Projected batting order D'Angelo Jimenez, 2B Jose Valentin, SS Frank Thomas, DH Magglio Ordonez, RF Paul Konerko, 1B Carlos Lee, LF Joe Crede, 3B Aaron Rowand, CF Miguel Olivo, C Rotation Mark Buehrle, LHP Bartolo Colon, RHP Jon Garland, RHP Esteban Loaiza, RHP Danny Wright, RHP Bench Tony Graffanino, 3B Brian Daubach, 1B Willie Harris, 2B Armando Rios, OF Sandy Alomar Jr., C Bullpen Billy Koch, RHP (CL) Damaso Marte, LHP Tom Gordon, RHP Kelly Wunsch, LHP Rick White, RHP Gary Glover, RHP Complete White Sox roster  ESPN's Take Q: Will the White Sox ride the 1-2 punch of Bartolo Colon and Mark Buehrle back into the postseason? Colon and Buehrle are the guys the Sox will relying on, and while they know what they will get from those two, everything else is up in the air. One of the things that could hurt them is defense. The Sox are weak up the middle, and that could come back to haunt them. Chicago will have to outslug opponents this year and can hit the ball as well as anyone, but the lineup will be predominantly right-handed. If Colon and Buehrle are out of the game, Chicago will be in trouble. -- Tom Candiotti When you see a list of the top third basemen, you don't see Joe Crede's name. But look at what this guy did in his few at-bats last season. Check out his minor-league numbers. It's not a stretch to expect 25 homers, which makes him a top-10 third baseman. How can Bartolo Colon be overrated? Well, in fantasy circles, you can never expect 20 wins. Colon has been inconsistent in the past, and while he did appear to put it all together last year, there is potential for him to win "only" 15 and have an ERA of 4. The safest thing is to take Zito or Oswalt before you do Colon. -- Eric Karabell Joe Borchard, OF First-round pick in 2000 is just about ready to take somebody's job. He has worked to cut down on his strikeouts and could wind up getting 400 at-bats, most likely in center but possibly also in left field. He's got star quality and seems to have the mental toughness necessary to handle failure. He'll start at Triple-A Charlotte.

Manager: Jerry Manuel  Home: US Cellular Field (44,321)  '02 record: 81-81  Team page | Schedule | Offseason moves

Catcher: Miguel Olivo/Sandy Alomar Jr. Experience is the only thing lacking for Olivo, who has a cannon arm and is a career .289 average in the minor leagues. He's unproven handling a staff but is in an ideal position to learn with Alomar Jr. around to mentor him. Olivo is a good athlete who will open eyes with his speed on the bases. First Base: Paul Konerko Team leader who has increased his RBI total over each of the last three years. He was a career .305 hitter in the minors and appears settled in as .300 hitter in the majors. He doesn't cover much ground at first base but has worked to improve. Second Base: D'Angelo Jimenez Under the gun to prove that he belongs after being cast off by San Diego. The White Sox loved his approach at the plate late last season, but he did not have an inspiring spring, either with the bat or the glove. He could move to shortstop if Jerry Manuel wants to sit Jose Valentin against left-handers, as he did often in 2002. Third Base: Joe Crede Looks like the real deal but could be prone to a sophomore slump. He has plenty of power and hit .285 as a rookie but had only eight walks in 209 plate appearances, raising some questions about his pitch selection. His fielding is a treat for White Sox fans, who haven't been able to watch a plus fielder in the infield since Robin Ventura left. Shortstop: Jose Valentin Gritty throwback who has become a fan favorite. He returns to short after spending much of 2001 and '02 at third base and in center field and will be often reminded about his 36 errors in 2000. He would be advised to worry more about his on-base percentage than his home run totals. Could be a platoon player if doesn't improve his .152 average from the right side of the plate. Left Field: Carlos Lee Look for a breakout season for Lee, who improved his approach in 2002 and is in terrific shape. He was one of only 13 big-leaguers who drove in 80-plus runs and had more walks than strikeouts last season. His fielding is a significant weakness, especially when contrasted with Minnesota's Jacque Jones. Center Field: Aaron Rowand He's happy to be alive after an offseason dirt-bike wreck that was truly frightening. He batted .291 after replacing Kenny Lofton as the regular center fielder July 29 but still must prove himself. A right-hander, he could wind up platooning with switch-hitting Joe Borchard. Right Field: Magglio Ordonez If the White Sox reach the playoffs, Ordonez could wind up as the AL MVP. He's averaged 33 homers and 123 RBIs over the last four years and had a career year in 2002, with 86 extra-base hits. Few run-producers are more consistent. Designated hitter: Frank Thomas New contract gives Thomas financial incentive to have a monster season in the year he turns 35. He's embarrassed about his .241 average over the last two seasons, which has dropped his career average to .314. Thomas also wants to play more first base, which would keep him from sitting in nine inter-league games on the road. No. 1 Starter: Mark Buehrle Strike-throwing machine who has worked 460 innings over the last two years. The last two years the Sox have been 40-26 in his starts and 124-134 with anyone else on the mound. Baseball would be a better product if all its pitchers could borrow Buehrle's tempo on the mound. No. 2 Starter: Bartolo Colon Last year Sox starters other than Buehrle were 42-52 with a 6.13 ERA. That is going to improve a lot with Colon coming off a 20-win season. He could have been the Opening Day starter, but by starting second is on track to face Cleveland on April 7, which will be the Indians' home opener. No. 3 Starter: Jon Garland Natural sinker-baller is poised for a breakout season after working 379 innings before his 23rd birthday. His command improved greatly last season, when he began working both sides of the plate. Like Dan Wright, he improved greatly with Don Cooper as the pitching coach. No. 4 Starter: Esteban Loaiza Bargain-basement free agent who signed a one-year contract determined to re-establish his value. Had a strong spring, but his 5.06 career ERA in the AL suggests the White Sox will have to live with ups and downs. No. 5 starter: Dan Wright Dropped to the back of the rotation after overthrowing in his first outing caused some concern about his elbow. Whetted appetites with a 4-1 record and 3.41 ERA in five September starts, holding opponents to .211 average. If he's healthy, he could have a 15-win, 200-inning season. He's got better stuff than Buehrle or Garland but sometimes doesn't know where the ball's going. Bullpen: Damaso Marte, Tom Gordon, Kelly Wunsch, Rick White, Gary Glover Marte and Wunsch, who looked as good in spring training as he did before hurting his shoulder in early 2001, could give the White Sox two major weapons from the left side. There's experience from the right side, but Gordon's health is a concern. If he's at his best, look out. The Sox will have a closer in a set-up role. Closer: Billy Koch Koch is coming off the only season in history in which a reliever saved 40-plus games while hitting double figures in wins. He's got a dynamite arm and has been incredibly durable, making you wonder why Oakland would trade him for Keith Foulke. It's possible that Billy Beane couldn't get Game 5 against Minnesota out of his head and made one of his rare mistakes.

-- Phil Rogers, ESPN.com

Record: 81-81 | Finish: 2nd in AL Central | Results | Statistics: Batting | Pitching Offense (AL rank) Defense (AL rank) 856 runs (3rd) Home: 477 runs (1st) Road: 379 (6th) 798 runs allowed (8th) Home: 373 (8th) Road: 425 (12th) 2002 Stats Leaders   Average: Magglio Ordonez, .320 Runs: Ordonez, 116 On-base pct: Ordonez, .381 Stolen bases: Kenny Lofton, 22 Wins: Mark Buehrle, 19 Saves: Keith Foulke/Antonio Osuna, 11 Home runs: Ordonez, 38 RBI: Ordonez, 135 Slugging pct.: Ordonez, .597 OPS: Ordonez, .978 ERA: Buehrle, 3.58 Strikeouts: Dan Wright, 136