GLENDALE, Ariz. — Andrew Vaughn is buying in. And why wouldn’t he?
It’s a new season and a fresh start for a White Sox organization under general manager Chris Getz and manager Pedro Grifol, who are trying to lay a new foundation under a baseball operation that was embarrassed in 2023.
Vaughn, at 25 and with only three full seasons on his résumé, is one of the familiar faces in a spring-training clubhouse chock full of newly acquired veterans and prospects. The new veterans -— pitchers Jesse Chavez, 40, and Tim Hill, 34, catcher Martin Maldonado, 37, corner infielder Mike Moustakas, 35, and outfielder Kevin Pillar, 35 — bring leadership and a clubhouse presence to a team that did not have a good clubhouse last season.
“A bunch of grinders,” Vaughn said.
The first full-squad workout day was Monday, but Vaughn, who lives in Scottsdale in the offseason, has been around the complex for weeks. Slowly but surely, he’s getting to know his new teammates and getting a feel for the group.
“A lot of new faces,” Vaughn said. “Really good vibes. I think it’s going to be a special group.”
One of the first topics of conversation — no surprise here — from Grifol and teammates was PECOTA’s 0.2% chance given to the Sox for winning their division.
“We talked about the whole zero-percent playoff projection,” Vaughn said. “I think we can prove a lot of people wrong this year.
“It’s something, but we’ve just got to go out and do what we can do. Be a good group in here, just come together and play good baseball. Be tight in here. Inside the clubhouse is where teams come together.”
“I can just see by some of the additions that this team has made,” said Pillar, who has a good chance to be a part of it as a fourth outfielder, “even in some of the non-roster invites, the type of people, the places they’ve been, what they bring to the table. Besides their talent on the field, what kind of presence they demand in here and what kind of work they do every day and just try to lead some younger guys by example.”
Drafted No. 3 overall in 2019, Vaughn has delivered offensively with acceptable production, batting .258/.314/.429 with a .743 OPS, 21 home runs, 30 doubles and 80 RBI in 152 games last season, his first at his normal position of first base after a somewhat wonky pressed-into-service adventure in left field.
He expects more and the Sox need a little more from a position that’s supposed to come with significant offensive numbers to go beyond those low team expectations.
“Just hold myself to higher standards,” he said. “Look back [at] the numbers and whatnot, work my butt off in the offseason to come into this season and play the best baseball I can.
“There’s always room to grow. Nobody in this game is hitting .500. Best of the best hit .300. I want to try to be one of the best-of-the-best hitters. Everybody in here, I think, personally thinks that as a hitter.
“Let’s talk about [a breakout] at the end of the season.”
What it looks like is something worth watching.
“I’m curious, I’m really curious,” Grifol said when asked about what the next step for Vaughn will be. “He’s a really good major-league hitter, and he’s not even close to really being who he’s going to be for a really long time. He’s got the characteristics and capabilities of being a middle-of-the-order guy for a long, long time, and he’s hungry, another guy who had a great offseason.
“It just so happens we have 70 players in camp, and they all look great. But he’s in the right frame of mind. He’s in a good place, and he knows what he’s got to do.”
Grifol is preaching playing “faster” this season, a concept that doesn’t match up with Vaughn’s game. While part of that is a mental mindset and approach, Vaughn focused on work with bands, on resistance shuffles and footwork in the offseason.
“You name it,” he said.
“I definitely feel it. I just feel way better. Better shape. All the tests are a little bit better. It’s a good start to the season.”
