Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Indians: Breaking Them Down by Position

The Chicago White Sox will come out of the All-Star break in first place.  This much is a certainty.

Currently, there are two teams that have a legitimate chance of catching Chicago during the second half of the season.  While the Kansas City Royals have played fair baseball during stretches this season, the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers are the greatest threats to AL Central supremacy.

The Tigers are a dangerous team and feel as though they are lurking just beneath the surface, ready to explode at any moment.  The reality is that they are currently in third place.

Sitting in second place are the Indians.  This is the second year in a row the Indians have played extended periods of winning baseball.  The Indians have a solid core and a good manager, so let’s not assume that they are going to just fade into that good night.

They have, however, been outscored this year by 32 runs, while the White Sox have outscored their opponents by 63 runs, which is third best in MLB.  This disparity in runs should prevent them from advancing into the postseason.  However, in baseball nothing can be taken for granted.

Breaking down the Sox and Indians position players going into Saturday’s action will give White Sox fans a realistic expectation of what the remainder of the season holds as the teams vie for an AL Central crown.

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Kevin Youkilis vs. Chisenhall and Hannahan

Who would have thought this two weeks ago, but third base has suddenly become an area of strength for the White Sox. 

The acquisition of Kevin Youkilis from the Boston Red Sox gives the Sox the edge over Cleveland’s combination of Lonnie Chisenhall and Jack Hannahan.

Youkilis has been on a tear as of late at the plate, and more importantly, brings an edge to the team that was sorely missing.

With 11 RBIs in his first 11 games, Youkilis is providing immediate results, while Cleveland’s combination has yielded just 28 RBIs all season.

The slight defensive edge the Tribe holds does not offset the offensive production and intensity that Youk brings to the table.

Edge goes to Chicago.

Alexei Ramirez vs. Asdrubal Cabrera

Cleveland has shortstop wrapped up.

While his defense is at times spectacular, Alexei Ramirez has been a non-factor at the plate for most of the season.  While he has come to life lately, the offensive numbers are light years apart.

Asdrubal Cabrera is batting .294 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI’s, while Ramirez is batting .260 with two home runs and 42 RBIs.  The RBI numbers are nice for Ramirez, but his .282 OBP is alarming.

Also worth noting is that Cabrera is a notorious Sox killer.

Edge to the Indians.

Jason Kipnis vs. Gordon Beckham

Second base is a bit of a tossup.

While Jason Kipnis is having a great season, Gordon Beckham is coming alive.

Beckham is finally beginning to live up to the potential he flashed as a rookie and is not the liability at the plate he once was.

Defensively, Beckham is hands down the better player and has turned in some game-saving plays.  The play where he ranged far to his right in the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers in a one run game last Wednesday is but one example of how he can impact a game in the field.

That said, Kipnis is solid in the field and has come up with some big hits this year that have helped the Indians win some important games.

Slight edge to the Tribe on this one.

Paul Konerko vs. Casey Kotchman

First base barely warrants a discussion.

Team captain and All-Star Paul Konerko is arguably the best first baseman in baseball.

Batting .335 with 14 homers, 42 RBIs and an OPS of .949, Konerko is an all-world player.  Throw above-average defensive abilities into the conversation and there is no doubt he leads the field.

Casey Kotchman, on the other hand, is hitting a pedestrian .234 with seven dingers, 31 RBIs and owns an OPS of .649.

Conversation over.

Edge to the Sox.

Dayan Viciedo vs. Johnny Damon and Shelly Duncan

In left field, the Indians one-two punch of Johnny Damon and Shelly Duncan can’t compete with what Dayan Viciedo brings to the table.

With 14 home runs, 38 RBIs, an average of .254 and an OPS pushing .740, Viciedo handily wins this one.

Damon is hitting .209 while Duncan checks in at a whopping .219.  Ouch.

Combine an explosive bat and better-than-expected defense, and Viciedo is turning into a great signing by White Sox general manager Kenny Williams.

Edge to the South Siders.

Alejandro De Aza vs. Michale Brantley

Center field is open for debate.

Alejandro De Aza is among the American League leaders in runs scored and plays deceptively well in the outfield.

Michael Brantley for the Indians is a bit better defensively and has similar numbers at the dish.

Both are batting in the .280s with OPSs in the mid-to-upper .770s. De Aza has more homers but fewer RBI’s.

As the White Sox catalyst at the top of the order, De Aza is more valuable to the team.

Edge goes to De Aza.

Alex Rios vs. Shin-Soo Choo

Right field is a surprise.

At the beginning of the season, the edge would have gone to Shin-Soo Choo based on his track record and cannon arm, but Alex Rios has surpassed him in nearly every category.

In fact, Rios is playing All-Star caliber baseball.

The switch to right has proved to be a blessing for the former Blue Jay.  His defensive is improved now that he is back in his natural position, and it appears that the move has also allowed him to be more focused at the plate.

Currently batting .315 with 11 long balls, 45 RBIs and an OPS in the upper .800s, Rios is more productive that Choo, who is batting .298 to go with 9 homers and 33 RBIs.  His OPS is slightly better that Rios’, but hitting behind Konerko, Rios is taking advantage of the pitches he is seeing and is the better player.

Edge goes to Chicago.

A.J. Pierzynski vs. Lou Marson and Carlos Santana

The conversation behind the plate begins and ends with an average of .288, 16 home runs, 49 RBIs and a vastly improved steals against average.

Those are the numbers for White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

The Indian combination of Lou Marson and Carlos Santana is nowhere near as productive as Pierzynski is.

A.J. has already surpassed last year’s RBI total and has doubled his home run numbers.

Oh, A.J. calls a complete game behind the plate as well.

In a no-doubter, edge goes to Chicago.

Adam Dunn vs. Travis Hafner

The designated hitter is fairly even when Travis Hafner is healthy.

He and Chicago’s All-Star DH Adam Dunn are both low average hitters with raw power and plate presence.

The All-Star nod for Dunn, who is having a bounce-back year, was a bit of a surprise, but he is near the top of the league in home runs and RBIs and leads the AL in walks.  While he also leads the league in strikeouts, he can change a game at any moment with one swing.

While Hafner is also a game changer, Dunn provides flexibility at first and can stay healthy, which sets him apart from the Tribe’s slugger.

Edge to Dunn and the White Sox.

What the Story Tells Us

And the winner is...your Chicago White Sox.

Putting the numbers on a piece of paper and analyzing the intangibles, it is obvious that the White Sox are better position-by-position.

Coupling the offense and unseen qualities with the disparity in run differential will give Indian fans pause and White Sox fans comfort.

Going into the second half of the season, the Sox are in prime position to make this lead hold up.

The White Sox don’t play the Indians head-to-head again until the last week in September, so a lot can happen between now and then, but as long as the Sox play to their strengths, the Indians should not pose a threat to Chicago’s place on top of the AL Central.