South Side Sox Player of the Week (July 7-21): Andrew Benintendi
He’s no tenderfoot: Buckeye Benny scares up some extra-base fun in his return to the lineup
Not usually known for his power hitting, Andrew Benintendi clubbed his second home run of the year in a 2-for-5 showing against the Twins last week, hoisting the Sox another rung up on the ladder to nowhere.
Benintendi has also stolen 11 bases so far this season, his most since 2018, despite playing most of the season with lingering pain in his right wrist.
The Ohio native had time to heal during the All-Star break, and since then has bumped his average up to a juicy .287 in his first season with the White Sox.
Benny’s contract has him wearing the Old English for a further four seasons, and if he stays his current course, he’ll be a steady leadoff man in the shaky days ahead.
2023 South Side Sox Players of the Week
Oscar Colás (February 25-March 2)
Andrew Vaughn (March 3-8)
Carlos Pérez (March 9-16)
Oscar Colás (March 17-22)
Cactus League MVP: Oscar Colás
Dylan Cease (March 30-April 5)
Luis Robert Jr. (April 6-12)
Lucas Giolito (April 13-20)
Jake Burger (April 21-27)
Lucas Giolito (April 28- May 4)
Hanser Alberto (May 5-11)
Luis Robert Jr. (May 12-18)
Michael Kopech (May 19-25)
Liam Hendriks (May 26-31)
Andrew Benintendi (June 1-8)
Lucas Giolito (June 9-14)
Zach Remillard (June 15-22)
Luis Robert Jr. (June 23-29)
Lance Lynn (June 30-July 6)
Andrew Benintendi (July 7-21)
Top 10 MVP Standings
Luis Robert Jr. (64.5)
Lucas Giolito (62.8)
Zach Remillard (45.0)
Seby Zavala (29.4)
Andrew Benintendi (27.5)
Michael Kopech (25.8)
Gavin Sheets (24.9)
Dylan Cease (24.5)
Romy González (22.4)
Oscar Colás (17.4)
Top 10 Cold Cat Standings
Tim Anderson (-88.9)
Joe Kelly (-31.5)
Aaron Bummer (-28.0)
Keynan Middleton (-22.0)
Yoán Moncada (-20.3)
Kendall Graveman (-17.9)
Yasmani Grandal (-17.3)
Reynaldo López (-15.5)
Alex Colomé (-11.8)
White Sox Offense (-10.0)
After a weeks-long chase, Luis Robert Jr. has caught Lucas Giolito for this year’s MVP. It’s sad to think that the two will likely not be able to fight it out all season for the title. On the flip side, Tim Anderson seems to have run away with Cold Cat honors.
Writer Standings
Well lookee here, Brett Ballantini climbs to two games better than .500 on the season, which in a year like this qualifies as a first-place recapper! Joe Resis’ move west has seen a fall south in the standings, to fifth by percentage points. And Jacki Krestel, lingering all season near the top of our standings, puts her perfect record on the line with a return to recapping on Saturday. Meanwhile, a season-worst (and perhaps all-time SSS coverage-worst) 11-game losing streak saw Chrystal O’Keefe fall into the basement.
If you’re interested in seeing more of Mitch’s work, or if you’d like to purchase original drawings or prints, contact him via Twitter (@soxsketcher), Instagram (@southsidesharpie), or by e-mail at southsidesharpie@gmail.com. Thanks for supporting local artists!