Chicago White Sox 2010 Preview, Predictions & Odds

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Chicago White Sox 2009 MLB Record: 79-83
Chicago White Sox 2009 MLB Home Record: 43-38
Chicago White Sox 2009 MLB Away Record: 36-45

Chicago White Sox 2010 Betting

Chicago White Sox Odds to Win the American League: 12/1
Chicago White Sox Odds to Win the World Series: 25/1

Chicago White Sox 2010 Preview & Prediction

While it was a deep pitching staff that carried the White Sox on their championship run in 2005, the signature of Kenny Williams’ teams has been prolific power hitting and reliable run scoring. That template is changing as Ozzie Guillen gets a team more like the ones he said he wanted when he stepped into the manager’s office in 2004. The cornerstones, Paul Konerko and Mark Buehrle, are still in place, but the lineup is speedier and more athletic and should be at least somewhat better in the field. Jake Peavy, in his first full season in Chicago, and setup man J. J. Putz add to a pitching staff that could be one of the American League’s best, giving the Sox a good chance to win their third Central title in six years.

No team has repeated in the balanced AL Central since the 2005 White Sox ended a three-year run by Minnesota. That trend suggests the Sox or Detroit should upend the Twins this time around, and pitching generally wins. Chicago has the edge there. If the White Sox can finish in the top half of the AL in scoring and give away fewer victories with improved fielding, they should win. If Quentin and Rios do not bounce back as expected, the Sox could hover around .500 despite a pitching staff built to succeed.

Chicago White Sox Manager: Ozzie Guillen (6 Seasons) Record: 512 – 461

Chicago White Sox 2010 Projected Batting Order: LF Juan Pierre (L), CF Alex Rios (R), RF Carlos Quentin (R), 1B Paul Konerko (R), 28 Gordon Beckham (R), 3B Mark Teahen (L), SS Alexei Ramirez (R), C A.J. Pierzynski (L), DH Andruw Jones (R)

Chicago White Sox 2010 Projected Rotation: RH Jake Peavy, LH Mark Buehrle, LH John Danks, RH Gavin Floyd, RH Freddy Garcia

Chicago White Sox 2010 Projected Closer: RH Bobby Jenks

2010 Chicago White Sox Rotation:

The names aren’t as big as the guys’ with the Yankees and Red Sox, but don’t be surprised if the White Sox cobble together the lowest ERA by starters in the AL. They were second a year ago, thanks mostly to the work of stalwarts Buehrle, John Danks and Gavin Floyd. That trio is bumped down a spot by the arrival of Peavy, who was 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three starts after returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him from June through August. Even though Buehrle, Danks and Floyd combined for 95 starts, the Sox needed 11 starters in 2009. They hope Freddy Garcia and such rookies as Daniel Hudson and Carlos Torres will be good enough to limit that number to SIX or seven.

2009-2010 Chicago White Sox Bullpen:

Because closer Bobby Jenks was an expensive arbitration-eligible player, lots of people thought he’d get shipped elsewhere. Williams wasn’t willing to risk life without the guy who has converted 87 percent of his career saves while averaging 35 the last four seasons. His total has dropped every year, however, to only 29 a year ago. Should Jenks falter in the first half, the White Sox have three in-house options in the closer role. Putz and lefty Matt Thornton have shown closer’s stuff since their days together in Seattle. Tony Pena was viewed as a late-inning alternative in Arizona. Scott Linebrink, a disappointment in the first two seasons of his four-year, $19 million contract, slots into the game earlier than ever. The rest of the bullpen will come from a mix of lefty Randy Williams and right handers Johnny Nunez, Lucas Harrell, Freddy Dolsi, Hudson and Torres. Hudson, the organization’s best pitching prospect, could be a second-half weapon if he’s not needed in the rotation.

2010 Chicago White Sox Middle Infield:

The eighth overall pick in the 2008 draft, Gordon Beckham was a quick study as a pro. He reached the big leagues after only 59 games in the minors and used his quick bat and compact stroke to hit well enough to capture top rookie honors from the Players Choice Awards. A shortstop at the University of Georgia, he was needed at third base last season but moves to second after the trade of Chris Getz. He has the skills to play short, but this could become a permanent fit. His ability to hit for average and drive in runs – .323 average, .873 OPS with men in scoring position could make him a perennial All-Star at second. Alexei Ramirez enters his third big league season, the second at shortstop. He uses his first step quickness and plus arm to make highlight plays but needs to cut down his error total. His hitting totals dropped as pitchers adjusted to him, putting the ball back in his court.

2010 Chicago White Sox Corners:

Easily overlooked, Konerko is the glue that holds this lineup together. He pushes himself and his teammates hard, frequently playing through injuries at the expense of his statistics. This is a big season for him; it’s the last of the five-year deal he got when he reached free agency at the same time the Sox were celebrating Chicago’s first World Series championship since 1917. He’s a safe bet for 25 home runs and 90plus RBI’s and has worked to become a solid fielder. He’s slowing down a little bit as he ages but could easily have another five to seven years in him, assuming baseball keeps his interest. Mark Teahen arrives from Kansas City as the regular third baseman. Williams believes Teahen is an upgrade in the field and that his bat will be a great fit for U.S. Cellular Field. The jury’s out; he has never put up big numbers.

2010 Chicago White Sox Outfield:

Carlos Quentin is the kind of hitter who can carry a club. He went into September 2008 as an MVP candidate but didn’t get in a groove until the very end of2009, battling plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He moves from left field to right after Jermaine Dye’s departure and will be a key for the middle of the lineup. No one is more important overall than center fielder Alex Rios. He should end a long run of mediocrity at the position, anchoring an improved defensive outfield, but he has regressed so much as a hitter that some wonder whether his outstanding seasons with Toronto in 2006 and ’07 were aberrations. Left fielder Juan Pierre, discarded with two years left on his five-year contract with the Dodgers, figures to be a mild upgrade over Scott Podsednik as the leadoff man, mostly because he’s one of baseball’s iron men.

2010 Chicago White Sox Catching:

Few catchers are as durable and into their jobs as A.J. Pierzynski. He has started more games than any AL catcher except Kurt Suzuki over the last two seasons, and would have started more if he had his way. He brings such a good bat to the lineup that he’s sometimes pushed into the middle or even top of the lineup but fits best down in the sixth, seventh or eighth spot. He has often been an easy target to run on in his five seasons as the White Sox regular but threw out 23 percent last season, a sign that pitchers gave him a better chance. Pierzynski is in the last season of his contract and hopes for an extension – a tricky proposition with heir apparent Tyler Flowers in the final stages of his on-field education.

2010 Chicago White Sox Bench:

Omar Vizquel, Andruw Jones and Mark Kotsay, who have 48 seasons and 149 career postseason games among them, give Guillen a wealth of experience and options. Kotsay, the least decorated of the trio, could wind up in the biggest role of the three as the 42-year-old Vizquel and 32-year-old Jones have slipped from their primes. Jones hit .185 after the All-Star break last season. In a string that includes Harold Baines, Frank Thomas and Jim Thome, the Sox have gotten strong production from big-name DH’s. But with Thome gone, Guillen plans to rotate players into that position. It may open as a Kotsay/Jones platoon, but Vizquel could get some starts, too. Minor league veteran Cole Armstrong could emerge as the backup catcher if Williams opts to have Flowers play every day in Triple-A.

Chicago White Sox 2010 Season Predictions

We predict that the Chicago White Sox will finish 2nd in the AL Central Division .

Chicago White Sox 5-Year Win Trend

2009: 3rd AL Central 79
2008: 1st AL Central 89
2007: 4th AL Central 72
2006: 3rd AL Central 90
2005: 1st AL Central 99

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