Is White Sox Catcher Edgar Quero the Real Deal?

Quero has notably executed with two strikes. Through his 43 plate appearances, the switch-hitter has had two strikes against him in 24 of those. He has walked four times and holds a .333/.500/.333 slash line in that scenario. Yes, the sample size is small, but only the power is lacking in this situation. However, his xBA/xOBP/xSLG is .349/.511/.473. 

Essentially, the success he has seen has not been an accident. In fact, he has been a little bit unlucky in the power department, likely due to his 92 MPH Average Exit Velocity and nearly 43% Hard-Hit Rate with two strikes. Additionally, he has been better with two strikes than he has been overall, as great as he has performed. More than anything, even the small sample size cannot take away from how comfortable he is and has been on both sides of the dish. He has carried this approach throughout the minors to the White Sox roster.

Quero’s downside has always been his speed and defense at the catcher’s position. On the other hand, he has had an elite pop time thus far and has been an average pitch-framer. For a player who can hit as well as he can, average defense would give him more than a passing grade.

The main takeaway is that Quero’s success has been no mistake. He should continue to hit and get on base, and fans should be anticipatory about the power he has rarely flaunted, outside of a couple of extra base hits, like his first one against Boston:

Quero is one of several exciting position players in the White Sox pipeline, but he is one of the only names to get the call-up in 2025. When he sees more support around him in the lineup, it will be thrilling to see what else he can do for the ballclub.