Four positives for White Sox despite being swept by Tigers

The season did not start in a very positive way for the Chicago White Sox as they were swept by the Detroit Tigers over opening weekend. Despite that outcome, there were some bright spots fans should grab onto as this is only the beginning of what could be a very long season. 

Luis Robert Jr. came out swinging and looked to be in mid-season form. He went 4-for-12 with two home runs and four RBI. As he is the top asset the White Sox have, it was good to see him start off in such a way. If he can continue to hit well, Chicago will have a decision to make as the season moves along. 

Do the White Sox think they are far enough along in their rebuild that they can be competitive sooner rather than later and make Robert the centerpiece? Or, if he is productive and healthy, can they get a big haul for him in July that might speed up their rebuild with top prospects? They can only hope his hot start is a harbinger of things to come. 

The second bright spot was the performance of reliever-turned-starter Garrett Crochet, who was spectacular on Opening Day. Crochet went six innings, allowed one run on five hits, and struck eight without issuing a walk. The White Sox have to feel excited about those results. While it is only one start, moving Crochet to the rotation might end up being a brilliant move. 

The third bright spot was Braden Shewmake, who the White Sox acquired from the Braves in the Aaron Bummer trade. He played in two of the three games, one at second and the other at short. He went 3-8 with a home run. If he can hit well enough to contribute on a nearly every day basis, he could buy time for top prospect Colson Montgomery to get all the time he needs to fully develop so he can be an immediate contributor when he is eventually brought up to the big league club. 

Fans should also be happy with the overall pitching against the Tigers. Throw out the two runs allowed in a third of an inning by Dominic Leone, and the White Sox only allowed eight total runs in 28 innings. That's good for a 2.57 ERA. The pitching staff's performance was good enough to avoid a sweep, and the offense will need to get more production from more than just a couple of hitters. 

There may not be enough talent on the roster as a whole to make any kind of run in the AL Central, but there are still some talented players. If the Sox pitch like this often, chances are they won't be swept like that again.