2012 Chicago White Sox Predictions
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
The Chicago White Sox didn’t have the season they were hoping for in 2011, finishing third in the AL Central with a 79-83 record. Chicago will have to get some big time production from some unfamiliar faces if they are going to contend in 2012. Over the offseason they lost arguably their best starter in Mark Buehrle and one of their top hitters in outfielder Carlos Quentin. The White Sox must also adjust to new manager Robin Ventura, who takes over for the departed Ozzie Guillen. Let’s take a look at the projected starting lineup, starting rotation and closer situation for the upcoming season.
Projected Lineup
A.J. Perzynski (Catcher) – Perzynski is coming off a pretty impressive season for a catcher who just turned 35 in December. The veteran finished with a solid .287 average over 129 games. However, his power is definitely on the decline. He has just 17 home runs, eight last year, over the last two seasons.
Paul Konerko (First Base) – Konerko is another White Sox who doesn’t seem to be letting his age slow him down. The 36-year-old hit .300 with 31 home runs and 105 RBI, and its hard to not expect a similar campaign in 2012. Injuries are definitely a concern for anyone who is closer to 40 than 30.
Gordon Beckham (Second Base) – Beckham has been on the decline since his breakout season in 2009 where he hit .270 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI in just 373 at-bats. The White Sox desperately need their 25-year-old to get on track. Beckham hit just .230 with 10 home runs and 44 RBI in 150 games last year.
Alexei Ramirez (Shortstop) – Ramirez leads all AL shortstops in home runs and extra base hits over the last three seasons, but he is coming off a bit of a disappointing season. After hitting .282 with 18 home runs and 70 RBI in 2010, Ramirez finished up 2011 with a .269 average to go along with just 15 home runs and 70 RBI. Wouldn’t be surprised at all if he put up big numbers in 2012.
Brent Morel (Third Base) – Morel hit just .245 in 126 games last year, but he showed some promise with eight home runs in the month of September. Pretty impressive considering he had just four going into the final month of the season. The White Sox are hoping the 25-year-old carries over that late success into a big 2012 season.
Dayan Viciedo (Left Field) – After three seasons of grooming after coming over from Cuba, it appears Viciedo is finally ready to take on a big role in 2012. The 22-year-old has hit .282 over limited playing time the past two seasons, but his power numbers haven’t quite showed up yet, he has hit just six home runs in 206 at-bats. Could end up being one of the big surprises this season.
Alejandro De Aza (Center Field) – The White Sox are excited about what De Aza could bring to the table after a strong showing last year. De Aza hit .329 with four home runs, 23 RBI, and 12 steals over just 54 games. He is expected to take over the leadoff spot, and is definitely a player worth keeping an eye on.
Alex Rios (Right Field) -Rios didn’t even come close to meeting expectations in 2011. After hitting .284 with 21 home runs, 88 RBI, and 34 stolen bases in his first season with Chicago, he plummeted to the tune of a .227 average with just 13 home runs, 44 RBI, and 11 steals. A bounce back season is definitely a possibility, but I definitely have my concerns for the 31-year-old.
Adam Dunn (Designated Hitter) – If Rios was a disappointment, I don’t know what you call the season Dunn had in 2011. After signing a big contract with the White Sox, Dunn came out and hit .159 with only 11 home runs and 42 RBI. It’s hard to explain exactly what happened. The guy had hit at least 38 home runs in each of the previous seven seasons. While it’s hard to expect a lot, you have to believe he will be better than those horrific numbers he put up last year.
Projected Rotation
John Danks (LHP) - You can add Danks to the list of players who didn’t live up to expectations last year. After three straight double-digit win seasons (40 wins total) and an ERA never higher than 3.77, Danks went 8-12 with a 4.33 ERA in 27 starts. With Buehrle out of the picture, Chicago is counting on him to bounce back with a 15-win season in 2012.
Gavin Floyd (RHP) – Floyd went 12-13 with a 4.37 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 30 starts last season, extending his streak to four consecutive years with at least 10 wins. It doesn’t appear he is ever going to be the same pitcher who went 17-8 with 3.84 ERA in 2008, but his career-best 1.16 WHIP is a good sign he is headed in the right direction.
Jake Peavy (RHP) – Peavy is a bit of a wild card coming into 2012. He is expected to be as healthy as he has been in years, and will only be 31 in May. The former ace of the Padres went 7-7 with a 4.92 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 18 starts last year. If he can stay healthy, a huge if, his ERA should fall back below 4.00 and his win total could reach upwards of 15.
Philip Humber (RHP) - Humber had an up and down season in his first run as a full-time starter. He started off pitching like an All-Star, going 7-4 with an ERA below 3.00 over the first three months of the season, but faded badly in the second half (5.01 ERA in final 10 starts). It will be interesting to see whether they get the guy from the first half or the second half in 2012.
Chris Sale (LHP) – The White Sox plan on converting Sale from reliever to starter in 2012. The 22-year-old was outstanding in 58 appearances out of the bullpen. He won two games, saved eight, and had 16 holds while posting a 2.79 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.
Projected Closer
Matt Thornton (LHP) – The White Sox surprised a lot of people by trading away 2011 closer Sergio Santos, and now it looks like the team will rely on Thornton to shutdown the ninth. Thornton hasn’t exactly thrived in the closer role over his career and has been more effective as a setup man.
| 2012 Chicago White Sox Odds | |
| World Series | +6500 |
| AL Pennant | +3500 |
| AL Central | +1200 |
| Total Regular Season Wins | O75.5 (-115) |
| U75.5 (-114) |
Over/Under Total Home Runs in the 2012 Regular Season
Paul Konerko – 30.5
Adam Dunn – 25.5
Alex Rios – 15.5
Over/Under Total Wins in the 2012 Regular Season
John Danks – 11.5
Gavin Floyd – 11.5
MLB Predictions by Team
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