Chicago White Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Former All-Star having historically bad season with White Sox

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated May 29, 2024 2:55 PM ET

The Chicago White Sox offense is having a historically bad season, ranking last in MLB in runs scored (160), home runs (38), RBI (149), total bases (599), batting average (.215), on-base percentage (.278), slugging percentage (.329) and OPS (.607).

Perhaps the biggest reason for the ineptitude has been the lack of production from outfielder Andrew Benintendi.

The 29-year-old is threatening to finish his second season with the Pale Hose by doing so badly in one particular offensive category that the league hasn't seen such struggles since 1968.

Andrew Benintendi currently has the worst OPS (.491) among qualified players since 1968.#MLB | #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/UHuCOj2hBI
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) May 29, 2024

The Boston Red Sox selected "Benny" with the seventh overall pick out of the University of Arkansas during the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft and he debuted in the majors in 2016. Benintendi remained in Beantown through the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, finishing as the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up and helping the franchise win its most recent World Series in 2018.

He joined the Kansas City Royals ahead of the 2021 campaign and won his lone Gold Glove award that year, before earning his only All-Star honor in 2022 during a season split between the Royals and New York Yankees. Benintendi signed with the White Sox in January 2023 and finished last season with five home runs, 45 RBI and his highest number of hits (147) and stolen bases (13) since 2018.

The first third of the 2024 campaign has been a different story, however.

Benintendi ranks second on Chicago in at-bats (185) and plate appearances (195), but is sixth in runs scored (12), walks (nine) and total bases (49). He's also last on the team in batting average (.189), on-base percentage (.226), slugging percentage (.265) and OPS (.491).

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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