Jose Abreu is one of the Best International Players... Which Scares Me

So who’s this Jose Abreu guy? Why is he all of the sudden destroying every team that he plays?

Actually, this is no surprise. Abreu was picked up by the Chicago White Sox this past offseason, and it might have been the best move because he is living up to the hype, AND is not that expensive to cope with. So far, Abreu has hit 10 home runs in the month of April, with 31 RBI’s, both MLB highs. Lately, he has raised his average and OPS, as he is now batting .271/.342/.626/.968, and has also struck out less (though he has still struck out 26 times).

 

So far, Abreu is becoming the best power hitter in the game. At age 27 (which is considered entering his prime years as a player), Abreu broke Albert Pujols’ record for most RBI’s for a rookie in the month of March/April.

What I love about him is that he perfectly fits the White Sox’s system. Longtime player and fan favorite Paul Konerko is retiring after this year, and signed a one-year contract this year mostly to teach the team. So who better to replace him than the Cuban slugger? Plus, with Konerko gone, they really only had one other source of power- Adam Dunn, who, though surprisingly batting .274 this year, has had a .200 batting average in his four years with the White Sox.

This is a team that finished 27^th in OBP and 25^th in slugging %, and 29^th in runs scored last season. As I mentioned with this team before the season, they would have a make or break season depending on how Abreu does.

So far for the White Sox, their offense has been in great shape, much like they were two years ago. Remember, this was a team who, despite losing 99 games last season, almost made the playoffs two years ago before choking in September. Instead of last season, Abreu has helped them score 150 runs (1^st in MLB), while putting up a .273/.336/.438 team slash line (3^rd, 5^th, and 3^rd in the MLB, respectively).

But this is really no surprise! You think Masahiro Tanaka’s 24-0, 1.27 ERA season last year was absurd? In the 2011-2012 season in Cuba, Abreu hit .394/.542/.837 with 35 home runs and 99 RBI’s. In only 87 games! Which one is better, that season, or his next season, where he batted .382/.535/.735 with 13 home runs and 36 RBI’s in just 42 games? I’d take either one in a hurry.

In the MLB, he has been on and off. At first he got off to a hot start, then cooled down. Then got back up again, then went 1-for-21. But over the past seven games, he’s been absurd, including hitting a walk-off grand slam. He already has three multi-homer games.

It’s absurd of how low he was scouted compared to a guy like Tanaka. A few teams went after him, but the White Sox offered a contract that would be the largest deal in White Sox history. He was the biggest Cuban slugger, bigger than Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes, or prospect Jorge Soler.

So why does it scare me that he is one of the best? Because other International free agents haven’t been just good, they have been absurd. Over the past three years, guys like Abreu, Puig, Cespedes, Tanaka, Hishashi Iwakuma, and Jose Fernandez. These guys are the best in the business.

Sooner or later, these Cuban hitters are becoming the strongest hitters in the game, and Japanese pitchers have done just as well. It’s tough to find raw power like Abreu anymore, so team’s really need to go out and test that market.

A couple of teams that have already done that are both Chicago teams. The Cubs signed Eloy Jimenez and Gleyber Torres, who are ranked #1 and #3, respectively, in the top 30 internationals, according to mlb.com. The White Sox signed Micker Adolfo Zapada, the #2 international prospect.

As of now, these guys are young, but they’re also cheap. There are plenty of risk factors involving that, but the way these international players have been playing, it’s worth all the money. They can turn around a team in no time (look at Puig, for example, though it wasn’t all just Puig that bounced the Dodgers back last season).

Jose Abreu has become one of the best, if not the best, power hitter in the game. Hey, he’s on track to hit at least 50 home runs this year, which I know every team wishes they had. The White Sox will continue to play about .500 because of some injuries and lack of pitching. Chris Sale is on the DL, while young up-and-coming outfielder Avisail Garcia is out for the season. This is unfortunate, but it does show signs of hope for the White Sox.

10 home runs and 31 RBI’s just in one month. The American League needs to watch out.