thing, especially for longevity during the season, is that everybody’s different or their body moves differently. Everybody has different deficiencies, strengths, and so when he can pick those out and make individual programs, that’s huge for all of us.”
So far, the only spring casualty is Yermín Mercedes, who will miss six to eight weeks with a fractured hamate bone, but that kind of injury isn't under Simmons' jurisdiction.
Keith Law tends to be lower on the White Sox's prominent Cuban signings than other evaluators. Part of it is that Law doesn't like to take other people's words for it, and other people are the only ones who saw guys like Oscar Colás and Yoelqui Céspedes in recent seasons. It wouldn't be that noticeable in most cases, but the cautious reads stick out more in a system that's expecting such players to be contributors in the near future.
Law liked Colás well enough to rank him third on his top prospect list, but he came away more enthusiastic about Colás' skill set after seeing him in person for the first time.
Some good news for White Sox fans, though – Oscar Colas, who signed for $2.7 million in January after three years in the Japanese minor leagues, is playing in High-A games and showing some plus tools. He’s got bat speed and plus power, homering to lead off his game on Friday. He also shows good plate coverage with some chase but the ability to hit some pitches out of the zone, at least at this level. He’s not as explosive as Luis Robert, to whom he will inevitably be compared as another Cuban outfielder signed by Chicago, but he has easy 20 homer power and a plus-plus arm (he’d been up to 95 mph on the mound in the past), and if he shows he can handle better breaking stuff this year, he could be a fast mover in a diminished White Sox system.
Law also said Bryan Ramos has incredible bat speed and might have 25-30 homer upside," in case anybody else wants to get on this bandwagon.
