Anderson, Abreu clinch crowns in season finale

CHICAGO -- Tim Anderson finished 0-for-2 during the White Sox 5-3 victory over the Tigers on Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field to conclude the 2019 season. José Abreu didn’t drive in a run.

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But none of those results really mattered, as Anderson claimed the American League batting title with the highest average in the Majors at .335. Abreu won the AL RBI crown with 123, joining Dick Allen (113 in 1972) as the only White Sox players to top this category.

Anderson became just the third player in White Sox history to win an AL batting title, joining Frank Thomas (.347 in 1997) and Luke Appling (.328 in 1943 and .388 in 1936). The White Sox shortstop easily outdistanced the Yankees DJ LeMahieu after hitting .240 in 2018, admitting he finally checked the leaderboard on Saturday.

“It's such an unbelievable moment for me,” said Anderson, who added 32 doubles, 18 home runs, 56 RBIs and 17 stolen bases to his resume. “I never knew it was going to be like this. I just continue to work. This year was huge, coming in with a lot of confidence and just believing and trusting in the work that I've been doing. Here we are now."

The .095 increase in average from 2018-19 is the largest in White Sox history. Anderson also became the first player in baseball history to lead the league in average while finishing last among qualifying players in walks, with 15 against 109 strikeouts.

“[Anderson] understood what it takes to play at this level and to play at this level as a superstar,” Abreu said through interpreter Billy Russo. “I’m really proud of the work he did and the improvement he showed this year.”

“A lot of hard work, a lot of perseverance, a lot of quality at-bats,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “Probably a little luck as well, just like any hitter. But he was very consistent barrel to the baseball, he found a lot more holes than anybody else and was able to maintain it and do it.”

Abreu doubled and was hit by two pitches before he was replaced by pinch-runner Ryan Goins in the sixth inning. Abreu finished the year with a .284 average, 38 doubles, 33 home runs and the league-leading RBI total. The crowd gave Abreu a standing ovation when he departed, as Abreu hugged Danny Mendick at third and shook hands with third-base coach Nick Capra.

At the start of the same frame, the White Sox flashed Anderson’s batting title accomplishment on the scoreboard. He came out of the clubhouse and onto the field as the fans gave him a standing ovation after demanding the curtain call.

“Yeah, I was on the inside. The guys were yelling for me,” said Anderson of the curtain call. “That just shows you we have the best fans in the world on the South Side."

Yoán Moncada, who topped the AL with a .409 average in September and topped the Majors with 41 hits in the month, finished 1-for-3 Sunday to place him third in the AL batting race at .315. Rookie Eloy Jiménez picked up his 79th RBI, a total equaled by Moncada on Sunday.

So what does all of this individual success signify? The White Sox took a major step in the winning direction, as their 72-89 final record represented a 10-win improvement from last season. They also finished 38-37 against the AL Central, marking their first winning record against the division since 2012.

There won’t be too much time for celebrating. As Renteria stressed pregame and postgame Sunday, the process has only just begun.

“I prefer to be playing for something I can share with the whole squad, which is playing for the World Series,” Anderson said.

“Go home, take a break, do all the things the organization has set out for them in terms of conditioning, fitness, baseball readiness, all those things,” Renteria said. “And watch the playoff games. Watch and see where you want to be, see if you can imagine yourself there. You've got to think about it, talk about it, visualize it and sometimes it all comes into play.”