SURPRISE, Ariz. — Since taking over as White Sox general manager 18 months ago, Chris Getz has acquired or drafted a plethora of young power arms that represent the fulcrum of the organization’s rebuild mission.
But what about the power at the plate?
The same franchise that developed Frank Thomas, Harold Baines, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee and formed formidable combinations such as Paul Konerko-Jermaine Dye-Jim Thome and most recently Jose Abreu-Jose Moncada and Eloy Jimenez has experienced a severe power outage.
Some of it is due to the rebuild that has focused primarily on trading for or drafting pitchers. That came into focus last June when the Sox drafted Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith over Jac Caglianone, who hit 75 home runs in 2 1/2 seasons for Florida and was selected by the Royals one pick after the Sox chose Smith with the fifth overall pick.
Others, like Luis Robert Jr. and since-departed Eloy Jimenez, were plagued by injuries.
But the chilling fact is that Sox finished their dismal 2024 season with a major-league-low 133 home runs despite playing half their games in hitter-friendly Rate Field.
Furthermore, they hit more home runs on the road (69) than at home (64).
Help is on the way, but the Sox won’t sacrifice development for the sake of power, which could be supplied in the future with the likes of Colson Montgomery, George Wolkow and switch-hitter Braden Montgomery, the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft who might have been selected higher had he not suffered a broken right ankle in the NCAA Super Regional.
The acquisition of Braden Montgomery from the Red Sox in a five-player trade involving Garrett Crochet last winter was significant because it marked one of the few times during the Getz regime that a power bat was dealt to the Sox.
But for now, the Sox return a lineup that includes their top home run producers in 2024 — Andrew Benintendi (20) and Andrew Vaughn (19) with no other guarantees outside of Robert, who hit 14 in 100 games in 2024 but appears destined to be traded at some point.
“I love power,” first-year manager Will Venable said. “We all love guys that can drive the baseball, but we know that is just one component of being a good baseball player. So even for guys that maybe that’s not their calling card, to be a complete player and do the things we need to do on the bases and defensively, is also important, too,”
The Sox recently signed Joey Gallo, who hit 81 home runs for the Rangers in 2017-18, to a minor league contract. But Gallo has a career 38 percent strikeout rate, so don’t expect the Sox to stock up on players like Gallo. They learned the hard way 14 years ago when they signed nothing-or-all free agent Adam Dunn, who hit 41 home runs but struck out 222 times in 2012 and struck out at least 31 percent of the time in each of his 3 1/2 seasons with the Sox.
“[Getz] has a plan for the type of players he wants to bring in this organization,” Venable said. “I leave that to him. Whatever he brings us, we’re going to do everything we can to develop.
“And I don’t think that there’s a certain type that we’re looking for. We’re just looking for baseball players who can help us, and he’s done a good job bring those guys.”
Of the Sox’s 133 homers in 2024, 85 were hit with no one on base. So the pursuit of table setters might help build the foundation once the likes of the Montgomerys and Wolkow are ready.
“It’s exciting to see what we’ve got going on in the future,” said Tim Elko, who hit an opposite-field home run Saturday at Sloan Park and hit 28 home runs at three minor league affiliates in 2023. “Whether it’s power hitter, contact hitter, whatever, I’m just excited to do whatever I can to help this organization.”