Your 2015 Chicago White Sox in a perfect world (or the apocalypse)
/Baseball season is finally here.
After months of speculating, the White Sox's 25-man roster is set and the starting nine will take the field this afternoon against the defending American League champion Kansas City Royals.
Now that all the roster-building questions have been answered, what can we expect out of these guys?
Let's take our best guess.
The Starting Lineup
CF Adam Eaton
A perfect world: This one's simple. Eaton continues to build on what he did last year, but does so for 150+ games instead of 123.
It's the end of the world as we know it: Crashes into wall on Opening Day and misses entire season.
LF Melky Cabrera
A perfect world: Cabrera is hell on opposing teams as the No. 2 hitter, posting an OBP in the high .300s and bashing 30-40 doubles. And he's an adequate to above-average defender.
It's the end of the world as we know it: Less walks, more strikeouts and defense in LF that has us yearning for Dayan Viciedo.
1B Jose Abreu
A perfect world: Abreu surpasses even the lofty expectations we've placed on him after his rookie year. He wins the Triple Crown, leads the White Sox to the best record in the American League and is the unanimous league MVP.
It's the end of the world as we know it: We must never speak of this.
DH Adam LaRoche
A perfect world: Basically everything Adam Dunn was supposed to be, but with slightly fewer home runs and strikeouts, and good enough defense that he can spell Abreu.
Worst-case-scenario: Basically everything Adam Dunn was in 2011.
RF Avisail Garcia
A perfect world: All that potential we've been talking about Garcia's having for the past year-plus is finally realized, Garcia becomes a 20-20 guy, hits over .300, improves his walk and strikeout rates and makes an unexpected All-Star team.
It's the end of the world as we know it: We start comparing him to Dayan Viciedo.
SS Alexei Ramirez
A perfect world: Ramirez realizes that he's not going to be able to keep making contact at the rate he has forever, so he becomes more patient and starts drawing a bunch of walks. And that contact rate stays about the same.
It's the end of the world as we know it: Ramirez has never been an on-base machine, but if his bat speed slows down and he's unable to make contact, he becomes a ~.250 hitter with an on-base perfecting dipping below .300. He strikes out 100 times for the first time in his career and his defense takes a big step backward.
3B Conor Gillaspie
A perfect world: This has less to do with CONOR than the bench, but the hope is that one of the bench guys is good enough against lefties that we don't see him in the lineup against them too often, Also, he's not an albatross defensively.
It's the end of the world as we know it: He hits against everyone the way he hits against lefties.
C Tyler Flowers
A perfect world: Flowers bashes his way to his first 20-HR season, eclipses a .300 OBP and becomes an above-average defender.
It's the end of the world as we know it: At a position that is incredibly thin on talent league-wide, Flowers becomes unplayably bad, Geovany Soto gets hurt and the position becomes the worst black hole on the roster.
2B Micah Johnson
A perfect world: This one's tough, as there's no precedent to base Johnson's performance from. Let's just say it would be awesome if both his bat and defense are good enough for him to stick at the position yearlong and he reeks havoc on the basepaths.
It's the end of the world as we know it: Johnson is in Charlotte by the end of April, Carlos Sanchez isn't any better and we're treated to another season filled with Gordon Beckham's infield pop-ups.
The Starting Rotation
Chris Sale
A perfect world: Sale rivals Clayton Kershaw for best pitcher on the planet and is in the conversation for both the Cy Young award and MVP.
It's the end of the world as we know it: We must never speak of this.
Jeff Samardzija
A perfect world: Samardzija is the real deal. His strikeout and walk rates rival those of 2014, he posts an ERA below 3.00 and gives the White Sox a true three-headed monster in the rotation.
It's the end of the world as we know it: The real Jeff Samardzija is actually the one we saw in 2013 when, despite the lofty strikeout numbers, he walked too many guys, allowed too many hits and was basically a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher.
Jose Quintana
A perfect world: Quintana is markedly better in every single aspect, makes his first All-Star team and enters the Cy Young conversation.
It's the end of the world as we know it: Quintana suffers a serious shoulder injury and becomes John Danks.
John Danks
A perfect world: Danks takes a magical potion that heals his shoulder forever and he becomes the pitcher we thought he'd be in 2010.
It's the end of the world as we know it: Danks is so bad that he can't even make it out of April and Carlos Rodon isn't ready.
Hector Noesi
A perfect world: Noesi is an innings eater who is just good enough to hold down the No. 4 or 5 spot in the rotation.
It's the end of the world as we know it: Every start is like his last appearance for the Texas Rangers (against the White Sox).
The Bench
A perfect world: Geovany Soto stays healthy, plays great defense and becomes a good enough hitter that he eventually usurps Flowers as the starter. Emilio Bonifacio plays well enough on the infield and in center that he's able to spell the starters on a regular basis, Carlos Sanchez forces Robin to give him more playing time, J.B. Shuck is a solid bat bench and defensive replacement, and we never see or hear from Gordon Beckham ever again.
It's the end of the world as we know it: Soto gets hurt and the guys who replace him are terrible, injuries thrust Bonifacio and Beckham into the starting lineup on a regular basis.
The Bullpen
A perfect world: David Robertson, Zach Duke and a third guy (Dan Jennings or otherwise) do their best Kelvin Herrera/Wade Davis/Greg Holland impersonation. White Sox games are over after the seventh inning. The rest of the guys don't harm themselves or others.
It's the end of the world as we know it: 2014 Redux.