Andrew Vaughn and White Sox Seek a Way Out of a Gruesome Start to the Season

Chicago is 3-19 after an eighth loss in nine games, and Vaughn is batting just .158.

Andrew Vaughn / Photo by David Banks, USA Today

Former Cal star Andrew Vaughn emerged from spring training last month overflowing with optimism. The Chicago White Sox first baseman seems to always view the glass as half full, if not more.

Vaughn’s path to Opening Day included an eight-game hit streak , a .370 batting averaging in spring games and just three strikeouts in 28 plate appearances.

“I feel good,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I feel like I’m in a good spot.”

But the 2024 season has been a fiasco for Vaughn and the White Sox so far.

They lost 7-0 at Minnesota on Monday night, their eighth shutout defeat — most by an American or National League team through 22 games, dating back to 1901. 

Chicago’s 3-19 record is the worst in franchise history. So is the club’s 1-10 road record.

The White Sox are batting .190 as a team and have scored more than two runs just seven times in 22 games.

“We can’t deny what’s happening,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Monday night after Chicago lost for the eighth time in its past nine games. “Our record sucks. But what are you going to do about it? We have to come out tomorrow and get ready to play. You have to forget about today. You have to. Learn and move on.”

The White Sox return to action Tuesday night against the Twins.

Vaughn, the former No. 3 overall MLB draft pick, is suffered through the worst of his four seasons in the majors.

He is batting .158 — 100 points lower than year ago — has yet to hit a home run and has just three RBIs. A year ago, he hit 21 homers and drove in 80 runs. Vaughn has struck out in 29 percent of his plate appearance, highest of his career.

The past nine games have been tougher still: .088 batting average (3 for 34), no RBIs and 15 strikeouts in 28 trips to the plate.

Vaughn nearly had a breakthrough Monday. Batting with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning, he drilled a line drive that had an exit velocity of 104.7 mph, according to the Chicago Tribune.

But Twins first baseman Alex Kirilloff made a diving catch and the White Sox's next hitter struck out.

“We hit a ball hard right in that hole there, probably eight out of 10 times that ball is in right field and we score a couple of runs there and get back in the game,” Grifol said.

The White Sox hope things don’t get any worse. 

Three more defeats and Chicago will match the worst start through 25 games since 1995. The 2022 Reds and 2003 Tigers both started 3-22. That Cincinnati team wound up losing 100 games and Detroit finished 43-119.

But a grim start sometimes — once in a great while — has a happy ending.

The 1914 Boston Braves started 6-19 and wound up winning 94 games  . . . and the World Series.