Hitting was one of the White Sox’s biggest problems this season, resulting in the worst season in team history.
Heading into Sunday’s games, the Sox (28-91) rank last in the major leagues in runs scored (3.08) and OPS (.619) and are tied for last place in batting average (.217).
While it takes a lot of underperforming hitters to weaken a lineup that much, left fielder Andrew Benintendi’s problems have only increased given his five-year, $75 million contract, which he signed in December 2022.
He knows he didn’t quite live up to the largest free agent contract in Sox history. Benintendi has a batting average of .242/.303/.359 in 247 games with the Sox, and no longer resembles the hitter he was earlier in his career.
“There have been times this year when I’ve swung well without necessarily seeing results,” Benintendi told the Sun-Times. “There have also been times when I’ve swung at bad pitches and thrown myself out. I just understand that it’s a very long year. There are a lot of at-bats and you’re going to go through ups and downs.”
But Bennintendi’s problems reached unbearable levels. As recently as July 30, his batting average was below .200 and his outs-over-average was -6. In arguably his worst year, the left fielder stuck to his routine and didn’t try to stray too far from it, except earlier this season when he adopted a more upright stance.
Benintendi said he had struggled with dips in form before, but this, combined with the burden of his contract, was another obstacle he had to overcome.
“I’ve heard a lot about it this year,” Benintendi said. “I block it out. The more you read about it, the angrier you get. For me, it’s pretty simple to know who I am and what got me here.”
“Sitting at home and watching TV is a lot easier than sitting in the box. There are definitely things I need to improve on, but it’s nice to see it coming together over the last few weeks.”
Since July 31, Benintendi has hit .314/.351/.829 with a 1.180 OPS. The performance is probably not sustainable, but for Benintendi and the Sox, it’s a welcome change to see the veteran succeed at the plate.
“He’s handled it very well,” said designated hitter Gavin Sheets. “He’s just a professional. We can all see how much criticism he’s taken, and that comes with big contracts and big responsibility when you’re a star player. He’s handled it incredibly well, and now he’s taking matters into his own hands and doing what he can.”
His play is the only thing Benintendi can control. At the trade deadline, there were reports that the Sox wanted to get rid of Benintendi to get rid of his expensive contract. The previous team that signed Benintendi (former vice president Kenny Williams and general manager Rick Hahn) were fired last August. Former manager Pedro Grifol, who had been a key supporter of Benintendi after their time together in Kansas City, was fired last week.
Benintendi also saw GM Chris Getz trade former top designated hitter Eloy Jimenez for Dylan Cease. More changes are likely to come as Getz looks to remake the Sox in his image and move on from the players of the previous rebuild.
Despite the constant losing streak and organizational changes since joining the Sox, Benintendi said he would like to stay with the Sox despite the team’s struggles since his signing.
“I can only control what I can control,” Benintendi said. “I want to be here.”
