White Sox year in review: It wasn’t pretty

The disappointing tale of the 2022 White Sox actually began last October, when the Astros exposed them in the playoffs by breezing through a 3-1 victory in the American League Division Series and leaving no doubt where the Sox stood among the hierarchy of teams.

The Sox admitted they were outclassed and said they would chalk up the failure to experience after watching a superior team demonstrate how the game is played at the highest level.

Weeks later, manager Tony La Russa sat watching Sox prospects in the Arizona Fall League. He was talking about 2022 and promised the Sox, who had won 93 games and the AL Central title, would be better.

They were not. In fact, they were worse. And before the most disappointing Sox season in recent history was over, La Russa’s managerial career was also done because of health problems. He had guided them to a 63-65 record.

Injuries were a big part of it. Garrett Crochet had Tommy John surgery, Lance Lynn suffered a knee injury in spring training and Yoan Moncada strained an oblique muscle on the last day of camp, setting the tone.

Luis Robert, Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech and Liam Hendriks missed significant time on the injured list.

But the Sox also led the majors in errors, plodded on the bases with station-to-station speed and ran into too many outs. They chased bad pitches, watched their walk rate plummet from fourth in the majors last season to last this season and hit 149 home runs after hitting 190 in 2021.

The rash of injuries put the training staff and front office on edge. There was a puzzling reluctance to put players on the IL, and La Russa permitted players to cruise at three-quarter speed on routine plays. It was a bad look, especially in comparison to the hustling, young Guardians, who surprised everyone by finishing 11 games ahead of the Sox in the Central.

When La Russa stepped aside Aug. 30, the Sox played with vigor under bench coach Miguel Cairo, winning nine of their next 12 games and cutting the Guardians’ lead to 1½ games with a 10-2 victory Sept. 10 against the Athletics in Oakland.

But the Sox would get no closer, retreating to mediocrity. The next day, La Russa — who was in Oakland for former A’s pitcher Dave Stewart’s jersey-retirement ceremony — walked through the visitors’ clubhouse, looking refreshed as he shook hands with players after 12 days off the job. La Russa watched from a suite as the Sox lost 10-3, falling 2½ games behind the Guardians, who were on their way to a torrid 24-6 finish.

In the end, a rebuild that had begun with the admission from general manager Rick Hahn that the Sox were ‘‘mired in mediocrity’’ produced the most mediocre season possible, an 81-81 record in the third season of a contention window.

As statistics guru @JayCuda noted, the Sox were remarkably mediocre from start to finish in 2022. They were 5-5 in their last 10 games, 15-15 in their last 30, 25-25 in their last 50, 30-30 in their last 60, 35-35 in their last 70, 60-60 in their last 120, 75-75 in their last 150 and 80-80 in their last 160.

You get the picture.

That will happen with underwhelming player performances. Here were the Sox’ top performers, according to Baseball Reference’s wins above replacement: Dylan Cease, 6.4; Jose Abreu, 4.2; Johnny Cueto, 3.5; Kopech, 2.2; Robert, 2.1; Elvis Andrus, Jimenez and Hendriks, 1.7; Reynaldo Lopez, 1.5; Josh Harrison, 1.4; Anderson, 1.3; Seby Zavala and Moncada, 1.0.

Yasmani Grandal, who will be entering the fourth year of a Sox-record $73 million contract next season, was at minus-1.5 after struggling defensively and batting .202 with five home runs in 99 games.

At his end-of-year news conference Monday, Hahn said he won’t ‘‘throw money at the problem’’ of a flawed roster overloaded with first basemen and designated hitters in the outfield.

Anything would seem to be on the table, including something as bold as trading an All-Star, such as Anderson or Hendriks.

The Sox were a tough watch this season. But they’ll be worth watching this offseason.