White Sox first baseman and outfielder Gavin Sheets is off to a solid start in his second full year in the major leagues. In 15 games, Sheets is batting .289/.386/.447 with 11 hits, two home runs and seven RBIs.
Sheets, a Lutherville native and Gilman School graduate, faced his hometown team from April 14-16 when the Orioles traveled to Chicago. Though the White Sox lost the series two games to one, Sheets had an excellent performance in the series finale, going 2-for-4 with a three-run home run in the first inning of an eventual 8-4 loss.
Sheets made his major league debut in June 2021 under legendary manager Tony La Russa, who parted ways with the club last offseason. Chicago is off to a 7-17 start under first-year manager Pedro Grifol, who has four years of managerial experience in the minor leagues. He spent the previous 10 seasons working for the Kansas City Royals, including the last three years as the major league bench coach.
“It’s a new energy,” Sheets said on Glenn Clark Radio April 14. “I love Tony to death. I have the utmost respect for him. … But I love Pedro and our new staff so far. I think it’s a new energy that we have. I think they bring a lot to the table.”
Sheets has spent the bulk of his major league career playing right field but sometimes plays first base or serves as the designated hitter. Additionally, Sheets is a lefty batter and benefits from MLB’s new rule that regulates the shift. The rule mandates that teams have two infielders on either side of second base and on the infield dirt.
“It’s nice coming up and not seeing a guy in shallow right field and a third baseman at second base and a shortstop across,” Sheets said. “It frees you up to use the whole field, but I think the good thing is too that I have seen second baseman make unbelievable plays this year that they weren’t able to make last year because everyone was in a set position. I think it’s great for baseball. I think you’re seeing athleticism back in the middle of the infield.”
Another new rule change for the 2023 MLB season that Sheets supports is the pitch clock. This year pitchers get 30 seconds in between batters, 15 seconds in between pitches with the bases empty and 20 seconds with a runner on base to deliver a pitch. The pitch clock helps speed up games. According to Axios, MLB games are 26 minutes shorter than last year with the pitch clock.
“I don’t think there’s been too much of an advantage on either side,” Sheets said. “I think it’s just whoever embraces it more. But I will say that I think the pace of play in baseball games are night and day from last year. It’s taken out the part of the game that wasn’t baseball. It’s taken out the standing around. It’s brought in two and half hours of action, and I think that’s what the fans want. I think that’s what the players want.”
More action on the diamond means players can enjoy more fun times from the dugout as well. The Orioles have gained traction on social media recently after the team started using the “homer hose.” After an Orioles player hits a home run they celebrate with drinking water from an orange and black hose.
Sheets is a fan of the Orioles’ celebration, but the White Sox are still working on their team’s home run celebration.
“It’s fun to see stuff like that,” Sheets said. “I think that’s the best part of the clubhouse, celebrating with your teammates. So we’re definitely working on something that will go along the lines of that. … I think the teams that bond the most are the teams that win the most, in my opinion.”
For more from Sheets, listen to the full interview here:
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