Lenyn Sosa focuses on improvement amid uncertain future with the White Sox

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Lenyn Sosa is coming off the best of his four seasons with the Chicago White Sox. And his future is murky at the moment.

Sosa led Chicago with a career-high 22 homers and 75 RBIs in 140 games last year. But the rebuilding White Sox signed Munetaka Murakami in the offseason, creating a logjam in their infield.

Sosa plays first, second and third base. Barring injury, Miguel Vargas (third), Colson Montgomery (shortstop), Chase Meidroth (second) and Murakami (first) are expected to be Chicago's regular infielders. The designated hitter job likely will be filled by Andrew Benintendi or one of the team's young catchers most of the time.

That leaves Sosa with no clear path to regular playing time.

“My goal, my mindset every year, is to get better,” Sosa said Saturday through a translator. “To improve my game all around. Trying to find ways to help this team win games. And that’s my focus. I don’t really pay attention to what my role is. It’s just trying to get better every day and do the best for me every day.”

The 26-year-old Sosa was signed by the White Sox as an international free agent in 2016. He made his big league debut in 2022.

Looking to build on last season, he played winter ball in his native Venezuela.

“The focus was on my defense, I worked on my defense to improve my range,” Sosa said. “But mostly just to have fun, playing there. Just playing there for my family, just to give them the chance to see them play there. Just enjoy it. That was the most important thing for me.”

Sosa's defensive work included agility drills designed to help with the speed of his first step.

On the offensive side, Sosa is planning to stay with his aggressive approach. While setting career highs with a .264 batting average and .434 slugging percentage in 2025, Sosa struck out 127 times and finished with just 18 walks.

“The plan for this year is to be even more aggressive,” he said. "What I mean with that is just trying to really crush pitches that are in the strike zone. Last year, a pitcher was attacking me with pitches that were outside the zone. I was being aggressive with the pitches. Then he threw strikes, and I kind of changed my approach. Now I know I have to have my approach since first pitch.

"If I’m able to take that approach and be consistent with that approach, I can bring damage being as aggressive as I can."

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb