WEBVTT - Chicago White Sox 2026 First Half Grades 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:01.639 Hey, Howard, I got hurt. 0:00:01.639 --> 0:00:04.240 It work in the wows. My boss doesn't believe me. 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:07.240 Ac in Law has over one hundred attorneys and stuff 0:00:07.440 --> 0:00:09.560 ready to work for you. If you've been hurt on 0:00:09.560 --> 0:00:12.400 the job in a car accident, or suffered a medical mistake, 0:00:12.640 --> 0:00:15.040 call three one two six million. 0:00:28.360 --> 0:00:33.360 From your favorite source for Chicago White Sox Talk, delivering news, interviews, 0:00:33.479 --> 0:00:37.960 analysis and more. This is The Soxs Machine Podcast with 0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:42.280 your hosts Jim Margolis, James Speagan, and Josh Nelson. 0:00:42.920 --> 0:00:46.080 Hello everyone, welcome to a special edition episode of The 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:50.240 Sox Machine Podcast. I'm your host, Josh Nelson, and this 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:55.120 is our twenty twenty six mid season Grades episode, as 0:00:55.160 --> 0:00:57.480 we'll be giving out our grades for White Sox hitters, 0:00:57.800 --> 0:01:02.160 starting pitchers, leavers, also grade manager Will Venable and White 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:04.920 Sox churnal manager Chris Skeetz. We also have a bonus 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:08.360 topic as well that we'll be talking about during this episode. 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:11.720 But before we give out our grades, here is White 0:01:11.760 --> 0:01:15.520 Sox manager Will Venable when asked about what he wants 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:17.960 to see the team approve upon in the second half 0:01:18.120 --> 0:01:18.840 of this season. 0:01:19.760 --> 0:01:21.400 Oh, we have a lot of things that we're working on, 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:23.840 the things that are important on a daily basis for 0:01:23.959 --> 0:01:27.560 us and how we are attacking hitters and you know, 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:30.360 trying to get count levers and maintain count leverage throughout 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:33.840 games offensively and continue to put us out in a 0:01:33.880 --> 0:01:36.480 position to make good swing decisions and then drive the 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:39.200 baseball and then you know, make it plays defensively. So 0:01:39.480 --> 0:01:41.759 really all the same stuff we've been working on, and 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:44.560 now the focus is a little bit different. We have 0:01:44.680 --> 0:01:47.600 the all start breaking in a couple weeks here, and 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:50.920 really for us now, you know, focus is that, you know, 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:53.080 not let that be a distraction or grote focus on 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:54.000 the present. 0:01:54.560 --> 0:01:57.360 Now I'm joined by Sox Machines, be reporter James Vegan 0:01:57.480 --> 0:01:58.520 and managing. 0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:00.640 Editor Jim Margolius, and hello, gentlemen. 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:03.840 The first half of the Chicago White Sox in twenty 0:02:03.920 --> 0:02:08.640 twenty six has been the best surprise possible for this team. 0:02:08.840 --> 0:02:10.880 And this is how far the White Sox have come 0:02:10.919 --> 0:02:15.480 from their preseason projections on Fangrafts. Before opening day, Fangrafts 0:02:15.480 --> 0:02:17.440 projected the White Sox to have a sixty eight to 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:20.680 ninety four record and a one point two percent chance 0:02:20.720 --> 0:02:25.040 to reaching the postseason. Now, at the midseason point, fangrass 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:27.440 is projecting the White Sox to finish seventy nine and 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:31.080 eighty three, so eleven more wins, and their playoff chances 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:33.079 have reached almost thirty five percent. 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:34.880 It's thirty four point nine percent. 0:02:35.240 --> 0:02:37.600 But if you just do the basic math when looking 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:40.240 at MLB dot com slash standings, the White Sox are 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:44.240 on pace to finish eighty five and seventy seven, And 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:47.200 Jim Margulist is the season were to end today, the 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:50.239 Chicago White Sox would have the second seed in the 0:02:50.280 --> 0:02:54.120 American League postseason, a buye from the wildcards, so we 0:02:54.160 --> 0:02:57.639 can watch the wildcard games without worry and have home 0:02:57.680 --> 0:03:00.919 field advantage for the divisional series. I can't believe I'm 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:04.560 saying this about the White Sox. That's how special the first. 0:03:04.320 --> 0:03:06.040 Half has been. 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:10.040 And I don't know how else summit other than this 0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:12.919 is the best surprise possible. But do you have any 0:03:12.960 --> 0:03:15.440 way of summing up on the first half of the 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:17.359 Chicago White Sox this season, Jim. 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:19.680 I think the numbers do a pretty fair job in 0:03:19.760 --> 0:03:24.320 terms of the postseason probability and the White Sox being 0:03:24.360 --> 0:03:26.560 in first place and with the offense they're doing it with. 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:31.720 My question would be is if they somehow get the buye. 0:03:32.360 --> 0:03:36.200 Would you count it as the White Sox like first 0:03:36.720 --> 0:03:41.040 postseason series victory since two thousand and five? Like just 0:03:41.160 --> 0:03:44.440 getting to the second round. They've only done that once 0:03:45.880 --> 0:03:47.880 and that was the year they won it all. So 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:50.200 like it does feel like it could be breaking new ground, 0:03:50.240 --> 0:03:53.320 even though they technically didn't do anything to get there. 0:03:53.360 --> 0:03:56.120 But I still would think they have to take that. 0:03:57.360 --> 0:03:58.600 I wouldn't count it. 0:04:00.040 --> 0:04:03.120 They didn't play anyone, but still it would be a 0:04:03.160 --> 0:04:04.400 first of franchise history. 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:08.640 The key to the real reward of flitting a playoff 0:04:08.680 --> 0:04:13.200 series is not advancing. It's humiliating, destroying the will of 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:16.160 another team. If there's no vanquished foe, if there's no suffering, 0:04:17.120 --> 0:04:22.159 what have you really accomplished? That is true, feel worse 0:04:22.200 --> 0:04:25.280 about themselves. 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:28.440 Well again, as we record this mid season. 0:04:29.640 --> 0:04:33.440 Grades Recap episode, only four teams in the American League 0:04:33.480 --> 0:04:35.719 have a winning record, so it's been a down year 0:04:35.720 --> 0:04:38.039 for the American League. But hey, somebody's got to have 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:41.000 a winning record. Why not the White Sox. And they're 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:43.680 still on base to have a very strong two that 0:04:43.839 --> 0:04:47.440 twenty six season and a huge improvement in win total. 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:50.960 They have it opportunity to win twenty plus more games. 0:04:51.880 --> 0:04:54.640 Almost did that last year as they won nineteen more 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:57.240 and right now they're on base to win twenty five 0:04:57.279 --> 0:05:01.080 more from last year. So with our mid season grades, 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:03.799 we asked you as well to participate. If you follow 0:05:03.880 --> 0:05:06.440 us on Twitter at Sox Machine. You can also follow 0:05:06.480 --> 0:05:10.240 me on Twitter at Sox Machine Underscore Josh. We bosted 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:13.039 Twitter bowls to get your guys' grades for the position 0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:15.680 groups that I'll be sharing as well, and we're gonna 0:05:15.680 --> 0:05:18.599 be first handing out our mid season grades for the 0:05:18.640 --> 0:05:21.240 White Sox hitters. So James, I will start with you, 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.640 what grade would you give White Sox hitters after the 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:25.279 first half. 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:30.880 I'm in a weird position to give grades because I 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:34.039 went to Montessori elementary school and we didn't really like 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:37.760 get letter grades until like junior high. And then he 0:05:37.839 --> 0:05:40.080 went to CBS and you get like pure letter grades 0:05:40.120 --> 0:05:43.160 and there's no nuances, there's no pluses or miss to them. 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:46.240 So like when I got like a ninety percent, like 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:48.720 ninety point zero zero in Spanish, to me, that was 0:05:48.760 --> 0:05:51.680 the perfect grade because I had exerted no extra effort 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:57.000 and still got the maximum outcome. Created weird efficiency goals 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:05.279 Notre Dame very weird grades. Do I grade them on 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:07.479 a scale? Do I grade them like the Dodgers because 0:06:07.480 --> 0:06:10.880 I feel like any like based on like any expectations 0:06:11.000 --> 0:06:13.800 or you know, certain people anticipating like the worst outfield 0:06:13.839 --> 0:06:17.080 and franchise history. It seems like they're obviously in a 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:19.799 in the sense that they could have multiple All Stars 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:22.679 of their an above average offense, that they were leading 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:25.360 division because of their offense, more or less that they 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:33.560 have on their infield alone, a successful drafts and develop story, 0:06:33.920 --> 0:06:38.719 a successful marquee free agency signing, and a successful like 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:42.480 raise the value of a post pipe prospect acquired through 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:46.240 your like internal development system, making a player better than 0:06:46.279 --> 0:06:50.560 he was with the Dodgers like that they have too 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:53.839 many like A's We didn't think they could get to 0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:56.760 like way, like oh, Edgar Carro backed up in a 0:06:56.760 --> 0:07:00.000 big way. Haven't gotten what they thought at Austin Hey 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:03.920 in some sort of scale that you know, really has 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:08.880 weighted like under under any sane person would like Tristan 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.000 Peters is giving of like the best Louise Roberts season 0:07:11.040 --> 0:07:14.080 that they've gotten in the three years all they could 0:07:14.080 --> 0:07:16.640 have wanted from Louise the last two years is from 0:07:16.680 --> 0:07:18.560 a guy who's got DFA by the Rays and you 0:07:18.680 --> 0:07:21.840 paid a couple thousand dollars for or whatever it was. 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:25.760 They've kind of hit the A. It's an A. I 0:07:26.120 --> 0:07:29.280 don't like what what would I be holding up? What 0:07:29.360 --> 0:07:31.800 would I expect? Wanted to go right for it not 0:07:31.880 --> 0:07:35.680 to be an A? Like you didn't keep Eversonbrera healthy. 0:07:35.760 --> 0:07:38.520 You get a beat and plus like there's no there's 0:07:38.520 --> 0:07:43.400 no Louis on HELICOUNA. If it's working, it's taken off 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:45.560 a while and it still seems like maybe you know 0:07:45.600 --> 0:07:47.480 good bench players kind of what you're hoping for at 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:53.600 this point. Yeah, the minuses have been more than canceled out. 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:57.040 I would argue, Jim, what great would you give the 0:07:57.040 --> 0:07:57.880 White Sox setters. 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:01.160 I also had an a becase I looked what I 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:04.440 gave each of these units for the first quarter to 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:06.840 make sure I wasn't just like pulling grades out my button, 0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:09.840 had some kind of standards I was adhering to for 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:11.640 the course of the season. I had them at B 0:08:11.760 --> 0:08:16.960 plus in the first quarter and over the second quarter, 0:08:17.040 --> 0:08:19.880 So games like forty one through eighty one, we'll say 0:08:20.960 --> 0:08:25.840 top five offense in terms of WRC plus top seven 0:08:26.080 --> 0:08:30.080 terms of like fangrafs wins above replacements, all the components 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:33.959 are pretty solid, and most of that's come without Munatakamurakami, 0:08:34.000 --> 0:08:36.360 who was out like at game fifty seven, I believe, 0:08:36.920 --> 0:08:39.720 so most that second quarter where they're a top five offense, 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:44.359 is without the player who is underpinning seemingly the revolution 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:47.080 of the first quarter. So you see everybody picking up 0:08:47.080 --> 0:08:50.160 the slack. You see like Randall Gritchick coming out of nowhere, 0:08:50.200 --> 0:08:53.280 and yeah, like Austin Hayes didn't quite work right away. 0:08:53.360 --> 0:08:56.240 So here's Randall Gritchick. And now you have that right 0:08:56.320 --> 0:09:00.080 handed quarter outfielder, the veteran that you're counting on, just 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:02.959 by a different name, in different look, but kind of 0:09:02.960 --> 0:09:07.280 the same purpose and same you know, Bracket I suppose 0:09:07.320 --> 0:09:10.960 in terms of just where he was in the free agentier. 0:09:11.120 --> 0:09:15.080 So yeah, I mean, what more could you want given 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:20.439 the circumstances, given the background, given just the extensive histories 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:24.439 that we've been working with for the incumbents, and also 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:29.679 just the the track records of the newcomers that allowed 0:09:29.679 --> 0:09:31.240 them to be found by the White Sox, be it 0:09:31.280 --> 0:09:33.040 Peters or Gritchick or anybody else. 0:09:34.000 --> 0:09:36.280 I also give the White Sox an A when you 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:39.480 look at the overall season. They still currently rank fifth 0:09:39.960 --> 0:09:42.760 after the first half when looking at weighted runs create 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:46.440 a plus on Fangraphs, which is very impressive. 0:09:46.480 --> 0:09:50.160 They're at one hundred and five as a team, and. 0:09:50.240 --> 0:09:52.920 The Dodgers still lead as far as Major League Baseball 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:54.640 in that category as a team. But the fact that 0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:57.440 of the White Sox are still a top five offense, Jim, 0:09:57.480 --> 0:10:00.400 I'm with you. The White Sox get an A. On Twitter, 0:10:00.559 --> 0:10:04.120 seventy three percent of our followers gave the White Sox 0:10:04.160 --> 0:10:06.719 hitters an A. So everyone's in the same page when 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:09.160 it comes to the White Sox offense. It's a big 0:10:09.200 --> 0:10:11.640 reason why they're in the position that they are after 0:10:11.679 --> 0:10:12.880 the first half this season. 0:10:15.360 --> 0:10:17.320 Now to the starting pitchers. 0:10:17.240 --> 0:10:20.720 And we know this will be our seventh consecutive podcast 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:24.160 that we mentioned this. Yes, the White Sox could use 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:28.520 another starting pitcher before the trade deadline, but Jim, what 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:31.240 grade would you give the first half White Sox with 0:10:31.280 --> 0:10:32.240 the starting pitchers? 0:10:33.840 --> 0:10:36.280 Well, to follow up on the first quarter, I gave 0:10:36.360 --> 0:10:39.800 him a bee. Feels like they're in that territory right now. 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:42.040 It feels, you know, and we have had this conversation 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:44.480 about the depth and about like you know, James just 0:10:44.520 --> 0:10:47.760 mentioned you talk about with Eric Fetti, just how carefully 0:10:47.800 --> 0:10:49.920 they've had to manage him to get like adequate results. 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:54.840 Anthony k providing a reminder in his last outing of 0:10:54.960 --> 0:10:58.600 just how he could go wrong, and then Noah Schultz's 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:01.679 coming back and he handle the fifth starter spot roll 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:03.880 that being fluxed, and you see like all the ways 0:11:05.040 --> 0:11:07.760 it can go wrong from here to where like if 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:10.400 I give him a bee again, you know, within a 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:12.480 few weeks, so that could look foolish. Now they need 0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:16.199 two starters of the deadline instead of one. But if 0:11:16.240 --> 0:11:18.439 you look at it in terms of what they accomplish 0:11:18.520 --> 0:11:20.640 and just kind of seal it off, say that was 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:25.559 first half. That was you know, what you could hope 0:11:25.559 --> 0:11:28.600 for for the first eighty one games. Nothing about that, 0:11:28.679 --> 0:11:32.160 you know, what happens afterwards will change what their value 0:11:32.240 --> 0:11:33.959 was for the first eighty one games. I still think 0:11:33.960 --> 0:11:36.200 they're in that B territory because like Martin was great, 0:11:36.720 --> 0:11:40.520 Burke was good, which was it feels like a big 0:11:40.559 --> 0:11:44.120 development for them, especially with him stabilized the last couple 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:47.160 of times out when you didn't necessarily think he might 0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:50.480 stick K has been fine. Fetti's been useful for what 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:51.200 they signed him for. 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:53.640 So like, as a. 0:11:53.760 --> 0:11:57.520 Unit, they're doing okay. I think they're punching above their weight. 0:11:58.360 --> 0:12:02.400 Now it's just a matter of the reinforcements, and the 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:05.080 reinforcements were not what the White Sox thought they were 0:12:05.120 --> 0:12:05.560 going to be. 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:07.800 But that doesn't. 0:12:07.520 --> 0:12:12.160 Seem like a problem for this exercise of grading what 0:12:12.200 --> 0:12:13.640 they did in the first half and what they did 0:12:13.679 --> 0:12:15.080 over the second court of the season. 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:17.280 Yeah, that's a good point, Jim, because this is like 0:12:17.320 --> 0:12:20.600 two different conversations when talk about the White Sox starightning pitchers. 0:12:21.120 --> 0:12:23.640 One part of the conversation what have they done in 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:26.360 the first eighty one eighty two games of the season. 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:29.200 And I'm with you, the White Sox starning pitchers get 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:32.080 a bee because of what we've seen Davis Barin accomplish, 0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:34.480 Anthony Kay that big may that he had, and Sean 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:37.400 Berke coming strong as of late. If there is a 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:40.040 unit that I think we are all agreement on that 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:42.720 could start fading in the second half, it is the 0:12:42.760 --> 0:12:46.240 starting pitcher. So while we can say they get a 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:48.640 letter of Grade B for the first half, that does 0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:52.040 not necessarily mean that everything, all the ducks are lined 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:54.720 up for them to still be a B unit in 0:12:54.800 --> 0:12:57.160 the second half. I do think that they do need 0:12:57.200 --> 0:13:00.359 to find some external help to help bolster this starting rowation. 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:01.400 But I am with you. 0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:04.880 I give the White Sox a B after the first half. James, 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:06.960 how about you? What grade would you give the White 0:13:06.960 --> 0:13:07.959 Sox starting pitchers? 0:13:09.800 --> 0:13:12.480 I mean, I'm inclined to stay in the same tier 0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:14.800 tier with a bee. I just want to mention how 0:13:14.840 --> 0:13:17.320 frustrated I am that a team leading the league and 0:13:17.360 --> 0:13:20.440 opener usage means that looking at like they're starting pitching 0:13:22.200 --> 0:13:26.199 split performance and their bullpen split performances like totally muddled 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:29.240 samples like I can't get like beyond like and naturally 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:31.640 they're like both middle of the road and both like 0:13:31.720 --> 0:13:33.840 roughly the same like era in a way like yeah, 0:13:33.840 --> 0:13:36.679 it's because it's the same pictures just intermingled with each other. 0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:39.520 It's of course it's the same thing. These samples are ruined. 0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:41.920 There's no information to drop on, so. 0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:44.520 Chocolate, your peanut butter, peanut butter in your chocolates. 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:47.800 Get the great entirely on vibes and just kind of 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:54.439 makes this entirely sports radio segment in total yeah, blurt, 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:57.439 like you've almost swapped, Like I mean, I don't think 0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:00.440 anyone could have like the leap of Davis Martin. No one, 0:14:00.840 --> 0:14:03.320 you didn't expect any member of the rotation necessarily performed 0:14:03.320 --> 0:14:06.880 that well over the first half. But it's it's almost 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:09.080 like the swap you've made from like him stepping forward 0:14:09.080 --> 0:14:11.480 to like Shane Smith bottoming out where he struggled in 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:12.720 that option and now. 0:14:12.640 --> 0:14:13.080 Is hurt and. 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:17.320 You like not to give him like a zero for 0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:20.240 the season because obviously the injury is unpreventable to agree, 0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:23.520 but like you've gotten really no real value out of him, 0:14:23.920 --> 0:14:27.680 like grating for their first half. That said, like k 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:30.120 I think is like held serve as much as you 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:32.240 could kind of hope for based on the signing, Like 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:37.280 the same for Fetti, Like definitely some like rickneyediness in 0:14:37.360 --> 0:14:39.080 terms of like evaluating them and like is this a 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:41.040 playoff starter? How would they get through a game? I 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:44.280 like this more as like can't it's more of like 0:14:44.480 --> 0:14:46.240 they look like they've they've been fine as far as 0:14:46.240 --> 0:14:48.400 like getting you to the finish line through the first 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:52.600 half so far, Sean Bert taking like what's a more 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:55.200 reasonable single year step up? But still a step up 0:14:55.400 --> 0:14:58.680 I think is a positive or rotation that I'd want 0:14:58.680 --> 0:15:01.960 to lean toward B. But like you expected this juncture 0:15:01.960 --> 0:15:05.400 of the year to feel a bit better about like 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:08.920 what you know, the second like the follow up was 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:12.080 going to be like expected like Tanner, McDougal and Higgins 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:14.560 Smith and you know, obviously no Schultz raring to go, 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:16.840 and you know, maybe Schultz can jump on that, but 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:18.760 certainly having the knee flair up in the season, there's 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:21.480 a lot reason to be a little questioning of like, 0:15:21.760 --> 0:15:23.560 all right, was it gonna look like in the second half? 0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:25.920 The depth is just not quite built up to like 0:15:26.000 --> 0:15:27.760 where you thought you could be, Like, well, if we 0:15:27.840 --> 0:15:29.400 get a good half season out of k a good 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:32.080 half season at Petty, we're sitting pretty because we're going 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:38.280 to have Drew Thorpe, sure, Tanner, McDougall, Hagan, Smith, Jonathan 0:15:38.280 --> 0:15:40.960 Cannon looking like you know, re earning a spot something 0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:43.200 like that, Like you just haven't seen like this, this 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:46.000 depth bubble up like this. Mason Adam has become that 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:50.640 guy I think certainly around me where he's useful and 0:15:50.680 --> 0:15:52.840 provides like good starts down the stretch for the major 0:15:52.880 --> 0:15:55.240 league team, But also isn't like the high ceiliing option 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:58.640 who becomes a stalwart and like drives the bust of 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:00.840 the rotation for a while. It's the probably asking much 0:16:00.840 --> 0:16:03.240 of him. You know, he's obviously overformed every step to 0:16:03.240 --> 0:16:07.360 get here, but to be reasonable's that's having him more 0:16:07.400 --> 0:16:09.880 than a spot starter depth rather than you know, your 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:13.120 top hundred prospects that you hope we're gonna become impact 0:16:13.160 --> 0:16:16.120 guys down the stretch. Maybe that comes to the bullpen. 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:18.120 Maybe that affects like the grade of the next section. 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:21.280 But it's the same thing basically, Jim is saying, in 0:16:21.280 --> 0:16:24.360 a more rambling version of it's been a bee based 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:26.000 on like the results they turned in, but you can 0:16:26.040 --> 0:16:30.640 see a tin towards certain things need to step up 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:32.000 to sustain that. In the next quarter. 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:37.040 Well, the next unit is the White Sox relievers the bullpen, 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:41.160 and before we do that, the fanable for starting pitchers. 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:44.000 Fifty seven percent of you also agree with us giving 0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:45.240 the White Sox starting. 0:16:44.960 --> 0:16:46.800 Pitchers a B grade. 0:16:47.160 --> 0:16:50.800 For the relievers, I can start here when you look 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:53.480 at war according to fan grafts or the White Sox 0:16:53.520 --> 0:16:56.080 relievers middle of the pack. They rank sixteenth to Major 0:16:56.160 --> 0:16:59.840 League Baseball at two war when you look at wins 0:17:00.840 --> 0:17:04.879 probability added WPA, the White Sox currently ranked as a 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:09.240 unit for relievers twenty second in Major League Baseball. I'm 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:12.359 going to give the White Sox relievers a C. Even 0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:16.960 though Sean new Comes pitched really well and Grant Taylor 0:17:17.000 --> 0:17:20.960 at times has pitched really well. I'm still uneasy about 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:24.040 Sir Anthony Domingus. I'm still uneasy on some of the 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:27.720 other arms that are part of the White Sox bullpen. 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:30.399 I'm hoping that they do figure out the high leverage 0:17:30.400 --> 0:17:34.040 situation as the second half continues, especially as far as 0:17:34.080 --> 0:17:37.600 the next quarter of the season before the trade deadline. 0:17:37.720 --> 0:17:39.960 But this is the unit that I do circle that 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:43.439 I think can get better with internal options, especially if 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:45.920 the White Sox do you decide to move Tanner McDougal 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:48.800 if he is healthy into the bullpen. That could be 0:17:48.840 --> 0:17:51.480 a lot more velocity coming out of the White Sox 0:17:51.520 --> 0:17:54.400 bullpen as well. If Sir Anthony Domingus gets himself back 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:56.919 on track, then all of a sudden, that back end 0:17:56.960 --> 0:17:59.920 of the bullpen for the White Sox looks a lot stronger. 0:18:00.119 --> 0:18:03.240 So while I am concerned about the starting pitching fading 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:05.320 for the White Sox. They don't have that same concern 0:18:06.000 --> 0:18:08.480 on the whole fading as a unit from the White 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:10.760 Sox relievers, but after the first half, I still give 0:18:10.760 --> 0:18:13.480 them a CEE. James, what grade would you give White 0:18:13.480 --> 0:18:16.879 Sox relievers. 0:18:16.000 --> 0:18:20.080 I'd probably say be out of spite to your review. 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:23.440 Taking objection with calling Brant Taylor pitching sub three e 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:28.360 RA with awesome peripherals as good at times, I think. 0:18:28.560 --> 0:18:33.760 Yes, he is too much time bad like three outings 0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:36.560 for someone who's averaging like on pace for like eighty 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:39.800 innings and striking out thirty five percent of hitters. 0:18:39.840 --> 0:18:41.840 Like he's just generally been awesome. And this is what 0:18:41.880 --> 0:18:48.920 a very very good release season looks like. Seawn Newcomb's 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:50.720 been like one hundred and twenty percent of what you 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:55.199 could hope delivering, like like a three win bullpen season, 0:18:55.440 --> 0:18:59.159 Like that's been an amazing signee, Like Brian Hudson becoming 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:02.080 a leverage guy certainly the sort of thing you need 0:19:02.119 --> 0:19:07.000 to you know, find yourself in a division race. Surprisingly, Yeah, 0:19:07.000 --> 0:19:09.400 the back end has been shaky, Yeah, Jordan Hicks has 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:12.719 been a roller coaster. Sir Anthony Demingez has you know, 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:15.919 blown out says, but they they've been middle of the 0:19:15.960 --> 0:19:18.280 pack and certainly in terms of like their expectations of 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:21.320 like kind of just on the hunt for guys who 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:24.280 look like viable big leaguers that they have something that 0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:31.720 looks like just like a leverage core of a team 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:33.840 that fights for a wild card spot caliber, like yeah, 0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:35.280 it needs to be upgraded to the deadline, but like 0:19:36.119 --> 0:19:38.760 it's obviously been like the bones of a decent bullpen 0:19:40.480 --> 0:19:42.760 when they really like as much as they spent something 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:45.440 on it, like it wasn't like some huge spendings for 0:19:45.520 --> 0:19:47.480 you or even like close to like twenty twenty two 0:19:48.160 --> 0:19:51.240 levels of investment of like finding leverage believers, I think 0:19:51.240 --> 0:19:53.560 it's been pretty good, probably like B minus, like given 0:19:53.640 --> 0:19:56.680 like some of the struggles, but the data you're drawing 0:19:56.680 --> 0:19:59.800 from also is well Sean Burke and Eric Fetty starts 0:20:00.000 --> 0:20:04.439 and you know, removing some scoreless Grant Taylor openings, uhich 0:20:04.440 --> 0:20:07.159 just maybe why you're underrating him his performance on the season. 0:20:09.200 --> 0:20:12.240 So yeah, like their their flawed. They need to add 0:20:12.359 --> 0:20:14.320 and you know, I think we've seen like a bunch 0:20:14.320 --> 0:20:17.640 of projects like not work out there uh in some way, 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:23.400 but from what iffness there is on like starting pitching reserves, 0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:26.000 Like maybe some of those options that we're not quite 0:20:26.000 --> 0:20:28.879 sure could contributed to the rotation, like Hegan Smith or 0:20:29.240 --> 0:20:31.920 Dan McDougall, maybe those become assets at the bullpen where 0:20:31.920 --> 0:20:34.240 I feel like almost a little bit more of their 0:20:34.240 --> 0:20:36.919 better position to you know, shuffle in some better options 0:20:36.960 --> 0:20:40.520 or some interesting guys that don stretch, Like, is there's 0:20:40.560 --> 0:20:43.280 something to this hiary rte upsurge. You know, maybe we 0:20:43.320 --> 0:20:48.200 can find out at some point, you know, I never 0:20:48.240 --> 0:20:50.719 say never, what if we say, see Peyton Pellette like 0:20:51.080 --> 0:20:55.280 effectively other bulpalzo is you know, look really good and 0:20:55.320 --> 0:20:58.560 now was rehabbing. So uh, I feel like maybe there's 0:20:59.400 --> 0:21:01.639 easier to score and see some like options just because 0:21:01.640 --> 0:21:03.560 like the bar is lower for you know, guys who 0:21:03.560 --> 0:21:06.200 could help and round out to a bullpen that looks 0:21:06.480 --> 0:21:09.040 more like five or six deep down the stretch than 0:21:09.600 --> 0:21:11.280 you know, three or four deep in getting by the 0:21:11.320 --> 0:21:13.280