At this point, it’s hard to envision Bobby Dalbec ever recapturing his early career form.
Dalbec, who hit 25 homers in 2021 for the Boston Red Sox, didn’t earn a spot on the Chicago White Sox’s opening day roster. The 29-year-old joined the White Sox this offseason, looking for a fresh start following a rough three-year stretch in Boston that saw him hit .198 with 189 strikeouts in 449 at-bats.
Dalbec spent most of the last two seasons in the minor leagues, where he largely excelled but failed to translate the success into big-league production in limited opportunities.
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If Dalbec can’t even earn a roster spot on the White Sox, who might be the worst team in baseball, it’s hard to envision him turning his career around.
However, it’s worth noting Dalbec also pitched in college while at Arizona. He displayed a mid-90s fastball and solid changeup, and even struck out 12 batters over eight innings in the 2016 College World Series.
Dalbec posted just a .607 OPS in spring training for Chicago. If he continues to struggle in Triple-A, he might have to consider resetting his career as a pitcher.
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