New White Sox hitting coach looks to put team's offensive struggles in past

MESA, Ariz. — Derek Shomon sees an exciting White Sox offense that is balanced with power and contact this year.

That’d be a welcome improvement from a woeful offense last season that finished near the bottom of many major offensive categories.

“We have some guys that can slug this year, we have some guys that are willing to play the small game and take advantage of a third baseman being back,” Shomon said. “...It’s not an all slug offense, it’s not a necessarily BABIP [batting average on balls in play] offense. You kind of got this well-rounded thing in place. That’s exciting, right? So, you have multiple solutions.”

The Sox displayed much offense in early-game action Friday in their 8-1 win over the Cubs in the Cactus League opener.

"It's exciting,” Sox manager Will Venable said, noting a strong day from several newcomers, including a double from Munetaka Murakami and home runs from Austin Hays and Sam Antonacci. “We're excited to be able to add those guys to our offense and to come out the first day and put a couple nice swings on the ball was great and those guys are going to be in the middle of our lineup all year, so it's exciting to see."

The Sox are hoping the additions of Murakami, Hays, plus utilityman Luisangel Acuña, who did not play Friday, can help boost the offensive this year.

The team also is relying on four second-year players to build on relative success last season — shortstop Colson Montgomery, second baseman Chase Meidroth and catchers Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero. They’ll face challenges, however, adjusting to major league pitchers who now have a cache of their tape at the highest level.

Shomon highlighted their need to stay ahead of what pitchers have figured out about them.

“That very much is related to how you’re being attacked, and whether that’s pitch types, or certain zones, so on and so forth,” Shomon said. “Just the understanding that the game is going to give you the blueprint and your willingness to respond in a timely fashion is the ability to adjust and be able to perform.”

Cannon’s first spring start

Sox starting pitcher Jonathan Cannon finished his spring debut with 1⅔ innings pitched, allowing one run — a Seiya Suzuki home run — and two hits, while walking one batter and striking out three.

Suzuki’s homer came on a sinker that Cannon left over the middle of the plate.

“That’s kind of been a point of emphasis this spring, working on that sinker and kind of using [that and the four-seam fastball],” Cannon said. “And then just kind of dialing back in the offspeed command, I thought that could be better. That was just kind of the point of improvement going forward, could definitely be more in the zone a little bit more. But overall, I thought it was good, a lot to build off of, long spring ahead.”

Pereira late scratch from lineup

Outfielder Everson Pereira was scratched from Friday’s lineup for precautionary reasons due to general soreness, Venable said. He’s listed as day to day, then “we’ll see where he’s at,” Venable said.

The 24-year-old former top 100 prospect has impressed Venable early in spring training with his power potential, but his ability to make contact has fallen behind.

Pereira said earlier this week that it’s “probably impossible” for him to sacrifice some power in exchange to becoming a better contact hitter.

“But I think if you are able to make contact with the ball and you are strong enough, the ball is going to carry itself,” Pereira said.

Sox 8, Cubs 1

• Hays homered on the first pitch he saw, launching a down-the-middle fastball to the left-center lawn. Antonacci, a Springfield product and a top prospect in the Sox' system, also homered in his first at-bat. He topped it off with an enthusiastic bat flip.

• Catcher Korey Lee, fighting for a roster spot, went 3-for-4 with a single, walk and a stolen base.

• Braden Montgomery, the No. 36 prospect, per MLB.com, slapped an RBI triple in his first at-bat. Darren Baker, the son of former Cubs manager Dusty Baker, scored on the hit.

• On deck: Sox vs. A’s, 2:05 p.m. Saturday, Glendale, Arizona, ESPN 1000-AM, Chris Murphy vs. TBD.