White Sox Outfield Defense Woes Span a Decade

Standout seasons from Adam Engel and Luis Robert Jr. have masked the team's long-running struggles in the outfield.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 12:18am

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The Chicago White Sox have struggled with outfield defense for nearly a decade, posting a combined -28 Outs Above Average (OAA) from 2016 to 2025. While the team has had some elite individual defensive seasons from Adam Engel and Luis Robert Jr., the overall outfield defense has been a consistent weakness, with the last seven years accounting for a -52 OAA.

Why it matters

The White Sox's poor outfield defense has been a significant factor in their inability to consistently field a strong defensive team, which is crucial given their pitching staff's struggles to miss bats at an elite level. Catchable fly balls turning into extra-base hits have led to bad innings and losses.

The details

The White Sox's outfield defense woes can be traced back to 2016, when the team posted a +3 OAA. They followed that up with +16 in 2017 and +5 in 2018, but since then, the numbers have plummeted, with -11 in 2019, -19 in 2022 (with Andrew Vaughn at -18 OAA), and -13 in 2024. The team has relied heavily on the elite defensive contributions of Engel and Robert, who account for +46 and +29 OAA, respectively, over the years, while the rest of the outfielders have combined for just +25 OAA.

  • From 2016 through 2025, the White Sox outfield has posted -28 Outs Above Average.
  • Over the last seven years, the team's outfield defense has accounted for a -52 OAA.

The players

Adam Engel

A defensive standout who posted +21 OAA in 2017 and +16 in 2018, accounting for a significant portion of the team's positive outfield defense during that stretch.

Luis Robert Jr.

A Gold Glove winner and consistent defensive anchor in center field, posting +12 OAA in 2023 and additional positive seasons in 2020, 2021, and 2025.

Andrew Vaughn

A bat-first player who was a defensive liability in the outfield, posting -18 OAA in 2022.

Andrew Benintendi

The new left fielder, who has already logged -1 OAA and -2 DRS in just four innings of play.

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What they’re saying

“This isn't only about having the wrong players. It's about how they've been used. Corner outfield spots have consistently been filled with bat-first players, even when the bat doesn't justify the defensive sacrifice.”

— Besnik Zekiri, Author

What’s next

The White Sox will need to address their long-standing outfield defense issues if they hope to field a more competitive team in the coming seasons.

The takeaway

The White Sox's outfield defense has been a consistent weakness for nearly a decade, with the team relying heavily on the elite contributions of a few players while struggling to find a stable, above-average defensive unit. This has had a significant impact on the team's overall performance and will need to be addressed if they hope to improve.