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Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is not lacking in confidence. Anderson has been outspoken in his career, whether he’s celebrating a home run or quitting talking about unwritten rules, Anderson always delivers a good quote.
Over the past two seasons, he’s been supporting everything. Anderson has reached .331 / .357 / .514 in his last 172 games. He’s won a batting title and a Silver Slugger, and is the catalyst for a White Sox team that should be a permanent contender for the playoffs for the next decade.
But Anderson may have gone too far on Friday. During an interview with 670 The Score’s Danny Parkins, Anderson challenged the rest of the AL, calling the White Sox “the best team in the American League.”
Anderson was so excited to make this statement that he even threw an f-bomb on the radio.
That’s a lot of confidence from Anderson given the White Sox snuck into the Extended Playoffs as a No.7 seed and couldn’t pass the Oakland Athletics in the first round. If the White Sox fail to make a playoff run in 2021, Anderson’s quote could come back to bite him.
The White Sox ready for another good year
At the same time, it’s not like Anderson is playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The White Sox are expected to take a step forward in 2021 after acquiring Lance Lynn and signing Adam Eaton and Liam Hendriks in the offseason. On top of that, top prospect Michael Kopech will return after retiring from the 2020 season. On the surface, the White Sox look stronger than last season.
But the list is not perfect. The team’s pitching depth past their top 3 leaves a lot to be desired, especially if new pitching coach Ethan Katz can’t get Dylan Cease or Reynaldo Lopez back on track. Although Eaton has been productive in the past, he’s just had a tough year and struggled with injuries. The team also have a huge hole in the designated hitter, where they hope Andrew Vaughn can eventually step in and hit like a 10-year veteran.
These concerns are significant enough that Baseball Prospectus surprisingly projects the White Sox to win just 82.8 games in 2021 and finish third at AL Central. Unless the White Sox make another move or two, or a few players take big steps forward, Anderson could be eating his words when October arrives.
Yankees, Rays, Astros, Twins stand in the way
Even though the White Sox have beaten the projections, it’s not like the AL is going to be fun in 2021. The Minnesota Twins won the AL Central in 2020 and have an equally strong roster. this season. The New York Yankees bring back a powerful attack, but also came out and traded for Jameson Taillon. The Tampa Bay Rays may look worse on paper, but the team shouldn’t be underestimated after reaching the World Series last year. There’s also the Houston Astros, who have had a tough year in 2020 but are set to bounce back in 2021.
In Anderson’s defense, the White Sox have reached a point in their contention cycle where just making the playoffs is no reason to celebrate. This team should have World Series aspirations. Anderson has now set a bar where anything other than a World Series appearance will be a disappointment.
It’s up to the rest of the White Sox to prove him right.
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