Sox Machine Podcast (Subscriber Version)

Rundown

• [Intro] Tim Elko made his MLB debut this weekend and has a big moment hitting a key three-run homer to help the White Sox win on Sunday. He shares what the experiences were like, and manager Will Venable provides a glimpse into his thought process of how future lineups will look with Elko in the fold.
• [8:44] White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven comments about the first quarter performance.
• [12:29] James Fegan and Jim Margalus join the show to comment about Elko's future role
• [18:43] First Quarter Grade: Offense
• [25:14] First Quarter Grade: Pitching
• [31:02] First Quarter Grade: Defense
• [37:16] First Quarter Grade: Coaching
• [44:12] Series Preview: Cincinnati Reds
• [52:42] Around MLB: The dumpster fire that's the Colorado Rockies

Rundown:

• [Intro] The Chicago White Sox losing streak at Kauffman Stadium continues as they were swept in a four-game series. Big reason is the offense only scored four runs. Where did the hitting go from the previous series against Houston? What's with the roster management picking Nick Maton to replace the injured Andrew Benintendi?
• [12:31] Andrew Vaughn committed an almost identical TOOTBLAN against the Royals as he did in Sacramento a couple of weeks ago. How do we feel about the contact play, and should it even be applied for a runner like Vaughn?
• [21:19] Series Preview: Miami Marlins
• [32:37] Former All-Star for the White Sox, Chet Lemon, passed away at the age of 70
• [34:09] There's a new Pope, and he's a White Sox fan.

Rundown

• [Intro] Chicago White Sox hitting coach Marcus Thames shares what he has Luis Robert Jr., Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, and Edgar Quero focus on with their improvements.
• [6:29] White Sox growing confidence with Edgar Quero
• [13:02] Josh Rojas made his debut, and soon more veterans like Mike Tauchman, Austin Slater, and Korey Lee could join him in Chicago. How would this roster look if all four are available and healthy?
• [24:47] Caleb Freeman joins the White Sox bullpen which could be shuffling pitchers between Chicago and Charlotte.
• [33:23] Series Preview: Kansas City Royals. What are some ideas in getting Bobby Witt Jr. out? How the Royals starting staff continues to get better.
• [41:08] Around MLB: Top of AL Central playing good baseball, Donnie Ecker goes from possible White Sox manager to being fired from the Texas Rangers, and Aaron Judge is on Triple Crown Watch.

Rundown

• [Intro] Audio from White Sox GM Chris Getz and manager Will Venable about Andrew Vaughn, Tim Elko, and Miguel Vargas's hot streak
• [5:08] April 2025 recap: Are we seeing enough progress to be confident in this rebuild?
• [13:05] Are we feeling better about Luis Robert Jr.?
• [20:45] Who were the brightest performances in April?
• [25:11] What's our biggest concern entering the month of May?
• [42:00] Who we are paying most attention to entering May
• [50:43] Series Preview: Houston Astros

Rundown

• [Intro] The case to option Andrew Vaughn. With this poor of a start, and an underwhelming career, Vaughn's poor play doesn't merit a spot on the 26-man roster
• [7:10] Vaughn's batted ball data that's fueling the lack of results despite the hard hit rates.
• [12:49] Revisiting what Detroit did last year with Spencer Torkelson and how that's paying off in 2025
• [18:25] The case for and against Tim Elko being promoted
• [31:25] Despite the high whiff rate when swinging at chase pitches, it's time to give Elko an opportunity in proving himself at the major league level.
• [32:42] White Sox are using Openers, finally.
• [37:17] Luis Robert Jr. showing signs of life over the weekend
• [42:30] Our impressions of watching major league games in a minor league ballpark
• [45:58] Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers. The Brew Crew struggle on the road but run at will. Can Edgar Quero help defend against the running game?
• [54:31] Around MLB: Detroit Tigers have the best record in baseball, the Colorado Rockies will challenge 121 losses, and the Baltimore Orioles are in serious trouble.

Rundown

• [Intro] For the first time in over two years, the Chicago White Sox won a game in Minneapolis in large thanks to Shane Smith. It's only been five starts, but Smith has been cooking for the White Sox and might be a diamond in the rough.
• [12:43] Miguel Vargas makes a hand adjustment and pays dividends as he hit his first home run of the season. Is it time for him to catch on fire at the plate?
• [17:19] Edgar Quero has gold bat wrap tape. Josh is giving the task to James to figure out if it's 24-karat gold.
• [20:22] Bobby Dalbec now playing shortstop highlights how bad things have gotten at that position for the White Sox
• [25:23] Where does Byron Buxton rank among White Sox Killers?
• [32:06] Series Preview: Athletics. What is James most looking forward to in Sacramento? Why the White Sox are using Openers? Should we expect more offense in a minor league park?
• [48:21] With the NFL Draft still going, a look at Josh's latest Mock Draft. Would it be a bad idea if the Chicago White Sox drafted another college starting pitcher in the first round? What needs to change in the next couple of months for a position player with power potential emerge at Pick 10?

Record Date: 4/21/2025

Rundown

• [Intro] After taking three out of four games against the White Sox, Boston must be feeling better about themselves.
• [3:53] Martin Perez injured his throwing arm and has been placed on the 60-day IL. Why this particular injury will really test the White Sox pitching depth which was lacking in the first place.
• [10:16] Chase Meidroth suffered a thumb injury with Charlotte and has only gotten worse with the major league club. Why Bobby Dalbec was called up to replace Meidroth as the White Sox offense is still looking for solutions.
• [18:16] First impressions of Edgar Quero
• [25:25] Josh has a "Fun Fact" about the White Sox bullpen as we are still waiting for the first Save of the season
• [29:55] Series Preview: Minnesota Twins
• [37:32] Around MLB: The Colorado Rockies are worse than the White Sox, Tristan McKenzie's fall from grace, and Mike Trout's odd batting numbers

Guest: Eric Longenhagen, FanGraphs

Rundown

• [Intro] Quick recap of the Chicago White Sox winning their first road game of the season and how the minor league affiliates are faring.
• [3:21] FanGraphs lead prospect writer Eric Longenhagen joins the show, as well as fellow FanGraphs contributor, James Fegan. Start the conversation by addressing the farm system's health
• [8:34] With David Keller taking over it feels like the White Sox international efforts are rebooting. How long does it take to restart international efforts and will that impact future farm system rankings for the White Sox?
• [16:53] Noah Schultz is the White Sox #1 prospect. While there's plenty to like from Schultz, he does need to work on his fastballs.
• [22:57] Longenhagen shares his thoughts comparing and contrasting Schultz and fellow southpaw, Hagen Smith
• [31:12] Kyle Teel is the White Sox top-ranked position player prospect. Longenhagen shares why Teel has a unique set of skills that could make him a fixture for the White Sox.
• [37:36] While Colson Montgomery has been hitting better of late, he's still struggling when looking at all 2025 results. Longenhagen argues the slump has started way before this year, and takes a bit of the blame of overhyping Montgomery.
• [45:51] Which bats in the White Sox farm system can develop into an impact player?
• [52:23] Did the White Sox find a steal in Rule 5 pick, Shane Smith?
• [55:38] Who are Longenhagen and Fegan's most intriguing prospects outside of the Top 10

Guest: Michael Ozanian, CNBC

Rundown

• [Intro] CNBC's latest MLB Valuations as the White Sox ranked 15th at $2.15 Billion. We invited Michael Ozanian on the show to discuss his valuations, the overall financial outlook for Major League Baseball, the White Sox ownership structure, and if the league is too top heavy.
• [23:56] Recap the White Sox getting swept by the Sacramento A's in embarrassing fashion.
• [33:02] Hello, Edgar Quero. What are the White Sox plans for their rookie catcher?
• [39:46] How can the White Sox generate more offense?
• [47:33] Thoughts about the Athletics offensive core
• [53:37] Series Preview: Boston Red Sox. With a 10-game road trip upcoming, can the White Sox finally win a game away from Rate Field?

Audio highlights from NESN

Rundown:

• [Intro] Chicago White Sox win their first series of 2025. With how well Martin Perez and Shane Smith are pitching, is there a quiet confidence in the White Sox to steal wins in those games?
• [4:14] What worked for Davis Martin against Boston?
• [5:25] White Sox bullpen performed admirably and manager Will Venable wasn't afraid to use his left-handers for one at-bat
• [9:38] Chase Meidroth's impressive debut
• [19:19] Luis Robert Jr. showed on Saturday he still has the ability to take over a game
• [28:34] In light of Andrew Vaughn's struggles to start 2025, when are the White Sox calling up Tim Elko?
• [33:53] Garrett Crochet's return to Chicago and how he really wanted to throw a no-hitter on Sunday
• [37:52] Series Preview: Sacramento Athletics
• [45:08] Around MLB: The Minnesota Twins scuffling, the Baltimore Orioles don't have enough pitching, and James is loving the San Francisco Giants players on his fantasy team