Can Brewers Hoodwink White Sox and Snag a Sneaky Breakout Candidate for the Infield?

Lenyn Sosa was one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball last year, ranking fourth in (wOBA-xWOBA) and showing considerable growth in his ability to handle offspeed and breaking pitches as the year went on. Despite being engulfed in the ruinous White Sox Environment (see Miguel Vargas for further info), Sosa had an expected slash line of .278/.307/.419, while playing the majority of his season at second base. He finished very strongly in September, and all signs point to a potential uptick in production in 2025.

A Horrific Environment In 2024
It’s difficult to quantify just how demoralizing it can be to play in an environment like that of the 2024 White Sox, whose performance was often so bad that their worst-in-MLB-history 121 losses are almost insufficient to account for their woefulness. The mental acuity required simply to drag oneself out of bed and compete, hard, is no small task within a team that felt rudderless and uninspired the whole year. 

We saw players like Vargas struggle massively upon joining the White Sox, while supposed catalysts Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert Jr.failed to show any sign of a spark. Lenyn Sosa’s performance, at least in terms of his expected numbers, certainly deserves some acclaim. 

Then you factor in the coaching and guidance that he would have received. Pitchers in the organization were quoted as saying the direction they were given was often as simple as “your curveball plays well down in the strike zone”. With such insightful input, you can imagine that the guidance for a young infielder wasn’t ideal, either, and as such, there’s a lot more in the tank than he showed last season.

Adapting To The Majors Takes Time
As we saw with Jackson Chourio, who was on the quick side of things, players take time to adjust to the major leagues. The jump from Triple A to the Show is massive, especially for younger players. It can take patience. Sosa looks to be almost fully adjusted now, and in particular, he’s begun to take on the fastball:

Sosa has started punishing mistakes over the heart of the plate, and as someone who doesn’t take his walks, some slugging ability is essential for his career to progress. An above-average hard-hit rate and average exit velocity are pleasing to see, and the Brewers' environment may encourage much more development.

He managed to log a .964 OPS in September to finish out his season, and has continued his progress in the offseason. Sosa leads all winter leaguers with over 20 games played in production, with a 1.216 OPS that includes eight home runs and 20 extra-base hits. The slugging is beginning to come around for the youngster, and if the Brewers can swipe him away now, they may find a bargain that can really impact their 2025 season.

What would the Brewers need to work on?
Sosa’s defense isn’t particularly strong at second base or over at the hot corner, but with his bat on an upward trajectory, he’s probably around the same sort of competency as an Andruw Monasterio—but with a bat that profiles a level above his. He’s not the most athletic player, but he isn't error-prone and will make plays within his wheelhouse despite below-average range.

Sosa is also highly aggressive at the plate. Despite an above-average strikeout rate, he chases an awful lot, partially due to a longish swing, but it’s an approach that can definitely be tempered with the Brewers who put a high value on swing decisions within their organization. It may be enough to temper any enthusiasm for him, but he did have a walk rate higher in 2022 after spending some time at varying levels, and with the right organization, they may be able to help him construct his at-bats with a little more patience. In doing so, he may even find himself able to target those pitches against which he can really do damage.

Sosa could profile at either second or third for the Crew, but as a platoon partner for Brice Turang, he could be especially strong. There's some thump to his game, and he might tap into more of it if he can just escape the White Sox. He’s only accumulated a year of service time, but his low surface-level numbers and inconsistent defense mean that he shouldn’t be too costly.

Given the White Sox's needs, you’re probably talking about a prospect in the 10-15 range of the Brewers farm system and another from the top 30 to acquire Sosa, without any real need for the prospects to be close to the majors. He’d be an inexpensive pickup, but he showed in September and in the winter leagues that he might just be coming into the type of pop that can carry his profile. The Brewers need some infield depth that can actually contribute off the bench, ideally right-handed, and Sosa's profile is very tempting in that role.

What do you think of Lenyn Sosa? Can you see the Brewers making a move for the White Sox infielder? let us know your thoughts in the comments below!