It took me nearly two years. In 2017, after watching Carson Fulmer make a start with the White Sox against the San Francisco Giants and dominate them, it hit me. I found myself rooting for him. Not just wanting him to do well as a Sox pitcher, but rooting for him personally.
I haven’t had a favorite player since Dan Pasqua played for the White Sox, joining from the New York Yankees in 1987 in the trade for Richard Dotson. Having a favorite player doesn’t always happen and isn’t automatic. But sometimes, someone just grabs you and that’s it.