Daniel Palka was arguably the biggest surprise for the White Sox this past season. Palka was claimed off waivers in November of 2017 and broke the team record for pinch-hit home runs during his first year in the Majors.
Breakout performances from rookies are nothing new. They happen every year in every professional sport. White Sox fans have seen many rookies perform well in their first year. For Palka, coming off a season where he hit 27 home runs and 67 RBIs, his 2018 has to be considered a success.
Going into the 2019 season, however, Palka will have to follow up his breakout rookie season with another good year at the plate for the Sox.