2015 White Sox offense - Historically bad

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

So I caught a little bit of The Score on the way home today and Lawrence Holmes was talking advanced stats on how BAD this team is....so I did some work of my own....

 

So this season, the Sox TEAM OVERALL OFFENSIVE WAR is....drumroll..... -3.3!! That's a NEGATIVE number. We are BELOW replacement level, and Jose Abreu is a stud hitter. The Phillies, the 2nd worst team in baseball is at a 2.0 WAR. POSITIVE 2.0. That's a massive difference between 29th and 30th.

 

We are also last in baserunning, at -17.6....last in wRC+ at 78 (An average offense is supposed to be 100)....last in defensive WAR at -39.4....We beat the Padres on team OBP...by .001....We beat the Royals on BB% by 0.1%....We beat the Braves in ISO power by .005..... Basically we are the worst or 2nd to worst at....getting on base.....power.....defense....baserunning....scoring........

 

But how about compared to EVERY TEAM SINCE THE YEAR 1900???? 115 years of baseball? Tens of thousands of teams??

 

7th worst.....

 

Wow.

 

 

Depress yourselves at your own leisure.... http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=...0&sort=20,a

[BigHurt3515]

So..... We suck? There is no question we are one horrible offense/defense, I still have no idea how we aren't 15 games under .500

[BigEdWalsh]

Well, if this is statistically the 7th worst offense of All Time and yet we have 42-48 record that might indicate that Robin Ventura's doing a pretty darn good job given the talent he has to work with. I'm just sayin'.

[knightni]

Well, if this is statistically the 7th worst offense of All Time and yet we have 42-48 record that might indicate that Robin Ventura's doing a pretty darn good job given the talent he has to work with. I'm just sayin'.

Unless it's Don Cooper and the pitching staff holding everything up.

[Whitey]

Abreu, Melky, and Garcia are the only ones in the lineup I would be happy to be back next year.

Eaton could be a decent leadoff hitter if he remembers how to hit like an actual leadoff hitter and quits flying out all the time.

Between Saladino, Sanchez, Micah, and Anderson there could a long term solution for 2B or SS.

 

Thats 5/9 spots in order for the near future, meaning all we have to do is find 4 MLB level starters in order to compete... I say that sarcastically, because there is no way the Sox could swing that financially, and that rarely works via free agency.

 

Its time to sell 1-2 of the starters and 1-2 of the relievers for immediate offensive help.

[daa84]

even assuming 30 teams every year (which is an enormous over-estimate), 30 x 115 doesn't even come close to tens of thousands

 

 

that said - yeah this years sox team is god awful

[glangon]

I think the main thing that worries me is not the lack of offense but the poor defense and base running. We've lost a lot of close games due to flubbed balls, missed double plays, throws missing the cut off man and runners stealing bases for fun off of us. This combined with the amount of runners we've had thrown out because we can't throw, this is what I can't stomach. I reckon if we had the defence to support the pitching, then we could cope with the lack of offense and we would be sitting on a positive record instead of the garbage that we are watching at the moment.

 

We aren't scoring runs anyway, we should get rid of the guys who are costing us games defensively and build on defense and pitching rather than trying to hit the ball out of the park. It frustrates me when I see Beckham, Ramirez and Eaton fly out every game trying to go for the fences rather than go for the base hit and try and get on base.

 

I'd love to see us get a good defensive catcher (even if it means promoting Brett Austin too early). I'd also love to see La Roche playing at 1st base and Abreu moving to DH permanantly.

 

The focus of the front office has been on power hitting and I think they need to focus on getting players that will strenghten the defense and are focussed on getting on base rather than trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark. I also believe that this type of game is not something that Robin could run with and I'd like to see the front office replace him with Ron Gardenhire who has a proven record of utilising guys who are great defensively and can get on base.

 

[Dick Allen]

The defense has improved some. Ramirez is back to being a good defender. Eaton has his head out of his butt, and Gillaspie is no longer on the field.

 

The offense is a different story. They still have a tough time scoring, although they are starting to get more hits. It just seems everything stalls once guys get on base.

[Dunt]

This doesnt seem right, we are currently in our 3 year competitive window

[glangon]

The defense has improved some. Ramirez is back to being a good defender. Eaton has his head out of his butt, and Gillaspie is no longer on the field.

 

The offense is a different story. They still have a tough time scoring, although they are starting to get more hits. It just seems everything stalls once guys get on base.

 

I agree that the defense has improved but how long is it before we're back to the normal flubs and missed plays.

 

The current defense and in particular both catchers don't inspire at all.

 

[Jake]

So I caught a little bit of The Score on the way home today and Lawrence Holmes was talking advanced stats on how BAD this team is....so I did some work of my own....

 

So this season, the Sox TEAM OVERALL OFFENSIVE WAR is....drumroll..... -3.3!! That's a NEGATIVE number. We are BELOW replacement level, and Jose Abreu is a stud hitter. The Phillies, the 2nd worst team in baseball is at a 2.0 WAR. POSITIVE 2.0. That's a massive difference between 29th and 30th.

 

We are also last in baserunning, at -17.6....last in wRC+ at 78 (An average offense is supposed to be 100)....last in defensive WAR at -39.4....We beat the Padres on team OBP...by .001....We beat the Royals on BB% by 0.1%....We beat the Braves in ISO power by .005..... Basically we are the worst or 2nd to worst at....getting on base.....power.....defense....baserunning....scoring........

 

But how about compared to EVERY TEAM SINCE THE YEAR 1900???? 115 years of baseball? Tens of thousands of teams??

 

7th worst.....

 

Wow.

 

 

Depress yourselves at your own leisure.... http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=...0&sort=20,a

 

Just a couple of weeks ago we were at -4.0.

 

Well, if this is statistically the 7th worst offense of All Time and yet we have 42-48 record that might indicate that Robin Ventura's doing a pretty darn good job given the talent he has to work with. I'm just sayin'.

 

According to FanGraphs' BaseRuns estimate, we have won more 6 games than our run scoring and run prevention abilities would lead you to expect. Only the Twins have outperformed more.

 

[caulfield12]

Well, considering that Alexei and Gordon will both be off the roster...and one of the replacements is likely to be Micah Johnson, it's difficult to imagine where the defensive improvement will come from.

 

It's hard to believe they will sign Heyward, Gordon or Cespedes and move Avi to DH.

 

As it is, Abreu's looking like he needs to spend more time at DH with his body seeming to break down more and more as the season wears on.

[Dunt]

I agree that the defense has improved but how long is it before we're back to the normal flubs and missed plays.

 

The current defense and in particular both catchers don't inspire at all.

 

Soto is actually having a pretty nice season.

[bmags]

It just seems everything stalls once guys get on base.

 

This would be our tremendous lack of power and reliance on stringing 4-5 singles in an inning to score runs.

[caulfield12]

This would be our tremendous lack of power and reliance on stringing 4-5 singles in an inning to score runs.

 

And lack of two out clutch hitting since we had all those miracle comebacks the first six weeks or so...passed balls, HBP, balks, opponent's errors, that's our best offense.

[winninguglyin83]

and still we watch, hoping for miracles.

[Chisoxfn]

This team could use a guy like Showalter. Buck would be just the right voice for this club. Too bad he's in Baltimore. If anyone could solve fundemental issues and change a culture, it would be Buck. I'll be honest, as much as it cringes me, I'd also fully support Dusty Baker (I realize he runs pitchers into the ground, but he's also been a pretty consistent winner despite his hatred for all things sabs). Won a lot in San Fran, won with the Cubs (hard to do), and then again with the Reds (who thought he didn't do enough, so they got rid of him, and then the Reds turned into a bigger dumpster fire).

 

Okay so Baker probably isn't the actual solution, but I think even more so in this era of pitching, the AL is going to have to adjust and move to a more NL style of play. That 1 run makes a much larger difference in an ERA where runs are down and therefore the execution, the baserunning, the little things that became so watered down in the steroid era (and even more waterdown in the AL where the DH's were the most fully loaded roiders around) are now so critical and a lot of these AL squads just aren't as schooled in it or the philosphies still seem to be a bit in the stoneage.

 

Sox philosophy sure seems like it. The pitching and belief to have strong pitching, we can all agree with. But we have lousy baserunning and lousy defense. To me, that is inexcusable without having some massive clotters out their who can out homer everyone.

[Chisoxfn]

and still we watch, hoping for miracles.

Addicts. Just hoping that the next series of moves are in our favor. Sox are due for some good luck, right?

[Special K]

Addicts. Just hoping that the next series of moves are in our favor. Sox are due for some good luck, right?

 

 

I would suggest the Sox have had plenty of good luck (or very good pitching) to only be 6 games under given that this may be the worst offense in the history of baseball. There is legitimately 1 MAYBE 2 position players worth keeping on this roster. Everyone else should go.

[Balta1701]

I would suggest the Sox have had plenty of good luck (or very good pitching) to only be 6 games under given that this may be the worst offense in the history of baseball. There is legitimately 1 MAYBE 2 position players worth keeping on this roster. Everyone else should go.

They've also had very good luck with injuries so far this year.

[bmags]

This team could use a guy like Showalter. Buck would be just the right voice for this club. Too bad he's in Baltimore. If anyone could solve fundemental issues and change a culture, it would be Buck. I'll be honest, as much as it cringes me, I'd also fully support Dusty Baker (I realize he runs pitchers into the ground, but he's also been a pretty consistent winner despite his hatred for all things sabs). Won a lot in San Fran, won with the Cubs (hard to do), and then again with the Reds (who thought he didn't do enough, so they got rid of him, and then the Reds turned into a bigger dumpster fire).

 

Okay so Baker probably isn't the actual solution, but I think even more so in this era of pitching, the AL is going to have to adjust and move to a more NL style of play. That 1 run makes a much larger difference in an ERA where runs are down and therefore the execution, the baserunning, the little things that became so watered down in the steroid era (and even more waterdown in the AL where the DH's were the most fully loaded roiders around) are now so critical and a lot of these AL squads just aren't as schooled in it or the philosphies still seem to be a bit in the stoneage.

 

Sox philosophy sure seems like it. The pitching and belief to have strong pitching, we can all agree with. But we have lousy baserunning and lousy defense. To me, that is inexcusable without having some massive clotters out their who can out homer everyone.

 

Very much agree with everything here.

[Flash Tizzle]

Addicts. Just hoping that the next series of moves are in our favor. Sox are due for some good luck, right?

Absolutely, if they're smart and take the best available trade package and not just whatever replacement level players put them in the best position to compete in 2016. You know, during their supposed three year window.......

Edited July 21, 2015 by Flash Tizzle

[Balta1701]

This team could use a guy like Showalter. Buck would be just the right voice for this club. Too bad he's in Baltimore. If anyone could solve fundemental issues and change a culture, it would be Buck. I'll be honest, as much as it cringes me, I'd also fully support Dusty Baker (I realize he runs pitchers into the ground, but he's also been a pretty consistent winner despite his hatred for all things sabs). Won a lot in San Fran, won with the Cubs (hard to do), and then again with the Reds (who thought he didn't do enough, so they got rid of him, and then the Reds turned into a bigger dumpster fire).

 

Okay so Baker probably isn't the actual solution, but I think even more so in this era of pitching, the AL is going to have to adjust and move to a more NL style of play. That 1 run makes a much larger difference in an ERA where runs are down and therefore the execution, the baserunning, the little things that became so watered down in the steroid era (and even more waterdown in the AL where the DH's were the most fully loaded roiders around) are now so critical and a lot of these AL squads just aren't as schooled in it or the philosphies still seem to be a bit in the stoneage.

 

Sox philosophy sure seems like it. The pitching and belief to have strong pitching, we can all agree with. But we have lousy baserunning and lousy defense. To me, that is inexcusable without having some massive clotters out their who can out homer everyone.

Great, I was just thinking how it had been several years since my family members had made racist comments about a Chicago baseball manager...

[Quin]

Pity our pitching. Pity them.

[Balta1701]

The focus of the front office has been on power hitting and I think they need to focus on getting players that will strenghten the defense and are focussed on getting on base rather than trying to hit the ball out of the ballpark. I also believe that this type of game is not something that Robin could run with and I'd like to see the front office replace him with Ron Gardenhire who has a proven record of utilising guys who are great defensively and can get on base.

I disagreed last year with this sentiment and said the power would come from the guys they have. Now I actually think that the lack of power is becoming a major concern. We're 28th in the big leagues in HR and there's no obvious help coming in that department unless Abreu suddenly finds whatever he had last year or Garcia completely revamps his approach. Esp. in the ballpark we play in, that's terrible. For a front office that focused on "bringing in power bats", which it sure looked like they were...28th in the big leagues in HR is not something they should be particularly proud of.

 

We could maybe get by with that if we had a lot of really good hitters overall, maybe that is the solution since we're not likely to be finding those guys any time soon...but man, it really would be nice to hit a ball out of the ballpark on occasion. We're not going to be able to put up with very many "below replacement" players if we have to rely on every position being a solid, low-power hitter.