We've known it for some time now; the second Rick Hahn rebuild was a bust. Sure, they made consecutive playoffs (barely) two straight seasons for the first time in franchise history, but after lofty talk of parades and waves of talent rolling in, it ended far too soon and accomplished far too little. Now, here we are, just three years later, arguably the worst team in the history of MLB.
I've spent so much time lamenting the White Sox many failures that I'd like to at least reflect on some of the positives that occurred by listing the players who, in my opinion, were the best contributors to the rebuild window. I would argue that the White Sox hit a critical mass of internal talent from 2019-21. This is why it was so galling when they failed to sign Harper/Machado or acquire any players more significant than the likes of James McCann (who panned out beyond anybody's best expectations), Yonder Alonso (who panned out worse than we could have ever imagined), and Ivan Nova (meh) before the 2019 season; they wasted elite production years from multiple players by slow-rolling everything and acting like 2022 was the year it would all come together.
This list focuses on internally developed talent, so 2020-21 Yasmani Grandal and 2021 Liam Hendricks/Lance Lynn were not considered (and weren't here for the duration anyhow). That said, let's reflect fondly on players who gave us great expectations that this whole endeavor might actually have worked. Please feel free to comment with your own top fives!
Honorable Mention: Yoan Moncada
Yes, compared to expectations Moncada was a massive disappointment, but during the 2019-21 period he was a reasonably reliable player (328 games played out of 384) who stabilized the third base position and even provided the expected star level production in 2019. With 9.8 bWAR over these three seasons made possible by solid defense and a robust .279/.363/.464 triple slash, there's an argument to be made that he should be in the top-5 himself. I only put him here because his production was so heavily front-loaded, he was not very good in 2020 (struggling with post-COVID effects, in all fairness), and was terrible in both postseasons. Still, he was a key contributor at the time even if he fell short of what was hoped for, and if you're not grading on a curve he should probably be fourth.
5. Aaron Bummer
One of the more polarizing figures from the rebuild era, there's no denying that from 2019-21 Bummer was one of the best relievers in the game. A 19th round draft pick who spent his first two seasons on the south side as a mediocre relief option who was terrible with inherited runners in 2018, Bummer found another gear in 2019, breaking out and posting a 2.63 ERA (171 ERA+), 3.10 FIP, and 27.5 K% over the next three seasons. In the postseason he got shelled in Game 2 of the 2021 series against the Astros, but was not scored on in his four other appearances, two of which he recorded four and five outs in. He was still good in 2022 but missed a large chunk of the season, and he got BABIP'd to death in 2023 before being traded. As a late round draft pick, spending multiple seasons as one of the best setup men in the game marks him as a huge win for White Sox developmental.
4. Leury Garcia
Though he became the subject of much fan frustration at the beginning of his White Sox tenure for his ridiculously limp-noodled bat and at the end thanks in large part to the farcical 3-year, $16.5 million contract he signed before the 2022 season, during the 2019-21 period he was one of the best utility players in the game. Though his bat was still far from stellar (.274/.321/.381, 89 OPS+ in these three seasons), his speed and defensive versatility made him a valued player indeed, especially as the team struggled with various injuries across the roster. Also, let's not forget that highlight reel homer from the 2021 playoffs, which was the feel good moment of the postseason. Playing every spot in the lineup except first base and catcher, his presence provided a valuable bulwark between absent starters and the abyss, and his 4.1 bWAR provided during this period can't be discounted. Pretty good returns for a guy who was the player to be named later in the Alex Rios trade to Texas.
3. Jose Abreu
What more can be said about Pito during this time? Sandwiched 30+ homer seasons around the shortened COVID season, when he hit 19. Led the league in RBIs in 2019 and 2020. All-Star in 2019, and a Silver Slugger in 2020, when he led the league in RBIs, Games Played, Hits, Slugging Percentage, and Total Bases en route to winning MVP honors (he also received MVP votes in 2019 and 2021). Batted .321/.406/.464 combined in the 2020-21 postseasons, proving a dangerous and difficult out when the lights were brightest. The White Sox invested a lot in Abreu, paying him nearly $120 million in his nine seasons on the team, second most to any one player in team history behind Paul Konerko (over 16 seasons), but they got what they paid for and then some.
2. Lucas Giolito
Despite heading into 2019 coming off his "worst pitcher in baseball" season, an offseason working with future White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz led to a breakout of epic proportions. During the three seasons covered here, he posted an impressive 3.47 ERA (129 ERA+) which was remarkably consistent year to year, earning him Cy Young Award votes every year and his lone All-Star appearance in 2019. During this period he was 13th in MLB in Innings Pitched and 7th in fWAR, and his Game 1 win in the 2020 playoff series against Oakland was arguably the high water mark of the rebuild. By 2022 he seemed spent, but he was their ace during their most successful times. Best of luck to him on his road to recovery from Tommy John Surgery, because at his best he was a sight to behold and a worthy successor to the #1 starter spot.
1. Tim Anderson
You could be forgiven if you rolled your eyes when the White Sox selected Anderson 17th overall in the 2013 Amateur Draft. After years of watching hyper-athletic, ultra-toolsy, free swinging position players get drafted with a load of hype only to immediately stall in the White Sox system, Tim, a relative newcomer to baseball and exceptionally raw talent, could easily have been dismissed as more of the same. Instead, he bucked the trend and rapidly ascended to the MLB roster. Though there were some hurdles for him at the highest level, particularly when it came to his plate approach and defense, the talent could not be denied, and by 2019 he had broken out huge, winning the batting title despite missing nearly a quarter of the season. Easily the best three years of Anderson's career, his stellar .322/.349/.495 triple slash was tempered only by the time he missed due to injury (missed 23% of the regular season games). Regardless, he was able to earn his first All-Star nod in 2021, which was preceded by 7th place in MVP voting and a Silver Slugger award in 2020. Though his body did not long stand up to the rigors of his aggressive, all-out playing style, when he was on the field he was the most dynamic player on the roster and unquestionably the engine that made the entire lineup go. His production defied all logic, running BABIPs that made every projection system question their existence. We shall not see his like again.
