With the playoffs underway - and the White Sox not in them - we decided to look back on the 2019 season and take a glance into the future. The ‘team of the future’ just might have a lot to offer… and it might already be here.
We sat down with our Chuck Garfien, Vinnie Duber, Leila Rahimi, Ozzie Guillen and Scott Merkin, White Sox writer for MLB.com, to get their take on the South Siders.
Following our look at the best storylines of 2019, we asked our experts to explain what insights they picked up from the 2019 season.
"We know what the White Sox have and we know what they don't have," says Chuck Garfien.
The 2019 season was a great glimpse into the future for the White Sox. The team was missing one of their highly touted young starters in Michael Kopech, but with Kopech returning for the 2020 season we can expect to see a nice jolt in the rotation.
"We learned that this team has a core," says Vinnie Duber. "A young core that's gonna be going forward to hopefully produce contenders on an annual basis."
The White Sox young core, made up of Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito and Jose Abreu (among others) showed off their talent in the 2019 season. Each had a brush with injury but it didn't stop them from producing on a level the White Sox haven't seen in a while.
MLB
Apart from the success in 2019, we also learned that there are some gaps that still need to be filled, one of which is starting pitching. While the starting rotation is good, it's not great, so this offseason should be interesting for sure.
Top 10 free-agent starting pitchers: Who will the White Sox sign?
"The base is there," Merkin said, "but they are still a little bit lacking in depth."
We'll have to wait and see what 2020 brings us, but as of now things are looking up and people are noticing the potential.
[MORE: Biggest need for 2020]
[MORE: Best storylines of 2019]