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The Sox can beat anyone. They can also lose to anyone.


VAfan

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19 hours ago, VAfan said:

I've been thinking about putting up a post with this title for some time.  There isn't going to be a lot of analysis in it.  

I just want to put it out there that if the Sox are on their game, they can be the best team in baseball. 

The top-six in their lineup -- Anderson, Robert, Abreu, Grandal, Jimenez, and Moncada -- can play with anyone, including the Rays and Jays and anyone else if they are on.  Right now, only Robert and Grandal are truly on.  And their bottom 3 can still do damage, with Vaughn, Engel, Hernandez, Sheets, Garcia, Goodwin as options.  They have power, can draw walks, get hits, can score with and without the long ball, and have speed that hasn't been fully utilized to save wear and tear.  

Their rotation includes 2 Cy Young favorites in Lynn and Rodon, and staff "ace" Lucas Giolito who seems like the kind of pitcher to come up big the bigger the game.  Regardless of how they handle the 4th spot, having 3 aces should be enough.  Assuming the bullpen holds up.  They also have starters who have pitched some fantastic games in Cease and Lopez.  

The bullpen could also be lights out with Hendriks, Kimbrel (if he can get his act together), Bummer, Kopech, Crochet, and even Lopez.  Maybe Cease if he's not used to start?  

Each of these groups -- offense, starters, and bullpen -- can be top notch.  But all three can and have imploded.

We just aren't going to know which version will take the field until October.  It's gonna be a crapshoot.  

Excellent analysis.  One thing I'll add, when analyzing the White Sox this year and how they'll do in the playoffs, it's important to remember that the ONLY 2 games that they have had all of those top 6 guys you mentioned in the lineup together was the Friday night game against the Cubs, the first game of the series here in our ballpark, and last night. And in those 2 games they scored 17 and 9 runs. Now that of course won't happen all the time in the playoffs.....But my point is, it's nearly impossible to gauge at all how the White Sox will play in the playoffs based on what has happened during this regular season. Because we have basically NEVER had our regular team out there together. 

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Well, i'm all in, have drunk the cool aid, and am a true believer . sink or swim, fuck or fall back, i now believe that this team can, and will, go far into the post season, and perhaps all the way to the promised land...

With the team that they have built here, it sure looks as if the powers that be, really do know what they're doing after all, and it seems like the White Sox could be one of the powerhouses of baseball for years to come.

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3 hours ago, White Sox Park said:

Well, i'm all in, have drunk the cool aid, and am a true believer . sink or swim, fuck or fall back, i now believe that this team can, and will, go far into the post season, and perhaps all the way to the promised land...

With the team that they have built here, it sure looks as if the powers that be, really do know what they're doing after all, and it seems like the White Sox could be one of the powerhouses of baseball for years to come.

Welcome to the light.  
 

 

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17 hours ago, SonofaRoache said:

Well that is why the baseball playoffs are tough. You have loaded lineups and loaded pitching staffs across the board. Toronto has a lethal pitching staff as a wild card, Boston has Sale, and the Yankees have Cole. Gonna be tough for any team to see those two twice in a short series. 

Those teams may not have the luxury of setting up their rotations for the playoffs.  Each of those teams would have to win a wild card game too. 

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1 hour ago, Leonard Zelig said:

Those teams may not have the luxury of setting up their rotations for the playoffs.  Each of those teams would have to win a wild card game too. 

Maybe. Teams that are fighting three others for a wild card game won't mess with their rotation unless they clinch with a few games to spare. Boston won't save Sale for a wild card game if they have 4 games left in the season and are tied or behind in the race. 

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I compiled World Series odds for the Sox and Astros from 538, FanGraphs and B-R, and using those odds as a proxy for the head to head matchup, Houston is about a 59% favorite against the Sox. I think that's fair, or at least not far off. If, before the end of the season, Lynn and Rodon prove to be healthy enough to pitch, Kimbrel gets his shit figured out, and Eloy comes out of this slump, I'd put the Sox closer to even or a slight favorite.

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24 minutes ago, WhiteSoxFan1993 said:

I compiled World Series odds for the Sox and Astros from 538, FanGraphs and B-R, and using those odds as a proxy for the head to head matchup, Houston is about a 59% favorite against the Sox. I think that's fair, or at least not far off. If, before the end of the season, Lynn and Rodon prove to be healthy enough to pitch, Kimbrel gets his shit figured out, and Eloy comes out of this slump, I'd put the Sox closer to even or a slight favorite.

If your list of ifs work out, the Sox beat Houston. But those are a lot of ifs. 

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