South Side Sensation

After finishing dead last in the AL Central division during the 2013 season and nearly hitting the dreadful 100-loss mark, the Chicago White Sox weren't expected to be a whole lot better in 2014 with another year of rebuilding. But less than a month into the new season, the South Siders have already began to show improvements. One of the more glaring upgrades appears to be in the form of Cuban slugger Jose Abreu who's sizzling start to the season has helped the Sox stay afloat at 13-13 on the year. With the likes of Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig at the plate and Aroldis Chapman on the mound just to name a few, hoping to strike gold with the next big talent from Cuba has become all the craze throughout the MLB and the Chicago White Sox appear to be the latest club added to that list. After showcasing his skills for the Cuban National team during last year's World Baseball Classic, Abreu defected from Cuba in August of 2013 and established residency in the Dominican where he was then eligible for free agency. Soon after, the White Sox signed Abreu to a six-year, $68 Million deal.

Less than a month into his 2014 rookie campaign, it's safe to say the former Cuban MVP and home run champion has had little trouble transitioning his game from his homeland to the Major Leagues, having already set numerous records in the bigs as he leads the league in both home runs and runs batted in. With four RBI's in Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Rays, bringing his total to 31, the red-hot Abreu broke the record for the most RBI's by a rookie in the month of April, leapfrogging the previous record held by Albert Pujols who drove home 27 RBI's in 2001 while a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. As for the most RBI's in a single month by a member of the South Siders, Abreu needs just five more ribbie's to catch Harold Baines who holds the franchise record with 36 RBI tallied back in June of 1987. Abreu's 10 home runs in the month of April are also a rookie record and are the second most ever hit by a member of the White Sox, one shy of teammate Paul Konerko's 11 HR's which he hit in 2010, a mark Abreu could tie and possibly even surpass with three games left before the start of May.

Maybe even more shocking than the totals Abreu has put up in less than a month of his big league service and will most likely result in him being named both AL Rookie and Player of the Month, is the ball he destroyed a few weeks ago, tearing the cover off a ball he fouled off. The ball looked like something that landed in the neighbors backyard that their dog had got a hold of and turned into his own personal chew toy. While Abreu still remains new to the league which means big league pitchers will eventually learn his tendencies the more at-bats he gets and the more games he plays, the early success probably comes as little surprise to the brain trust of the Chicago White Sox given the ball club shelled out more than $20 Million more than what the Dodgers signed Abreu's fellow countryman Yasiel Puig who's four years younger than Chicago's new slugger. That's not to discredit Puig who single-handedly helped turn around the Dodgers' 2013 season last year, but just goes to show how highly the White Sox front-office thinks of Abreu.

Something that is awe-inspiring regarding Abreu's home run totals, however, is how many long ball's he's been able to hit out at home despite the cool weather Chicago is still facing. While it's nearly impossible to predict just how many he'll finish with come seasons end or whether or not he can maintain his productivity at its current pace, it's safe to say that he'll be a fan favorite on the south side of Chicago for many years to come. Not to mention he's the one player I'm most hoping to see named to this year's Home Run Derby where maybe he'll face off against last year's winner and fellow Cuban -- Yoenis Cespedes.

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