Luisangel Acuña will open the season as the Chicago White Sox starting center fielder despite logging just three innings at the position, but recent roster moves suggest the team plans to use him all over the diamond.
That became official on Wednesday, when the White Sox unveiled their Opening Day lineup with Acuña batting ninth and starting in center field, setting the stage for a pivotal season for the 24-year-old.
What makes Acuña such an intriguing player this season is the fact that he has five years of control. It’s one of the reasons that White Sox general manager Chris Getz decided to pull the trigger on the deal.
“We’re talking about a player with five-plus years of control, one of the younger, exciting players in our game who hasn’t really gotten a runway at the major league level,” Getz said when discussing Acuña. “We have an opportunity here, and we can provide that runway to show off his talent and his ability.”
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After being traded to the Chicago White Sox for Luis Robert Jr, Acuña turned in an impressive spring. In 44 at-bats, he racked up 18 hits, including a home run and three doubles, finishing camp with a .409 average and a 1.003 OPS.
Acuña’s opportunities in New York were limited by a Mets roster in win-now mode, where playoff aspirations left little room for consistent playing time. With the move to the White Sox, he’ll finally get a chance to play regularly, despite an already crowded infield mix.
By designating infielder Curtis Mead for assignment, the White Sox now carry three outfielders on the bench in Derek Hill, Everson Pereira and Tristain Peters. That roster construction opens the door for Acuña to see time in the infield as well, logging innings at second base, shortstop and the hot corner when Miguel Vargas, Colson Montgomery or Chase Meidroth are out of the lineup.
Acuña has all the tools to be a serviceable center fielder after getting time at the position in the Venezuelan Winter League. But even with his speed and athleticism, some growing pains are expected at the position, something the White Sox are willing to tolerate if he can produce offensively.
Consistent offensive production could also help him earn some more platoon action in the infield. But putting together Spring Training numbers is one thing, having that translate into MLB success is another.
In his first 109 major-league games, Acuña has yet to live up to his former Top-100 prospect billing, posting a career .248/.299/.341 slash line. While he grabbed headlines this offseason by becoming the first player to hit four home runs in a Venezuelan Winter League game, he has never been regarded as a true power hitter. Although any added pop would be a welcome sign, Acuña’s best asset remains his speed, and to fully leverage it, he needs to reach base at a higher clip.
While he strikes out at a modest rate, he has failed to generate walks or much hard contact over his first two seasons in New York. In fact, his 35.5% hard-hit percentage would have ranked amongst the lowest in baseball last season, if he had enough at-bats to qualify.
It’s that limited sample size that makes Acuña such an intriguing piece, given his wide-ranging skill set. By DFAing Mead, whom they acquired for Adrian Houser at last year’s trade deadline, the White Sox are prioritizing upside and flexibility by giving Acuña a full runway to prove he can turn tools into production and potentially become a core piece.
