This is the first in a series of articles looking back on the Knights’ season by Charlotte beat writer Jeff Cohen. This installment looks at the players who received call-ups to Chicago, how much help they offered the White Sox this year and what the future may hold for them.
The White Sox endured a rash of injuries in 2021 and turned to Charlotte on multiple occasions for reinforcements. It resulted in unexpectedly strong contributions from some unlikely sources.
At the top of the list, of course, are Gavin Sheets and Jake Burger. But Reynoldo Lopez also had an outsized role in the White Sox fortunes this year, along with Seby Zavala.
Yet another tier of players also stepped into the void with smaller contributions: Danny Mendick, Mike Wright, Jimmy Lambert, Ryan Burr, Alex McRae, Jace Fry, Zack Burdi (later released), Luis Gonzalez (later claimed while on waivers), Matt Foster and Romy Gonzalez.
Let’s take a closer look at the 2021 contributions of these guys and their likely roles, if any, with the White Sox in 2022 and beyond.
Gavin Sheets
Gavin Sheets was dynamic in Charlotte (.295/.362/.507) all season. These results merited three call-ups to Chicago, in early June for 3 days, six weeks in mid-summer and again on September 1.
In the big leagues, the lefty slugger caught a lot of fans by surprise at a time when an increasing number of higher-profile prospects such as Joe Adell, Jared Kelenic, Alex Kirilloff had underwhelming debuts.
While questions about power dogged him through his time in the minors, he has quickly dispelled those concerns with 11 homers and eight doubles in 160 at bats with the White Sox. A career first baseman, Sheets also worked hard this past year to turn himself into an adquate outfielder, helping pave the way for greater playing time in Chicago.
He was rewarded with a post-season roster spot and appears destined for a bigger role in Chicago in 2022, with every opportunity to win an Opening Day roster spot.
Jake Burger
Burger, his running mate and friend, also opened a lot of eyes in his 24 days in the major leagues, with a home run, triple, three doubles, five singles and four walks in 42 plate appearances.
Playing professional ball for the first time since 2017 (in Low-A) after missing 2018-19 with injury and last year’s cancelled season, the feel-good, comeback-story-of-the-year found himself aggressively assigned to Triple-A this year. He more than met the challenge.
Most importantly, his body held up to the rigors of a full season of baseball. No doubt he was helped by intensive off-season workouts that dropped a lot of weight and added foot speed. But his calling card — a strong bat that propelled him to the top of his draft class — picked up where he left off as the slugger mashed from day one in Charlotte.
With so many questions now answered, Burger has a bright future in baseball. But it remains unclear if it is with the White Sox. He is blocked by Yoan Moncada at third base, and his second-base experiment ended prematurely with his emergency call-up to Chicago. Burger and manager Wes Helms did continue to work on second-base fundamentals in practice through the end of the season, however.
But more time in Charlotte wouldn’t be the worst thing, given that 2021 was Burger’s first full season in three years. Injuries on the big-league club in 2022 could open a path to playing time in the interim.
Reynaldo Lopez
Few, if any, saw a role for Lopez in Chicago after his miserable start in Charlotte (6.55 ERA in May and 9.16 in June). But Lopez kept working on his mechanics, with tutelage from pitching coach Matt Zaleski, and finally got things turned around in July, prompting a July 16 call-up.
After a few multi-inning relief appearances, Lopez moved into the rotation and delivered when several of the White Sox rotation mainstays headed to the IL at the same time. Lopez will be arbitration-eligible in 2022 and 2023, and should have every chance in the Spring to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster. He is suddenly a valuable depth piece at a time when more pitchers than ever are needed to survive a 162-game season.
Seby Zavala
Seby Zavala played an important role following Yasmani Grandal’s injury. So much so, in fact, that the White Sox did not bring in another receiver at the trade deadline. Zavala didn’t do much at the plate — except for his history-making three-homer game — but he was able to bridge the gap until Grandal’s return, and his contribution can’t be overlooked. He’ll likely serve the same role as an emergency call-up in 2022.
The Rest Of The Call-Ups
Another tier of players also stepped into the void with smaller contributions: Danny Mendick, Mike Wright, Jimmy Lambert, Ryan Burr, Alex McRae, Jace Fry, Matt Foster and, the biggest surprise of them all, Romy Gonzalez.
Lambert and Gonzalez are the ones to keep an eye on here. Mendick will always be fighting for a roster spot, while all of the bullpen arms, if they are still on the 40-man roster, have shots at the Opening Day roster out of Spring Training. Mike Wright, meanwhile, is likely off to the highest bidder, having resuscitated his major-league prospects with the Knights.
It is clear the White Sox believe in Lambert, and his spot starts in Chicago probably didn’t do anything to change that.
The White Sox pulled off quite the balancing act with Lambert this year, bringing him out of the gate ever so cautiously in his first mound work since Tommy John surgery, and then stretching him out before easing off the accelerator in August so that he’d be available to the White Sox at the end of the season. They threaded the needle perfectly, such that Lambert had one of his best fastballs of the season in a September game in Oakland when he picked up his first MLB win.
Meanwhile, when it comes to Gonzalez, frankly, who knows what to think. After spending 2019 in Low-A, he jumped to Birmingham in 2021, where he thrived. This warranted an Aug. 20 call-up to Charlotte, where he was even better.
So much so, in fact, that after just nine games, Gonzalez joined Sheets as one of the White Sox’ two September 1 call-ups. He saw limited action in Chicago but that’s beside the point.
It no doubt suggests a possible bright future in Chicago. The only question is: when?
Photo credit: Sean Williams/FutureSox
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