CHICAGO — There’s little doubt Yoán Moncada has put up All-Star-worthy numbers during the first half of the 2019 season.
But the White Sox third baseman has no disappointment over not being selected to play this Tuesday for the American League in Cleveland.
“No, not really. I did all that I had to do,” Moncada said through an interpreter. “That was something I couldn’t control. It wasn’t on me. I had a very good first half. That’s what mattered for me. I’m very happy with it.”
Moncada, 24, struck out a Major League-leading 217 times and posted a .714 OPS during his first full season in the Majors in 2018. Although he knocked out 17 home runs, 32 doubles, and six triples, the young switch-hitter was determined to put in the work this offseason to improve.
That work has definitely paid dividends. Moncada closed out the first half slashing .308/.364/.544, with 18 doubles, 16 homers, 48 RBIs and 49 runs. Over his last 14 games, Moncada has featured a .385 average.
“I put my best effort in the first half. I worked hard. I was able to carry over all the work that I put in during the offseason,” Moncada said. “I worked a lot than to have a better season overall, not just the first half. And I’m very confident I’ll be able to carry this to the second half, too.
“I’ve said this before, and everything is part of the process. You need to keep learning every day because every day you learn something new. Every time you learn something new, you try to apply it the next day. That’s what I’ve been doing. I’m just trying to learn as much as I can every day.”
So what’s the next part of the process for Moncada? He has a couple of pretty basic but elite goals.
“Being an All-Star. We couldn’t do it this year. Maybe next year,” Moncada said. “And of course, be a champion.”