This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin's White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- It has been just one postseason weekend, and baseball already has set a lofty bar of excitement.

Unfortunately for the White Sox, they are watching the action on television after one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. I’ll take a look back at this 81-81 campaign and a look forward with this team through my newsletter, starting with this week’s season in review.

• Defining moment: I counted about eight or nine would-be defining moments for a Chicago team that never rose more than five games above .500 and never fell below five games under. But the one that personified this uneven season came when the White Sox entered a three-game home series against Cleveland on Sept. 20 trailing the Guardians by four and basically needing a sweep to have a chance in the American League Central. Instead, they were swept, leading to an eight-game losing streak that all but brought their playoff hopes to an end. That opener was a true back-and-forth battle before Cleveland scored five in the 11th off reliever Jake Diekman, the team’s Trade Deadline acquisition, and held on for a 10-7 victory. The Guardians had that extra edge all season over the White Sox, winning the season series, 12-7.

• What we learned: Raw talent, on paper, does not always win out. Many pundits and baseball people alike would list the White Sox as the division’s, and quite possibly the AL’s, most talented squad. But Cleveland was an excellent overall team, while Chicago’s sum total was not greater than the individual pieces. The Sox did deal with major injuries literally from the last week of Spring Training through the last week of the regular season.

• Best development: Johnny Cueto signed a Minor League deal to join the White Sox shortly after Lance Lynn underwent right knee surgery before the 2022 season began, and Cueto quickly went from a veteran hurler with various funky deliveries to a rotation staple. But the right-hander is a free agent, and it’s not certain he will return to Chicago in ’23 and beyond.

So let’s look at Eloy Jiménez, who figured out a routine for success at designated hitter despite having less than a strong desire to move into that role at age 25. Jiménez’s move to DH was brought about to protect his legs after he returned from right knee surgery, and he could move back to left field at least part time in 2023. But he had an .843 OPS, with 11 home runs, nine doubles and 35 RBIs over 210 plate appearances at DH.

• Area for improvement: Defense and left-handed-hitting balance. The White Sox topped the AL with 101 errors and had minus-31 defensive runs saved, according to Baseball Reference. You have to make the plays and catch the ball to win the games. Switch-hitters Yasmani Grandal and Yoán Moncada had injury-riddled seasons, with numbers well below their projections. But even with their healthy return in 2023 and Gavin Sheets’ progress, Chicago needs another left-handed bat.

• Team MVP: Dylan Cease should finish first or second on most AL Cy Young Award ballots behind his 2.20 ERA in 32 starts and 227 strikeouts over 184 innings. He came within one two-out, ninth-inning Luis Arraez single of no-hitting the Twins, and he showed himself as a top-of-the-rotation hurler with the best yet to come.