Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito again: Are the faces of the franchise emerging?



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Maybe the future has not yet arrived at a South Side stadium near you. But it becomes a heavy game in the next attractions.

The first two games of this four-game weekend series against the New York Yankees gave a clear glimpse into the incredibly bright future of the White Sox. After Tim Anderson made a three-run homer in a return win on Thursday night, Eloy Jimenez led the charge with two homers in a 10-2 loss on Friday night. Lucas Giolito has once again played six balls in one heat to become the first pitcher of the majors to reach 10 wins. The guy who was statistically the worst baseball pitcher last season has an average of 0.94 points in his last nine starts, with only six points allowed in his last eight games.

With their second Yankees win in first place in as many evenings, the White Sox scored .500, their first appearance since the end of the season since Rick Hahn's rebuilding project began.

"We climbed. We played baseball better and more consistently. We play really well at home, which is huge, "said Giolito. "I'm happy, I'm glad we're at .500, it's a bit of a turning point and we continue from there.

The turning point would seem to be more progressive, not a handbrake after the beating that these White Sox received in Minnesota during the Memorial Day weekend. But there is no doubt that the future lights up almost every day. Admittedly, with each start of Giolito and each Jimenez circuit, things are getting better for 2020, when the conflict window of the franchise could begin to open.

The guaranteed rate guaranteed a frenetic pace Friday night – with Rock N Roll Night in full swing – with more than 31,000 spectators in the stands and more fans expected in the last two days of the series. Next is the two-game trip north of Lake Shore Drive next week for the first half of this year's Crosstown series.

Giolito, Jimenez launching circuits, electrical atmospheres and a team of White Sox in full boiling: are we sure that we did not all fall back in a machine to go back to the time at the Philip J. Fry?

No, we're still in 2019. And although Jimenez said on Friday that the White Sox were running after a playoff spot in a very heavy US league, maybe Dylan Cease and Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal would have arrived before that the discussions on the playoffs become really serious. This should not, however, prevent viewers from getting excited about what White Sox fans are currently observing in the field.

Any victory would be welcome if the White Sox lost 195 combined games in 2017 and 2018. But it is special because of its dynamism: young players who are part of the core of this team, players who will feed the championship contenders . in the years to come.

"I think we can be one of the best teams in the league," Giolito said. "We have 100% talent. We have more talents developing in the minor leagues. The sky is the limit for us.

"If we continue to play as we do, beginning with more and more consistent pitching, this is one of the great things that, I repeat, is an important part of our success. We will be able to continue winning matches and placing ourselves in a good position at the end of the year.

Jimenez and Giolito in turn could provide more than two pieces of a nucleus. As their stars continue to rise, we may be watching the faces of the upcoming franchise.

Admittedly, Giolito has attracted national attention and has single-handedly attracted the attention of the South Side with its continued success. He was voted the AL launcher of the month in May and was even better in June with a 0.43 ERA and 26 strikeouts in his three starts this month.

After owning the best ERAs and WHIPs among the qualified beginners of the sport last season, Giolito is in the running for the AHL All-Star Game. He's still a lot of season, but for now, he's as good a candidate as you'll find for the Cy Young Award.

This is a remarkable transformation on the part of a large number of fans left out of their rotation projections after last season to become a type that fans could have at the peak of these screenings.

"In terms of performance, they talk about themselves," said manager Rick Renteria. "You must give this child a ton of credit for everything he's done in order to adjust to the situation in which he is at that moment and the way he behaves.

"We are all amazed. I think everyone in baseball should be surprised at what this young man is doing and be extremely proud of him. "

And then there is the slugger.

For most of the season so far, Jimenez appeared to be a 22-year-old rookie taking his first steps into the big leagues. And a campaign full of growing pains would have been perfectly understandable. But recently, we saw why this child was ranked third in potential baseball players, why he had been so bad since the day the White Sox acquired him two summers.

In his last 13 games, Jimenez has reduced his .348 / .412 / .761 average with five home runs and 14 RBIs. This is the kind of mid-level superstar superstars dreamed of when they talked about Jimenez before his major league debut. The only presence of Jiménez was the main positive point. He's now starting to show what kind of impact he can hit in the big leagues. And that brings the brightness to 11 for 2020 and beyond.

"Yes, of course," Jimenez said after Friday's game, almost incredulous that he was asked if he felt better at the plate lately. "I feel more patient at the plate. I see the ball better because I do not rush. I just enter the game and if that happens, it happens. "

"Dude, that's a beast," Giolito said of his left defensive player. "He enters a little bit in his. They've been preparing him as a veterinarian for 10 years since he's entered the league, but I think he's starting to follow his approach and that he's showing a bit of power. "

All this is part of what is going extremely well for the White Sox right now, positive signs coming from the good players that bode well for the future.

Much remains to be done for this future to happen. But do not be surprised if you start seeing more and more jerseys and jerseys # 27 and 74 on the south side as summer progresses. These may be faces of the franchise in the making.

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