Chicago White Sox: It is too early to worry about Liam Hendriks
The Chicago White Sox had entered the offseason looking to shore up the remaining holes on their roster in a quest to return to the World Series. A part of those plans involved upgrading the bullpen. Alex Colome was out as the White Sox closer, allowed to depart to the division rival Twins. In his place, Chicago brought in Liam Hendriks, whose gutsy performance in the Wild Card Round knocked them from the postseason.
Adding Hendriks was a clear upgrade on paper. He had notched 39 saves over the previous two season, posting a 1.79 ERA and a 0.897 WHiP in his 110.1 innings, striking out 161 batters with 24 walks. He had been one of the more dominant relievers in the game, regardless of role, since the beginning of the 2021 campaign.
Liam Hendriks having uneven first season with Chicago White Sox
To this point, Hendriks has not exactly been the upgrade the White Sox had hoped for. He has four saves on the season, but has also blown two opportunities. He has also allowed four homers in just 9.1 innings, a worrisome number for any pitcher, not just the closer of a team with championship aspirations.
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On the other hand, Hendriks has been close to what the White Sox had hoped for. Despite the four homers, he has allowed a total eight baserunners on seven hits and one walk while striking out 16 batters. He is posting elite strikeout and chase rates, but has been getting hit hard when the opposition does manage to make contact.
Considering those numbers, and the overall unevenness of his performance, it is easy to see why some may be concerned about Hendriks. However, it is still very early in the season. Based on his usage, where he pitched 1.2 innings on Friday and was sent out to attempt to record the save on Saturday, manager Tony La Russa does not have any such worries.
Based on his previous two seasons, Hendriks certainly deserves the opportunity to right the ship. He appears to be close to being that dominant force he had been for Oakland, as the strikeout, whiff, and chase rates are there. It is a matter of time before the results match those metrics.
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Liam Hendriks has had an uneven beginning to his tenure with the Chicago White Sox. However, that is no reason to be concerned at this point.