In the future, knowing who led the 2018 Chicago White Sox in home runs might be a head-scratching trivia question and with good reason.
Answer: It was Daniel Palka with 27 home runs. Conventional wisdom at last season’s start was Jose Abreu would lead the Sox in home runs.
However, Abreu was pulled down by injuries and finished with 22 home runs.
Prior to last season, Palka had made eight stops in professional baseball, none in Major League Baseball. Triple-A Rochester, in the Minnesota Twins’ system, was the highest Palka had progressed.
In November 2017, Palka was claimed off waivers from Minnesota by the White Sox.
The 2018 White Sox got off to a slow start and never were in playoff contention. With Abreu missing in action at times and a pitching staff that struggled, the Palka saga was most welcome around Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.
If Palka is going to rekindle fond memories this season, he will have to step it up.
Going into last weekend’s MLB games, the Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Davis was on an 0-for-54 hitless streak going back to last season. That streak ended in Davis’ first at bat last against the Boston Red Sox Saturday when he hit a single.
After Monday evening’s Sox 5-4 victory over visiting Kansas City, Palka is the slump-leader with zero for 29 this season. Tack on a couple of outs to end last season and it was a zero-for-31 streak for Palka through Monday.
On more positive notes, the Sox won two of three games over the weekend at the host New York Yankees. In Friday’s rain-shortened game Friday, a 9-6 Sox victory, heralded rookie, Eloy Jimenez, hit his first home runs of his career. His 425-foot blast in the fifth inning broke a tie at five. His 446-foot home run came in the seventh inning. The 22-year-old Jimenez was at a .268 batting average through Monday with 15 hits and six runs batted in. More good Sox news included shortstop Tim Anderson’s .353 batting average led the major leagues in batting average.