Chicago White Sox: Grading the Lineup's Performance

After being slaughtered 18-2 by the Detroit Tigers on Sunday night, the Chicago White Sox's hopes of making the postseason are nearly gone.

It has been a tremendously disappointing season. The White Sox were "All In" at the start of the season, with hopes of a division championship and a potential World Series run.

Despite an underachieving season, the White Sox pitching has been excellent. Mark Buehrle is having a career year, and Sergio Santos has proven he is ready to be a big league closer.

However, the Sox offense has had many struggles. Here is an evaluation of the White Sox lineup this season. 

Juan Pierre, LF

After a slow start to the season, White Sox fans wanted Juan Pierre benched and Dayan Viciedo to be called up.

Almost immediately, Pierre became the scrappy player he always is. He's hitting .283 with 2 HRs, 41 RBIs and a .335 on base percentage percentage. These are solid numbers for a player like Juan Pierre.

The biggest downside to Juan Pierre's season have been his stolen bases. He has stolen 25 bases while being caught 13 times. This is down from his 68 steals in 2010.

Despite Pierre's troubles on the basepaths, he has proven to be a valuable piece of the White Sox offense.

Grade: B- 

Alex Rios, CF

Where to begin...

In 2010, Alex Rios hit .284 with 21 home runs, 88 RBIs and 34 stolen bases.

This year, Rios is hitting .220 with 8 home runs, 34 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

Not only is Rios not hitting, but he is also showing little effort. I can recall numerous occasions where Rios did not run out a ground ball or made a lazy effort on a fly ball in the outfield.  

Rios' attitude has been extremely disappointing for White Sox fans.

Grade: F

Carlos Quentin, RF

Carlos Quentin was putting together a nice season before getting injured in August.

Quentin posted a .255 average with 24 home runs, 77 RBIs and 31 doubles. Carlos was potentially en route to a 30 home run and 100 RBI season.  

Quentin even flashed the leather a couple times in the outfield.

Overall, Quentin was one of the few bright spots for Chicago's lineup. His injury may have spelled the end of White Sox playoff hopes.

Grade: A-

AJ Pierzynski, C

Despite AJ Pierzynski's first trip to the disabled list in his career, Pierzynski is still putting together a solid season on the South Side.

He is hitting .291 with 6 home runs and 40 RBIs.

Sox fans don't expect much power or defense from Pierzynski, but he continues to sport a very good batting average.

Grade: B

Brent Morel, 3B

Expectations for Brent Morel were low at the start of the season, and, not surprisingly, so has been Morel's production this season. 

He is hitting .245 with 3 home runs and 23 RBIs.

His defense has been solid, but when you are being replaced by a 44-year-old Omar Vizquel, your production and value has to be minimal.

Grade: D+

Alexei Ramirez, SS

While Alexei Ramirez is not having quite the season of his 2010 Silver Slugger Campaign, Ramirez is putting up solid offensive numbers for a shortstop.

He is hitting .264 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs.

Ramirez remains a defensive wizard and will be a key component of the White Sox for years to come.

Grade: B 

Gordon Beckham, 2B

Gordon Beckham had a phenomenal rookie campaign in 2009, but has regressed each year since.

In 2009, Beckham hit .270 with 14 homers and 63 RBIs.

In 2010, Beckham's average was .252 with 9 homers and 49 RBIs.

In 2011, Beckham is hitting .233 with 9 homers and 36 RBIs.

Clearly, Beckham needs to change his approach at the plate.

Despite Beckham's offensive woes, his defense has been steadily improving. This year, Beckham has made only five errors and has a .992 fielding percentage.  

Defensively, Beckham is having a Gold Glove season. This offsets some of his offensive struggles. However, Sox fans long to see numbers similar to Beckham's rookie campaign in 2009.

Grade: C+

Paul Konerko, 1B

Usually, players get worse as they age. Paul Konerko seems to get better with age.

In 2010, Konerko posted MVP type numbers, finishing fifth in MVP voting.

This year, Konerko is putting together another MVP caliber season. Konerko is hitting .316 with 28 home runs and 92 RBIs. Paulie is on pace for a.300/30/100 season.

Sox fans can't ask for much more from their captain.

Grade: A

Adam Dunn, DH

Since 2004, Adam Dunn has hit 38 or more home runs and driven in 92 or more runs in each season.

In Chicago, Dunn is hitting .163 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs. He is on pace to have the worst batting average in Major League Baseball history.

Despite his immense offensive woes, Dunn remains positive in the clubhouse. He is not letting his struggles effect his attitude, thus setting an excellent example for the youngsters on the White Sox.

Furthermore, Dunn promises to work on his swing in the offseason to fix his production.

Don't be surprised if we see Adam Dunn hit 50 home runs next season. However, Sox fans wanted to see big numbers this year and were very disappointed with his production.

Grade: D