Catching up: The 2020 OOTP White Sox sim

With the coronavirus delay to the regular season, we decided over at South Side Sox to simulate the 2020 White Sox schedule with Out of the Park baseball. (Yes, this is the same software Baseball-Reference is using to simulate the entire baseball schedule, and it too has the Chicago White Sox in first place, at 13-5.)

First, let's get some bad news out of the way: Lucas Giolito was injured in his second start of the season and is missing five to six weeks with biceps tendinitis. Edwin Encarnación was the first AL Player of the Week of the season and was tearing up the league — then went down with a broken rib on a slide into second on a double, out for two to three weeks. Tim Anderson had a horrible start to his season, got nicked up on the basepaths as well, and we stuck him on the 10-day IL just to clear his cobwebs out.

There have been other, minor injuries as well: Dylan Cease got bumped early from a start after taking a ball off his forearm, but won't miss his next game. Luis Robert sat a game after tweaking a hammie. José Abreu sat a few after taking a ball off his kneecap (he has a team-high four HBP).

But hey, this is a first-place team, so something's gotta be going right, right?

Carson Fulmer has been a revelation in the pen, the best White Sox reliever so far, with two saves to boot. Gio González just came within an out of a complete-game shutout and is 3-0. Dallas Keuchel has been terrific.

Offensively, Eloy Jiménez has been the best on the club with Encarnación out. Nick Madrigal — yes, Nick broke camp with the club — has been phenomenal. Robert started a little slow, but leads the White Sox with four homers and has his legs under him now, it seems. Leury García, seemingly displaced with Madrigal taking second base, has forced his way into the everyday lineup, at second base or in right field.

And the White Sox have been speed demons, with 17 stolen bases in 20 attempts.

Yasmani Grandal has been awful. Nomar Mazara, not great. Kelvin Herrera has stabilized, but started off with two horrid games. Adam Engel and Jimmy Cordero have been demoted to Charlotte, with Zack Collins (hitting well), Yermín Mercedes (not really) and even Jaycob Brugman getting some time with the big club.

Oh, and Matt Tomshaw entered the rotation from the Knights, replacing Giolito. His first start was delicious, six innings of shutout ball. His second? Not great.

There have been two minor transactions, both waiver-wire pickups: LHRP Fernando Abad (from the Washington Nationals) and ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte. Venditte hasn't seen action yet, while Abad was awful and got DFA'd, possibly to report to Charlotte.

The White Sox have been duking it out with Cleveland for the AL Central lead in the early season. Only the Texas Rangers have a better AL record than the White Sox at this juncture.

Some stats, through April 15 games:

The transition to SI for this OOTP sim begins tonight, so stay tuned for a game recap, as a series gets underway between the top two teams in the American League, the White Sox and Rangers!