Rockies No. 4 prospect Elehuris Montero had a nice taste of the Majors, with two hits in his debut in Sunday’s 10-1 victory over the Reds. Then he was optioned back to Triple-A Albuquerque.
“I’m extremely hungry to come back here, and hopefully they’ll give me another opportunity,” said Montero, who was up while utility man Garrett Hampson was doing a two-game rehab assignment for a right hand injury. “I’ll be ready.”
Hampson will return to the roster on Tuesday for the start of a three-game set with the Nationals. With rosters going from 28 to 26, with a limit of 14 pitchers, the Rockies also optioned infielder Alan Trejo and starting pitcher Ryan Feltner to Albuquerque.
Sunday was a chance for Montero, obtained in the deal that sent third baseman Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals before last season, to knock off the novelty of his Major League debut.
Montero, 23, has four homers and 12 RBIs at Albuquerque through 20 games this year, and 32 homers at the Double-A and Triple-A levels in the Rockies’ system since the start of last year. And he handled his debut with coolness.
While his power is intriguing, his ability to make adjustments showed Sunday. His first-inning single off Reds lefty starter Reiver Sanmartin was part of a six-run inning. A Reds meeting at the mound allowed the fans to acknowledge Montero’s accomplishment. A pitching change after Sanmartin walked Connor Joe allowed Montero to walk over and hug Joe.
Montero's second hit was eye-opening. It was a patient, fundamental swing that sent the ball through the middle, past Reds reliever Tony Santillan in the seventh.
“It was sort of a backup breaking ball that was inside, and the way he maneuvered his hands … that’s a hitter,” Rockies manager Bud Black said.
https://www.mlb.com/news/elehuris-monte ... ague-debut
2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
With the A’s in rebuilding mode in 2022, Las Vegas manager Fran Riordan delivered a straightforward message to his players before the start of the Triple-A season.
“We’re going to have a lot of transactions up and down with Oakland this year,” Riordan said on Triple-A Opening Day. “There’s going to be guys that get either their first opportunity or another opportunity to produce and stay there at the big league level. I think everybody in that clubhouse understands that.”
Clearly, Nick Allen took that message to heart.
Allen, the A’s No. 5 prospect, hit .319/.396/.404 in 12 games at Las Vegas before receiving his first call-up on April 19. The 23-year-old shortstop became the first in an expected wave of prospect arrivals to land in Oakland this season.
A fourth-round pick in 2017, Allen has long been an exceptional defender at shortstop but faced questions about how much offense he will provide. In his brief time at Triple-A this season, he showed increased thump in his bat and an improved offensive approach to help quell some of those concerns.
Allen has spread out more in his stance and become comfortable with his game, taking quick, direct strokes to the ball and hitting it hard on a line. After trying too hard to elevate and manufacture power early in his career, the 5-foot-8, 166-pound Allen is now staying within himself and letting his natural contact skills and surprising strength do the work.
Allen stung balls hard to the left, up the middle and to the right during his brief time in Las Vegas while serving as an effective table-setter out of the No. 2 spot in the Aviators order. He opened the season with a 10-game hitting streak and showcased his speed with three stolen bases in as many attempts. He demonstrated a solid feel for the strike zone while taking close pitches off the edges of the plate and, as usual, made numerous exceptional defensive plays at shortstop that showcased his elite range, hands, release and throwing accuracy.
“I think the big thing is just to stay level-headed,” Allen said at the start of the season. “Make sure I’m hitting good pitches and be ready to hit those because you don’t get too many mistakes as the levels keep going up. I think I adjusted to that and now I’m going to come out here and just keep doing it.”
Allen is the clear-cut top defensive shortstop prospect in the game and won the best defensive player award at the Tokyo Olympics last year while playing for Team USA. If he hits enough to play every day in the majors, the question is not if he’ll win a Gold Glove, but how many.
He’s continuing to show he might just hit enough to do that. Allen hit .319/.374/.471 at Double-A Midland last year. After facing an adjustment period following a late season promotion to Triple-A, he came back this year with his swing and approach locked in. The results followed, culminating in his big league debut.
... Marlins No. 5 prospect Max Meyer continues to draw some of the loudest raves of any prospect in baseball this spring. After a dominant showing in spring training, Meyer has a 1.71 ERA with 33 strikeouts and six walks in 26.1 innings at Triple-A Jacksonville through the season’s first month. His fastball is sitting in the mid 90s and his slider and changeup are both drawing plus-plus grades from opposing evaluators, an arsenal that has led scouts and front office officials across the game to comment that Meyer is the most impressive prospect they’ve seen this year—position player or pitcher.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -and-more/
“We’re going to have a lot of transactions up and down with Oakland this year,” Riordan said on Triple-A Opening Day. “There’s going to be guys that get either their first opportunity or another opportunity to produce and stay there at the big league level. I think everybody in that clubhouse understands that.”
Clearly, Nick Allen took that message to heart.
Allen, the A’s No. 5 prospect, hit .319/.396/.404 in 12 games at Las Vegas before receiving his first call-up on April 19. The 23-year-old shortstop became the first in an expected wave of prospect arrivals to land in Oakland this season.
A fourth-round pick in 2017, Allen has long been an exceptional defender at shortstop but faced questions about how much offense he will provide. In his brief time at Triple-A this season, he showed increased thump in his bat and an improved offensive approach to help quell some of those concerns.
Allen has spread out more in his stance and become comfortable with his game, taking quick, direct strokes to the ball and hitting it hard on a line. After trying too hard to elevate and manufacture power early in his career, the 5-foot-8, 166-pound Allen is now staying within himself and letting his natural contact skills and surprising strength do the work.
Allen stung balls hard to the left, up the middle and to the right during his brief time in Las Vegas while serving as an effective table-setter out of the No. 2 spot in the Aviators order. He opened the season with a 10-game hitting streak and showcased his speed with three stolen bases in as many attempts. He demonstrated a solid feel for the strike zone while taking close pitches off the edges of the plate and, as usual, made numerous exceptional defensive plays at shortstop that showcased his elite range, hands, release and throwing accuracy.
“I think the big thing is just to stay level-headed,” Allen said at the start of the season. “Make sure I’m hitting good pitches and be ready to hit those because you don’t get too many mistakes as the levels keep going up. I think I adjusted to that and now I’m going to come out here and just keep doing it.”
Allen is the clear-cut top defensive shortstop prospect in the game and won the best defensive player award at the Tokyo Olympics last year while playing for Team USA. If he hits enough to play every day in the majors, the question is not if he’ll win a Gold Glove, but how many.
He’s continuing to show he might just hit enough to do that. Allen hit .319/.374/.471 at Double-A Midland last year. After facing an adjustment period following a late season promotion to Triple-A, he came back this year with his swing and approach locked in. The results followed, culminating in his big league debut.
... Marlins No. 5 prospect Max Meyer continues to draw some of the loudest raves of any prospect in baseball this spring. After a dominant showing in spring training, Meyer has a 1.71 ERA with 33 strikeouts and six walks in 26.1 innings at Triple-A Jacksonville through the season’s first month. His fastball is sitting in the mid 90s and his slider and changeup are both drawing plus-plus grades from opposing evaluators, an arsenal that has led scouts and front office officials across the game to comment that Meyer is the most impressive prospect they’ve seen this year—position player or pitcher.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -and-more/
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Bryan Ramos, 3B White Sox
League Type: 16-Team Dynasty Leagues or Deeper
After an under-the-radar breakout season in 2021, Ramos is solidifying his prospect status with his early 2022 performance. The 20-year-old infielder signed with the White Sox back in 2018 and had a solid showing in his professional debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2019. He followed that up in 2021 by hitting .244/.345/.415 with 16 home runs and 16 stolen bases over 115 games with Low-A Kannapolis. Just 17 games into the High-A season with Winston-Salem, Ramos is hitting .403/.449/.653 with 10 extra-base hits entering play on Sunday. His underlying metrics tell the story of a player with above-average bat-to-ball and plate approach skills with plus raw power. Ramos has a 75.5% contact rate, a 23% chase rate and a 90th percentile exit velocity of 107.5 mph. He has a true combination of approach, contact and power that’s translated to on-field production early. I’d be aggressive in acquiring Ramos in all formats before his helium fills the balloon.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... week-four/
League Type: 16-Team Dynasty Leagues or Deeper
After an under-the-radar breakout season in 2021, Ramos is solidifying his prospect status with his early 2022 performance. The 20-year-old infielder signed with the White Sox back in 2018 and had a solid showing in his professional debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2019. He followed that up in 2021 by hitting .244/.345/.415 with 16 home runs and 16 stolen bases over 115 games with Low-A Kannapolis. Just 17 games into the High-A season with Winston-Salem, Ramos is hitting .403/.449/.653 with 10 extra-base hits entering play on Sunday. His underlying metrics tell the story of a player with above-average bat-to-ball and plate approach skills with plus raw power. Ramos has a 75.5% contact rate, a 23% chase rate and a 90th percentile exit velocity of 107.5 mph. He has a true combination of approach, contact and power that’s translated to on-field production early. I’d be aggressive in acquiring Ramos in all formats before his helium fills the balloon.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... week-four/
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Thanks to Michael Suareo of Sox on 35th for the following notes on real life and IBC White Sox farmhands ...
After roughly one month of professional baseball, it is time to check in on how some of the White Sox minor leaguers have fared. With expectations set low for the worst ranked farm system in the MLB, the Sox have seen many more positives than negatives, providing hope that a few of these guys will break out and get more national recognition. Through the first month, many of the Sox prospects, especially the hitters, have exceeded expectations, while some still have some work to do.
Here are some of the standouts - both positive and negative - from the first month of MiLB play:
Stock Rising:
3B/2B Bryan Ramos (A+): .403/.449/.653, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 13 BB, 4 K
No one in the Sox system has seen their stock rise quite as high as Ramos this season. Coming out of the gates with an absurd 1.102 OPS and a 190 wRC+ in High-A Winston-Salem, Ramos is absolutely destroying the opposing pitching so far. While he could stand to draw a few more walks, his K% is at a career low and his raw power is showing up more than it ever has in his young career. Still only 20 years old, I fully expect national outlets to take notice of Ramos by mid-season.
C Adam Hackenberg (A+): .263/.328/.474, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 12 K, 5 BB
After being selected in the 18th round of the 2021 First Year Player Draft, Hackenberg is starting to look like an absolute steal. The 22-year-old backstop is taking the majority of reps behind the plate in High-A Winston-Salem and is hitting for both average and power so far in the first month of the season. If he keeps this up, it won’t be too long before he receives a call up to Double-A.
SP Sean Burke (A+): 18.2 IP, 2.89 ERA, .242 BAA, 23 K, 11 BB
The White Sox 3rd round pick last year is off to a hot start in his young career. With a 2.89 ERA and an 11.09 K/9, Sean Burke is doing everything he can to establish himself as the top pitching prospect in the system. He is still struggling with walks, and his FIP and xFIP suggest that he is due for some regression, it is easy to get excited by what we have seen out of him so far.
SP Cristian Mena (A): 17.1 IP, 2.60 ERA, .175 BAA, 22 K, 2 BB
Cristian Mena might have the most upside of any pitcher in the Sox organization. In April, he posted a 2.60 ERA and showcased his impressive swing and miss ability with an 11.42 K/9. One would expect a 19-year-old pitcher making his full season debut to struggle with command, but he is even impressing in that area by limiting his BB/9 rate to a miniscule 1.04. He is looking like a home run international signing and should be rising up national rankings soon.
Stock Falling:
SS/2B Jose Rodriguez (AA): .216/.266/.351, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 17 K, 4 BB
Many had just as high of hopes for Jose Rodriguez coming into this season as they did for top prospects Colson Montgomery and Oscar Colas. Unfortunately, his start to the 2022 season has been a bit underwhelming with only a .216 BA and a below average 74 wRC+. He has started to turn his season around as of late with a couple of multi-hit games, and it is perfectly reasonable for a 21 year old to need a bit of an adjustment period at the Double A level, especially in Birmingham’s pitcher friendly ball park. I expect him to make adjustments and be on the stock upside of these reports in no time.
Other Players of Note:
CF Yoelqui Cespedes (AA): .253/.277/.481, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 22 K, 2 BB
Cespedes has been solid to start the year with a .253 BA and 4 home runs in Double-A Birmingham. However, his 11:1 K:BB ratio is a bit concerning and is a big part of the reason his wRC+ is only a tick above average at 108. He hasn’t been disappointing by any means, but expectations were sky high after his impressive showing during Spring Training. It will be up to him to show a bit more plate discipline as the season continues.
SP Jared Kelley (A): 8.2 IP, 4.15 ERA, .219 BAA, 8 K, 6 BB
Jared Kelley has been a mixed bag to start the 2022 season. He has had one bad start, one okay start, and one very good start, so the jury is still out on which of the three will show up the most this season. The main thing with Kelley is that he is healthy, which is something he struggled with last season. As long as it stays that way, he can continue to develop his frontline potential.
After roughly one month of professional baseball, it is time to check in on how some of the White Sox minor leaguers have fared. With expectations set low for the worst ranked farm system in the MLB, the Sox have seen many more positives than negatives, providing hope that a few of these guys will break out and get more national recognition. Through the first month, many of the Sox prospects, especially the hitters, have exceeded expectations, while some still have some work to do.
Here are some of the standouts - both positive and negative - from the first month of MiLB play:
Stock Rising:
3B/2B Bryan Ramos (A+): .403/.449/.653, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 13 BB, 4 K
No one in the Sox system has seen their stock rise quite as high as Ramos this season. Coming out of the gates with an absurd 1.102 OPS and a 190 wRC+ in High-A Winston-Salem, Ramos is absolutely destroying the opposing pitching so far. While he could stand to draw a few more walks, his K% is at a career low and his raw power is showing up more than it ever has in his young career. Still only 20 years old, I fully expect national outlets to take notice of Ramos by mid-season.
C Adam Hackenberg (A+): .263/.328/.474, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 12 K, 5 BB
After being selected in the 18th round of the 2021 First Year Player Draft, Hackenberg is starting to look like an absolute steal. The 22-year-old backstop is taking the majority of reps behind the plate in High-A Winston-Salem and is hitting for both average and power so far in the first month of the season. If he keeps this up, it won’t be too long before he receives a call up to Double-A.
SP Sean Burke (A+): 18.2 IP, 2.89 ERA, .242 BAA, 23 K, 11 BB
The White Sox 3rd round pick last year is off to a hot start in his young career. With a 2.89 ERA and an 11.09 K/9, Sean Burke is doing everything he can to establish himself as the top pitching prospect in the system. He is still struggling with walks, and his FIP and xFIP suggest that he is due for some regression, it is easy to get excited by what we have seen out of him so far.
SP Cristian Mena (A): 17.1 IP, 2.60 ERA, .175 BAA, 22 K, 2 BB
Cristian Mena might have the most upside of any pitcher in the Sox organization. In April, he posted a 2.60 ERA and showcased his impressive swing and miss ability with an 11.42 K/9. One would expect a 19-year-old pitcher making his full season debut to struggle with command, but he is even impressing in that area by limiting his BB/9 rate to a miniscule 1.04. He is looking like a home run international signing and should be rising up national rankings soon.
Stock Falling:
SS/2B Jose Rodriguez (AA): .216/.266/.351, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 17 K, 4 BB
Many had just as high of hopes for Jose Rodriguez coming into this season as they did for top prospects Colson Montgomery and Oscar Colas. Unfortunately, his start to the 2022 season has been a bit underwhelming with only a .216 BA and a below average 74 wRC+. He has started to turn his season around as of late with a couple of multi-hit games, and it is perfectly reasonable for a 21 year old to need a bit of an adjustment period at the Double A level, especially in Birmingham’s pitcher friendly ball park. I expect him to make adjustments and be on the stock upside of these reports in no time.
Other Players of Note:
CF Yoelqui Cespedes (AA): .253/.277/.481, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 22 K, 2 BB
Cespedes has been solid to start the year with a .253 BA and 4 home runs in Double-A Birmingham. However, his 11:1 K:BB ratio is a bit concerning and is a big part of the reason his wRC+ is only a tick above average at 108. He hasn’t been disappointing by any means, but expectations were sky high after his impressive showing during Spring Training. It will be up to him to show a bit more plate discipline as the season continues.
SP Jared Kelley (A): 8.2 IP, 4.15 ERA, .219 BAA, 8 K, 6 BB
Jared Kelley has been a mixed bag to start the 2022 season. He has had one bad start, one okay start, and one very good start, so the jury is still out on which of the three will show up the most this season. The main thing with Kelley is that he is healthy, which is something he struggled with last season. As long as it stays that way, he can continue to develop his frontline potential.
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Pitcher of the day:
Connor Seabold, RHP, Boston Red Sox (Triple-A Worcester): 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K.
Seabold is finding success early this year in the International League, with opponents hitting just .173 against him in his five starts. The starting pitching has been solid for the big-league club in 2022, but should they falter, Seabold is waiting in the wings to provide depth in Boston.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -did-well/
Steven Kwan singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th as the Guardians beat the Padres 6-5 to split Wednesday's doubleheader.
Kwan had three at-bats off the bench in game two, and his game-winner actually came on his worst-hit ball of the three; Statcast said his single had a .230 hit probability, compared to .570 and .460 for his previous two outfield lineouts. He also went 1-for-5 in the first game today, and he's hitting .328/.419/.443 through 74 plate appearances. There wouldn't seem to be much more power on the way in the short term, but the average and OBP should remain quite good.
https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... teven-kwan
MacKenzie Gore allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Guardians on Wednesday.
Gore left with a 3-1 lead, but that was wasted by the Padres bullpen. He finished with just two strikeouts and three walks, so this wasn't his most dominant outing since being called up. Still, he was awfully effective again and he has a 1.71 ERA after four turns. His rotation status is up in the air with Blake Snell due back soon, but even if he's temporarily demoted, it might be a short-term move.
https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... enzie-gore
Jared Kelley has one of the more-intriguing arms in a Chicago White Sox system that has graduated much of its top talent to the big leagues in recent years. He might be best described as promising but raw. Drafted 47th overall in 2020 out of Refugio (Texas) High School, the 20-year-old right-hander came into this season having thrown just 23.2 professional innings. Moreover, he’d put up a 7.61 ERA in the lowest rungs of the minors while battling minor arm issues.
Despite the spotty early track record, Kelley’s ceiling is high. A ballyhooed prospect as a prep, he possesses a high-velocity fastball and a trio of developing secondaries.He’s off an up-and-down start in the current campaign. In his first outing with the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, Kelley allowed just one hit, and one run, over three strong innings. In his second, he allowed eight baserunners and three earned runs over just one-and-two-thirds innings.No. 6 on our newly-released White Sox Top Prospects list, he discussed his early career development and how he’s adapted his repertoire.
———
David Laurila: Let’s start with with your repertoire. What are you throwing now?
Jared Kelley: “I’ve been working on a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, and a changeup. The sinker — the two-seam sinker — is the newest pitch.”
Laurila: I want to hear about the two-seamer, but first, I recall reading that you also throw a curveball.
Kelley: “I don’t throw a curveball anymore. I used to throw a curve, but it was more like a slurve. I don’t think it was going to play at the next level, so we changed into something a little bit harder, and a little bit easier for me to repeat.”
Laurila: When did that happen?
Kelley: “Towards the end of the my senior year of high school. I started to throw more of a slider instead of a curve, and as soon as I got here they showed me a grip for a slider. That was at the alternate site, in Schaumburg, right after I got drafted. I’ve stuck with it ever since.”
Laurila: What was the grip they showed you?
Kelley: “I used to go right along the seam, kind of like a generic slider grip, and we changed it to something that fit in my handle a bit more. It’s more repeatable. It’s kind of hard to explain, but if you were to grip a two-seam fastball and shift it over to the right, I’d be right over the horseshoe with the thumb beneath it. My thumb is pretty down, not too far up.”
Laurila: What is the movement profile?
Kelley: “No, it’s more of a pitch to get hitters off my fastball. It’s not something that’s super sweepy, it’s more of a hard, late-bite slider.”
Laurila: What about the two-seamer? Why have you added that to your mix?
Kelley: “It plays more into my slot — I’m three-quarters — and the way that the ball comes out of my hand. I’ve always had maybe a runny four-seam, so we tried throwing a sinker grip and all the numbers matched up. Everything was good. Now it’s just about repeating it.”
Laurila: Are you still getting run on your four?
Kelley: “I’ve done a better job of getting on top of my four-seam and getting a little bit more carry on it. That’s something I’ve been working on, not having a runny four-seam, just a runny sinker and a four-seam fastball with ride.”
Laurila: Do you know what the spin efficiency is your four-seam?
Kelley: “It’s always been 100% efficient, but it’s been efficient from a three-quarters slot. If you’re throwing from three-quarters, it’s going to run.”
Laurila: Where is your velocity?
Kelley: “The four-seam is about [95–97 mph] and the two-seam is maybe a tick lower, maybe one or two slower.”
Laurila: Would you identify as a power pitcher?
Kelley: “I would love to be. ‘Here it is, hit it’ kind of describes me.”
Laurila: We should touch on your changeup as well.
Kelley: “I’ve been thrown that since since high school. The grip is a pretty standard two-seam circle with the index finger and the thumb. I’m right along the two-seam grip with my middle finger and ring finger.”
Laurila: When in high school did start throwing it?
Kelley: “My freshman year. I was talking with agents, and stuff. It was a good pitch to get hitters off seeing nothing but fastballs; at that time I had maybe just a little bit of a feel for a breaking ball. Fastball/changeup is was what got me through my entire high school [career].”
Laurila: When did scouts and agents first start talking to you and your family?
Kelley: “I think it was maybe my eighth-grade year, going into my freshman year of high school.”
Laurila: Was it hard not to develop a bit of an ego, given the attention you were getting at a such young age?
Kelley: “I mean, you’ve just got to go out there and not worry about that stuff. Try not to get too high on yourself and think that you’re better than everybody else. Just go out there and keep playing.”
Laurila: With ego in mind, you’ve been on pitch counts since joining the organization. Has it been at all frustrating to not get to go deeper in games and to show people what you’re capable of doing?
Kelley: “I’m not too worried about [them] overusing me or underusing me, I just go out there and pitch. They were really strict on pitch limits and keeping us healthy in my first full season, but I see that as a positive thing, too. This year they’re building me up, and I’ll get more innings than I did last year. Last year I was also dealing with some injuries, but I’m good now.”
Laurila: Any final thoughts?
Kelley; “Just that I’m excited. Learn from the first year, and come out the second year and learn a few more things. So yeah, I’m excited for this year.”
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/white-sox-p ... velopment/
Connor Seabold, RHP, Boston Red Sox (Triple-A Worcester): 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K.
Seabold is finding success early this year in the International League, with opponents hitting just .173 against him in his five starts. The starting pitching has been solid for the big-league club in 2022, but should they falter, Seabold is waiting in the wings to provide depth in Boston.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -did-well/
Steven Kwan singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th as the Guardians beat the Padres 6-5 to split Wednesday's doubleheader.
Kwan had three at-bats off the bench in game two, and his game-winner actually came on his worst-hit ball of the three; Statcast said his single had a .230 hit probability, compared to .570 and .460 for his previous two outfield lineouts. He also went 1-for-5 in the first game today, and he's hitting .328/.419/.443 through 74 plate appearances. There wouldn't seem to be much more power on the way in the short term, but the average and OBP should remain quite good.
https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... teven-kwan
MacKenzie Gore allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Guardians on Wednesday.
Gore left with a 3-1 lead, but that was wasted by the Padres bullpen. He finished with just two strikeouts and three walks, so this wasn't his most dominant outing since being called up. Still, he was awfully effective again and he has a 1.71 ERA after four turns. His rotation status is up in the air with Blake Snell due back soon, but even if he's temporarily demoted, it might be a short-term move.
https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... enzie-gore
Jared Kelley has one of the more-intriguing arms in a Chicago White Sox system that has graduated much of its top talent to the big leagues in recent years. He might be best described as promising but raw. Drafted 47th overall in 2020 out of Refugio (Texas) High School, the 20-year-old right-hander came into this season having thrown just 23.2 professional innings. Moreover, he’d put up a 7.61 ERA in the lowest rungs of the minors while battling minor arm issues.
Despite the spotty early track record, Kelley’s ceiling is high. A ballyhooed prospect as a prep, he possesses a high-velocity fastball and a trio of developing secondaries.He’s off an up-and-down start in the current campaign. In his first outing with the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, Kelley allowed just one hit, and one run, over three strong innings. In his second, he allowed eight baserunners and three earned runs over just one-and-two-thirds innings.No. 6 on our newly-released White Sox Top Prospects list, he discussed his early career development and how he’s adapted his repertoire.
———
David Laurila: Let’s start with with your repertoire. What are you throwing now?
Jared Kelley: “I’ve been working on a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, and a changeup. The sinker — the two-seam sinker — is the newest pitch.”
Laurila: I want to hear about the two-seamer, but first, I recall reading that you also throw a curveball.
Kelley: “I don’t throw a curveball anymore. I used to throw a curve, but it was more like a slurve. I don’t think it was going to play at the next level, so we changed into something a little bit harder, and a little bit easier for me to repeat.”
Laurila: When did that happen?
Kelley: “Towards the end of the my senior year of high school. I started to throw more of a slider instead of a curve, and as soon as I got here they showed me a grip for a slider. That was at the alternate site, in Schaumburg, right after I got drafted. I’ve stuck with it ever since.”
Laurila: What was the grip they showed you?
Kelley: “I used to go right along the seam, kind of like a generic slider grip, and we changed it to something that fit in my handle a bit more. It’s more repeatable. It’s kind of hard to explain, but if you were to grip a two-seam fastball and shift it over to the right, I’d be right over the horseshoe with the thumb beneath it. My thumb is pretty down, not too far up.”
Laurila: What is the movement profile?
Kelley: “No, it’s more of a pitch to get hitters off my fastball. It’s not something that’s super sweepy, it’s more of a hard, late-bite slider.”
Laurila: What about the two-seamer? Why have you added that to your mix?
Kelley: “It plays more into my slot — I’m three-quarters — and the way that the ball comes out of my hand. I’ve always had maybe a runny four-seam, so we tried throwing a sinker grip and all the numbers matched up. Everything was good. Now it’s just about repeating it.”
Laurila: Are you still getting run on your four?
Kelley: “I’ve done a better job of getting on top of my four-seam and getting a little bit more carry on it. That’s something I’ve been working on, not having a runny four-seam, just a runny sinker and a four-seam fastball with ride.”
Laurila: Do you know what the spin efficiency is your four-seam?
Kelley: “It’s always been 100% efficient, but it’s been efficient from a three-quarters slot. If you’re throwing from three-quarters, it’s going to run.”
Laurila: Where is your velocity?
Kelley: “The four-seam is about [95–97 mph] and the two-seam is maybe a tick lower, maybe one or two slower.”
Laurila: Would you identify as a power pitcher?
Kelley: “I would love to be. ‘Here it is, hit it’ kind of describes me.”
Laurila: We should touch on your changeup as well.
Kelley: “I’ve been thrown that since since high school. The grip is a pretty standard two-seam circle with the index finger and the thumb. I’m right along the two-seam grip with my middle finger and ring finger.”
Laurila: When in high school did start throwing it?
Kelley: “My freshman year. I was talking with agents, and stuff. It was a good pitch to get hitters off seeing nothing but fastballs; at that time I had maybe just a little bit of a feel for a breaking ball. Fastball/changeup is was what got me through my entire high school [career].”
Laurila: When did scouts and agents first start talking to you and your family?
Kelley: “I think it was maybe my eighth-grade year, going into my freshman year of high school.”
Laurila: Was it hard not to develop a bit of an ego, given the attention you were getting at a such young age?
Kelley: “I mean, you’ve just got to go out there and not worry about that stuff. Try not to get too high on yourself and think that you’re better than everybody else. Just go out there and keep playing.”
Laurila: With ego in mind, you’ve been on pitch counts since joining the organization. Has it been at all frustrating to not get to go deeper in games and to show people what you’re capable of doing?
Kelley: “I’m not too worried about [them] overusing me or underusing me, I just go out there and pitch. They were really strict on pitch limits and keeping us healthy in my first full season, but I see that as a positive thing, too. This year they’re building me up, and I’ll get more innings than I did last year. Last year I was also dealing with some injuries, but I’m good now.”
Laurila: Any final thoughts?
Kelley; “Just that I’m excited. Learn from the first year, and come out the second year and learn a few more things. So yeah, I’m excited for this year.”
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Jordan Wicks, LHP
High-A South Bend (Cubs)
The Cubs’ first-round pick last year out of Kansas State, Wicks was the first college lefthander taken in the 2021 class. He made four starts with High-A South Bend last year out of the draft and returned to the level out of camp this spring.
This was Wicks’ third start of the season. He faced off against Quad Cities on the road. Wicks took a bit to settle in, struggling to land his changeup to the arm-side part of the plate early, which left his fastball vulnerable in the zone. Before he recorded an out in the second inning, Wicks had already allowed a pair of doubles, a pair of singles and a walk. He managed to escape the second with only a single earned run allowed. His command of his secondaries seemed to lock in as soon as the first run hit the scoreboard.
After that, Wicks sat down eight consecutive batters, four via strikeouts. Once Wicks locked in and started to execute to his arm side with his changeup and curveball, he became nearly unhittable.
Wicks showed the ability to adjust and settle in even after a difficult opening to this start. His fastball sat 93-94 mph with plus vertical break. He played his low-to-mid-80s changeup off of it and mixed in a high-spin downer curveball in the low 80s. He showed a starter’s mix and ability to repeat. If he can tighten his command for long stretches, Wicks has true mid-rotation upside.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... iew-may-5/
High-A South Bend (Cubs)
The Cubs’ first-round pick last year out of Kansas State, Wicks was the first college lefthander taken in the 2021 class. He made four starts with High-A South Bend last year out of the draft and returned to the level out of camp this spring.
This was Wicks’ third start of the season. He faced off against Quad Cities on the road. Wicks took a bit to settle in, struggling to land his changeup to the arm-side part of the plate early, which left his fastball vulnerable in the zone. Before he recorded an out in the second inning, Wicks had already allowed a pair of doubles, a pair of singles and a walk. He managed to escape the second with only a single earned run allowed. His command of his secondaries seemed to lock in as soon as the first run hit the scoreboard.
After that, Wicks sat down eight consecutive batters, four via strikeouts. Once Wicks locked in and started to execute to his arm side with his changeup and curveball, he became nearly unhittable.
Wicks showed the ability to adjust and settle in even after a difficult opening to this start. His fastball sat 93-94 mph with plus vertical break. He played his low-to-mid-80s changeup off of it and mixed in a high-spin downer curveball in the low 80s. He showed a starter’s mix and ability to repeat. If he can tighten his command for long stretches, Wicks has true mid-rotation upside.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... iew-may-5/
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Pitcher of the day:
Brandon Walter, LHP, Boston Red Sox (Double-A Portland): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K.
It only took five starts but Walter finally issued his first walk of the season on Thursday. A late round selection out of Delaware in 2019, he blossomed during the lost season seeing a jump in the fastball velocity and better movement to his sweeping slider. His solid three pitch mix and ability to pound the zone should make Walter a force out of the bullpen.
Bryson Stott, SS, Philadelphia Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley): 3-5, 4 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K.
Stott is looking to get the bat back on track after being demoted to Triple-A after just nine games with the Phillies. He’s a much better player than what his slashline (.133/.161/.167) during that brief stint implies and should get another crack with the big league club later in the summer.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... er-minors/
Since being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on April 25, Bryson Stott has amassed four multihit games in nine appearances. The No. 43 overall prospect added to that with a 3-for-5 performance in the IronPigs' 14-2 rout of Syracuse, including a two-run homer. He scored four times and drove in three runs.
The 24-year-old walked and scored in the first inning on a homer by Donny Sands. In the fourth, Stott notched his first RBI of the game on a single to right field. Philadelphia's No. 1 prospect smoked a ball to the bleachers in right-center for his second homer of the year in the sixth, and he beat out a single to second in the eighth for his third hit of the game.
The left-handed batter is hitting .333 since heading to the Minors. He batted .133 with three RBIs over nine games with Philly this year.
https://www.mlb.com/news/philadelphia-p ... e-coverage
Angels: Michael Stefanic, 2B (No. 25)
Steven Kwan became famous for never swinging and missing in the Majors to start the season. That wasn’t new. He led a group of 853 Minor Leaguers who had at least 300 plate appearances last season with a 2.6 swing-and-miss percentage. Just behind him in second on that list: Stefanic, 5.0 percent. The 26-year-old middle infielder hit .336 between Double-A and Triple-A because of that contact rate last season, and he’s picked up right where left off with a .345 average and 1.3 swinging strike percentage through 67 plate appearances back at Salt Lake.
Phillies: Bryson Stott, INF (No. 1, MLB No. 43)
Have we mentioned the Major Leagues are really hard? We’re not so worried about Stott’s long-term future after his 4-for-30 (.133) start in the bigs. This is still a career .298 Minor League hitter who has looked much more like himself with a .290/.324/.516 line through eight games following his move back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley last week. Stott is still capable of hitting the ball hard all over the yard and projects to be a quality hitter from somewhere on the dirt when he gets a better chance to settle in the Majors.
Dodgers: Miguel Vargas, 3B (No. 5, MLB No. 92)
The son of Lazaro Vargas, the DH on Cuba's 1992 and 1996 Olympic champions, Vargas defected with his father in November 2015 and signed for $300,000 two years later. He has an advanced understanding of his right-handed stroke and barrels balls and controls the strike zone with ease. He won the Double-A Central batting title (.321) last year at age 21, is hitting .275 as the third-youngest regular in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and owns a career .313 average as a pro.
https://www.mlb.com/news/each-team-s-be ... g-prospect
Brandon Walter, LHP, Boston Red Sox (Double-A Portland): 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K.
It only took five starts but Walter finally issued his first walk of the season on Thursday. A late round selection out of Delaware in 2019, he blossomed during the lost season seeing a jump in the fastball velocity and better movement to his sweeping slider. His solid three pitch mix and ability to pound the zone should make Walter a force out of the bullpen.
Bryson Stott, SS, Philadelphia Phillies (Triple-A Lehigh Valley): 3-5, 4 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, K.
Stott is looking to get the bat back on track after being demoted to Triple-A after just nine games with the Phillies. He’s a much better player than what his slashline (.133/.161/.167) during that brief stint implies and should get another crack with the big league club later in the summer.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... er-minors/
Since being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on April 25, Bryson Stott has amassed four multihit games in nine appearances. The No. 43 overall prospect added to that with a 3-for-5 performance in the IronPigs' 14-2 rout of Syracuse, including a two-run homer. He scored four times and drove in three runs.
The 24-year-old walked and scored in the first inning on a homer by Donny Sands. In the fourth, Stott notched his first RBI of the game on a single to right field. Philadelphia's No. 1 prospect smoked a ball to the bleachers in right-center for his second homer of the year in the sixth, and he beat out a single to second in the eighth for his third hit of the game.
The left-handed batter is hitting .333 since heading to the Minors. He batted .133 with three RBIs over nine games with Philly this year.
https://www.mlb.com/news/philadelphia-p ... e-coverage
Angels: Michael Stefanic, 2B (No. 25)
Steven Kwan became famous for never swinging and missing in the Majors to start the season. That wasn’t new. He led a group of 853 Minor Leaguers who had at least 300 plate appearances last season with a 2.6 swing-and-miss percentage. Just behind him in second on that list: Stefanic, 5.0 percent. The 26-year-old middle infielder hit .336 between Double-A and Triple-A because of that contact rate last season, and he’s picked up right where left off with a .345 average and 1.3 swinging strike percentage through 67 plate appearances back at Salt Lake.
Phillies: Bryson Stott, INF (No. 1, MLB No. 43)
Have we mentioned the Major Leagues are really hard? We’re not so worried about Stott’s long-term future after his 4-for-30 (.133) start in the bigs. This is still a career .298 Minor League hitter who has looked much more like himself with a .290/.324/.516 line through eight games following his move back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley last week. Stott is still capable of hitting the ball hard all over the yard and projects to be a quality hitter from somewhere on the dirt when he gets a better chance to settle in the Majors.
Dodgers: Miguel Vargas, 3B (No. 5, MLB No. 92)
The son of Lazaro Vargas, the DH on Cuba's 1992 and 1996 Olympic champions, Vargas defected with his father in November 2015 and signed for $300,000 two years later. He has an advanced understanding of his right-handed stroke and barrels balls and controls the strike zone with ease. He won the Double-A Central batting title (.321) last year at age 21, is hitting .275 as the third-youngest regular in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and owns a career .313 average as a pro.
https://www.mlb.com/news/each-team-s-be ... g-prospect
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
The Blue Jays' top prospect, Gabriel Moreno, had the best game of his young 2022 season Friday evening, delivering a walk-off base hit for Triple-A Buffalo to cap a four-hit, four-RBI performance versus Durham.
With the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Moreno punched a single past a five-man infield and into right field to send the Bisons to a 5-4 win. Toronto’s catcher of the future and No. 7 prospect in MLB, per MLB Pipeline, also laced a scorching line drive off the shortstop’s glove to drive in two in the third inning and smacked a double down the left-field line to score another in the fifth.
In the midst of his first extended stint at Triple-A, Friday’s outing pushed the 22-year-old’s slash line to .313/.353/.391 with a .744 OPS over 64 at-bats (17 games) this season. After a mild slump in late April, Moreno seems to be heating up with hits in each of his last five games.
Moreno is just one step away from the big leagues. Experts expect the promising backstop to make his Blue Jays debut by the end of this season. With a few more breakout performances like Friday, Toronto fans should be enjoying his company in no time.
https://www.mlb.com/news/gabriel-moreno ... e-coverage
With the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Moreno punched a single past a five-man infield and into right field to send the Bisons to a 5-4 win. Toronto’s catcher of the future and No. 7 prospect in MLB, per MLB Pipeline, also laced a scorching line drive off the shortstop’s glove to drive in two in the third inning and smacked a double down the left-field line to score another in the fifth.
In the midst of his first extended stint at Triple-A, Friday’s outing pushed the 22-year-old’s slash line to .313/.353/.391 with a .744 OPS over 64 at-bats (17 games) this season. After a mild slump in late April, Moreno seems to be heating up with hits in each of his last five games.
Moreno is just one step away from the big leagues. Experts expect the promising backstop to make his Blue Jays debut by the end of this season. With a few more breakout performances like Friday, Toronto fans should be enjoying his company in no time.
https://www.mlb.com/news/gabriel-moreno ... e-coverage
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Bryson Stott is back, and he is going to be the Phillies’ primary shortstop for at least the next week.
The Phillies recalled Stott from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, before their game against the Mets was postponed because of rain. The Phillies and Mets will play a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 12:35 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Stott is back because the Phillies placed Didi Gregorius on the 10-day injured list with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Gregorius hurt himself Wednesday when he collided with Kyle Schwarber in left field. Gregorius’ IL stint is retroactive to Thursday, meaning he can be activated no earlier than May 15. Phillies manager Joe Girardi said there is a chance that Gregorius needs only 10 days or so before rejoining the team.
Until then, Stott will play shortstop, with Alec Bohm at third base and Johan Camargo bouncing around the infield.
Stott rejoins the Phillies swinging the bat well. He batted .333 (12-for-36) with two homers, seven RBIs and a .986 OPS in nine games with the IronPigs.
“Getting those at-bats day after day after day is big,” Stott said. “And when you’re feeling good, you want to keep hitting. I feel good now. Playing every day was big. That’s how you get back to yourself and get back to being comfortable.”
Stott opened the season with the Phillies, but he was optioned to Triple-A on April 25. He batted .133 (4-for-30) with one double, three RBIs, one walk and 10 strikeouts in nine games with the Phillies. He went hitless in his last 18 at-bats. He started on April 18 in Colorado, pinch-hit on April 19, then did not play again until he was optioned.
Stott is the organization’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 43 prospect in baseball, so he needed to play, which was why they sent him to Triple-A.
Stott said he learned something about his short-lived stint with the Phillies last month.
“I felt myself chasing those hits instead of letting the hits come,” Stott said. “Trying to hit the ball like I did in spring 2021.”
Stott batted .179 (5-for-28) with one walk and 16 strikeouts in the spring of ’21.
“Trying to hit the ball before he even threw it was kind of what I was feeling,” he said. “Just kind of seeing those pitchers and having those at-bats back to back to back [in Triple-A] let me get back to where I need to be.”
https://www.mlb.com/news/bryson-stott-r ... m-triple-a
The Phillies recalled Stott from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday, before their game against the Mets was postponed because of rain. The Phillies and Mets will play a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 12:35 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Stott is back because the Phillies placed Didi Gregorius on the 10-day injured list with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Gregorius hurt himself Wednesday when he collided with Kyle Schwarber in left field. Gregorius’ IL stint is retroactive to Thursday, meaning he can be activated no earlier than May 15. Phillies manager Joe Girardi said there is a chance that Gregorius needs only 10 days or so before rejoining the team.
Until then, Stott will play shortstop, with Alec Bohm at third base and Johan Camargo bouncing around the infield.
Stott rejoins the Phillies swinging the bat well. He batted .333 (12-for-36) with two homers, seven RBIs and a .986 OPS in nine games with the IronPigs.
“Getting those at-bats day after day after day is big,” Stott said. “And when you’re feeling good, you want to keep hitting. I feel good now. Playing every day was big. That’s how you get back to yourself and get back to being comfortable.”
Stott opened the season with the Phillies, but he was optioned to Triple-A on April 25. He batted .133 (4-for-30) with one double, three RBIs, one walk and 10 strikeouts in nine games with the Phillies. He went hitless in his last 18 at-bats. He started on April 18 in Colorado, pinch-hit on April 19, then did not play again until he was optioned.
Stott is the organization’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 43 prospect in baseball, so he needed to play, which was why they sent him to Triple-A.
Stott said he learned something about his short-lived stint with the Phillies last month.
“I felt myself chasing those hits instead of letting the hits come,” Stott said. “Trying to hit the ball like I did in spring 2021.”
Stott batted .179 (5-for-28) with one walk and 16 strikeouts in the spring of ’21.
“Trying to hit the ball before he even threw it was kind of what I was feeling,” he said. “Just kind of seeing those pitchers and having those at-bats back to back to back [in Triple-A] let me get back to where I need to be.”
https://www.mlb.com/news/bryson-stott-r ... m-triple-a
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Rockies INF prospect Elehuris Montero went 3-for-3 with a homer for Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday.
Montero, 23, also doubled. The infielder is enjoying a solid season for the Isotopes with a .297/.363/.475 slash along with five homers and a couple of steals. He also picked up a pair of hits in his MLB debut, and ranks as one of the top hitting prospects in the Colorado system. Montero profiles as an everyday player, and the fact that he could be playing his home games in Coors Field on a regular basis adds to his fantasy intrigue.
https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... is-montero
Montero, 23, also doubled. The infielder is enjoying a solid season for the Isotopes with a .297/.363/.475 slash along with five homers and a couple of steals. He also picked up a pair of hits in his MLB debut, and ranks as one of the top hitting prospects in the Colorado system. Montero profiles as an everyday player, and the fact that he could be playing his home games in Coors Field on a regular basis adds to his fantasy intrigue.
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Brandon Walter, LHP, Red Sox
League Size: 14 Teams or 150+ Prospects Rostered
The lefthander's rapid ascension up the Red Sox minor league ladder has been one of the system’s best stories since the 2020 shutdown. Walter has emerged as one of the two best pitching prospects in the Red Sox system alongside teammate Brayan Bello. Walter has dominated Double-A hitters with a well-commanded three-pitch mix. He possesses not one but potentially two plus secondaries in his slider and changeup. Both miss bats and challenge hitters by consistently landing for strikes. While Walter generates plenty of whiffs, his ability to generate ground balls with his sinker makes him equally effective as a starter. A combination of command, contact suppression skills, and the ability to miss bats makes Walter a worthy add in most formats outside the most shallow dynasty leagues. Walter could be a points league boost as soon as this summer should the need arise in the Red Sox rotation.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... week-five/
League Size: 14 Teams or 150+ Prospects Rostered
The lefthander's rapid ascension up the Red Sox minor league ladder has been one of the system’s best stories since the 2020 shutdown. Walter has emerged as one of the two best pitching prospects in the Red Sox system alongside teammate Brayan Bello. Walter has dominated Double-A hitters with a well-commanded three-pitch mix. He possesses not one but potentially two plus secondaries in his slider and changeup. Both miss bats and challenge hitters by consistently landing for strikes. While Walter generates plenty of whiffs, his ability to generate ground balls with his sinker makes him equally effective as a starter. A combination of command, contact suppression skills, and the ability to miss bats makes Walter a worthy add in most formats outside the most shallow dynasty leagues. Walter could be a points league boost as soon as this summer should the need arise in the Red Sox rotation.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... week-five/
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
This year, the Sox have two prospects who are starting out the season as if they are ready to rise up the rankings: 3B Bryan Ramos and RHP Cristian Mena.
Bryan Ramos
Part of the 2018-2019 international signing period, the White Sox signed Ramos for $300,000 as a 17-year-old out of Cuba. His combination of raw power and arm strength made him easily projectable as a high upside 3B prospect, although many thought he would eventually have to move to the outfield. In his first two professional seasons with the Sox, Ramos has been solid at the plate with a 110 wRC+ in 2019 and a 109 wRC+ in 2021. He has shown an ability to draw walks without striking out an overwhelming amount, however he wasn’t tapping into the raw power he was lauded for as much as some had hoped.
Bryan Ramos hit his second home run of the series, this one 420 feet to the left of dead center. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/JyjKFtQ2iq
— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) April 10, 2022
Congratulations to Dash third baseman, Bryan Ramos, on being named South Atlantic League Player of the Month! pic.twitter.com/9u4EKXI08e
— Winston-Salem Dash (@WSDashBaseball) May 5, 2022
Through 21 games in the 2022 season ad High-A Winston-Salem, however, he has hit a new gear at the plate. He is hitting to an absurd .351 batting average with a 161 wRC+ and a .972 OPS, and has hit 11 extra base hits in 21 games (7 doubles and 4 home runs). He had previously spent his time in the field split between 2B and 3B in the field but has almost exclusively been relegated to the hot corner in 2022, with some time at designated hitter sprinkled in as well. Maybe allowing him to focus on one position is allowing him to tap into his offensive potential? He profiles better as a 3B long term anyways, where he can utilize his plus arm strength. His inflated .409 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) leads some speculation that he is due for a bit of regression, and he is walking slightly less than he has in previous years, however he has also cut his strike out rate down about 5% from the previous year and is making more solid contact that he ever has.
Bryan Ramos with another
for the #Dash. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/eAHDHDHf4e
— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) April 10, 2022
The White Sox should express patience with Ramos, as there is no need to rush him to the majors. However, if he keeps this up it will be difficult to keep him in the lower levels.
Cristian Mena
Another prospect out of the Dominican Republic, Cristian Mena was signed in July of 2019 for $250,000 in the same class as Yolbert Sanchez and Elijah Tatis. Not much was known initially about Mena, except for the fact that he was a right handed pitcher, that the Sox listed him at 6’2 170 lbs, and he wasn’t able to make his debut until a year and a half after he signed due to the pandemic causing the 2020 MiLB season to be cancelled. Despite all of that, the White Sox made a rather aggressive move by allowing him to skip the Dominican Summer League and make his professional debut with their Arizona Complex team.
Dominant outing for Cristian Mena tonight. 6.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R, and 10 K’s on 81 pitches/53 for strikes. #Ballers win 3-0. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/L8PS7UxN0O
— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) April 29, 2022
His first season in the Sox organization did not go exactly according to plan, as he ended with a disappointing 7.82 ERA. He did, however, have some underlying stats that showed much more promise than his ERA dictated. His xFIP was a much more serviceable 4.46, and he struck out 62 batters in 48.1 innings while only walking 21. He also carried a BABIP against of .442, showing he may have run into a bit of bad luck along the way. Many (including myself) expected him to begin his second season at 19 years old back in Arizona, but the Sox continued to be aggressive with him by promoting him to Low-A Kannapolis to begin the year.
Cristian Mena had some command issues and got deep into counts a few times (BB’d 3), so the pitch count escalated early. However, he limited damage and was nasty. 9K’s. Alsander Womack with a beautiful play in here also. #Ballers win 5-2. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/gi8OHumFNo
— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) May 6, 2022
So far, Mena has rewarded this aggressive approach. Through 22 innings in 4 starts, Mena holds a 2.86 ERA with 31 Ks and only 5 walks. He is showing an elite ability to miss bats while also showing an unexpectedly impressive ability to limit walks and control his pitches. He currently tops out at 95 with his fastball, although he might be able to add some velocity as he matures and adds strength to his 170 lb frame. Most outlets agree that his best pitch is his curveball, which sits in the upper 70s and can be a potential plus offering from him. He also has the ability to mix in a changeup, although that is his 3rd best pitch of the three. He has a long way to go, but he is off to a great start in his young career and has the potential to eventually develop into a number 2 or 3 starting pitcher in the MLB.
(Thanks to Michael Suareo of Sox on 35th)
Bryan Ramos
Part of the 2018-2019 international signing period, the White Sox signed Ramos for $300,000 as a 17-year-old out of Cuba. His combination of raw power and arm strength made him easily projectable as a high upside 3B prospect, although many thought he would eventually have to move to the outfield. In his first two professional seasons with the Sox, Ramos has been solid at the plate with a 110 wRC+ in 2019 and a 109 wRC+ in 2021. He has shown an ability to draw walks without striking out an overwhelming amount, however he wasn’t tapping into the raw power he was lauded for as much as some had hoped.
Bryan Ramos hit his second home run of the series, this one 420 feet to the left of dead center. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/JyjKFtQ2iq
— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) April 10, 2022
Congratulations to Dash third baseman, Bryan Ramos, on being named South Atlantic League Player of the Month! pic.twitter.com/9u4EKXI08e
— Winston-Salem Dash (@WSDashBaseball) May 5, 2022
Through 21 games in the 2022 season ad High-A Winston-Salem, however, he has hit a new gear at the plate. He is hitting to an absurd .351 batting average with a 161 wRC+ and a .972 OPS, and has hit 11 extra base hits in 21 games (7 doubles and 4 home runs). He had previously spent his time in the field split between 2B and 3B in the field but has almost exclusively been relegated to the hot corner in 2022, with some time at designated hitter sprinkled in as well. Maybe allowing him to focus on one position is allowing him to tap into his offensive potential? He profiles better as a 3B long term anyways, where he can utilize his plus arm strength. His inflated .409 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) leads some speculation that he is due for a bit of regression, and he is walking slightly less than he has in previous years, however he has also cut his strike out rate down about 5% from the previous year and is making more solid contact that he ever has.
Bryan Ramos with another
for the #Dash. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/eAHDHDHf4e— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) April 10, 2022
The White Sox should express patience with Ramos, as there is no need to rush him to the majors. However, if he keeps this up it will be difficult to keep him in the lower levels.
Cristian Mena
Another prospect out of the Dominican Republic, Cristian Mena was signed in July of 2019 for $250,000 in the same class as Yolbert Sanchez and Elijah Tatis. Not much was known initially about Mena, except for the fact that he was a right handed pitcher, that the Sox listed him at 6’2 170 lbs, and he wasn’t able to make his debut until a year and a half after he signed due to the pandemic causing the 2020 MiLB season to be cancelled. Despite all of that, the White Sox made a rather aggressive move by allowing him to skip the Dominican Summer League and make his professional debut with their Arizona Complex team.
Dominant outing for Cristian Mena tonight. 6.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 R, and 10 K’s on 81 pitches/53 for strikes. #Ballers win 3-0. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/L8PS7UxN0O
— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) April 29, 2022
His first season in the Sox organization did not go exactly according to plan, as he ended with a disappointing 7.82 ERA. He did, however, have some underlying stats that showed much more promise than his ERA dictated. His xFIP was a much more serviceable 4.46, and he struck out 62 batters in 48.1 innings while only walking 21. He also carried a BABIP against of .442, showing he may have run into a bit of bad luck along the way. Many (including myself) expected him to begin his second season at 19 years old back in Arizona, but the Sox continued to be aggressive with him by promoting him to Low-A Kannapolis to begin the year.
Cristian Mena had some command issues and got deep into counts a few times (BB’d 3), so the pitch count escalated early. However, he limited damage and was nasty. 9K’s. Alsander Womack with a beautiful play in here also. #Ballers win 5-2. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/gi8OHumFNo
— White Sox Daily (@dailywhitesox) May 6, 2022
So far, Mena has rewarded this aggressive approach. Through 22 innings in 4 starts, Mena holds a 2.86 ERA with 31 Ks and only 5 walks. He is showing an elite ability to miss bats while also showing an unexpectedly impressive ability to limit walks and control his pitches. He currently tops out at 95 with his fastball, although he might be able to add some velocity as he matures and adds strength to his 170 lb frame. Most outlets agree that his best pitch is his curveball, which sits in the upper 70s and can be a potential plus offering from him. He also has the ability to mix in a changeup, although that is his 3rd best pitch of the three. He has a long way to go, but he is off to a great start in his young career and has the potential to eventually develop into a number 2 or 3 starting pitcher in the MLB.
(Thanks to Michael Suareo of Sox on 35th)
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Coming out of this series, I was convinced there’s nothing left for Miguel Vargas to do. He has a clear command of plate approach, knows how to work a count, and has more than enough power to stick around in the big leagues. If you wanted to make an argument that Vargas is the best 3B prospect out there considering talent and ETA, you wouldn’t here much argument from me. He’s a top-20 dynasty prospect.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... ll-week-5/
Sugar Land center fielder Pedro León, the Astros’ No. 4 prospect, launched a two-run homer in the third inning of Wednesday’s game at Albuquerque that traveled a projected 451 feet, hitting it off the scoreboard in left-center field.
León, who entered the game hitting .243 with four homers and 17 RBIs, went 2-for-6 with two RBIs in Tuesday’s series opener at Albuquerque. He hit a solo home run May 1 at Oklahoma City that had an exit velocity of 110.4 mph, which ranks as the hardest-hit home run by the Space Cowboys this year.
León, the 23-year-old Cuban defector, signed for $4 million last year and was billed by the club as a “rapid mover to the big leagues.” He began last year at Double-A Corpus Christ and was promoted to Triple-A after 10 weeks, playing primarily shortstop despite most of his prior experience coming in center field. This year, he’s started mostly in the outfield, including 14 games in center and nine in right. He’s started only three at shortstop. – Brian McTaggart
https://www.mlb.com/news/houston-astros ... e-coverage
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... ll-week-5/
Sugar Land center fielder Pedro León, the Astros’ No. 4 prospect, launched a two-run homer in the third inning of Wednesday’s game at Albuquerque that traveled a projected 451 feet, hitting it off the scoreboard in left-center field.
León, who entered the game hitting .243 with four homers and 17 RBIs, went 2-for-6 with two RBIs in Tuesday’s series opener at Albuquerque. He hit a solo home run May 1 at Oklahoma City that had an exit velocity of 110.4 mph, which ranks as the hardest-hit home run by the Space Cowboys this year.
León, the 23-year-old Cuban defector, signed for $4 million last year and was billed by the club as a “rapid mover to the big leagues.” He began last year at Double-A Corpus Christ and was promoted to Triple-A after 10 weeks, playing primarily shortstop despite most of his prior experience coming in center field. This year, he’s started mostly in the outfield, including 14 games in center and nine in right. He’s started only three at shortstop. – Brian McTaggart
https://www.mlb.com/news/houston-astros ... e-coverage
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Brandon Walter, LHP (Moves up from No. 11 to No. 6)
Drafted in the 19th round of the 2019 draft out of Delaware after an injury-riddled amateur career, Walter made significant gains during the 2020 shutdown and has quickly emerged as one of the Red Sox best prospects. Over the first month of the 2022 season Walter didn’t walk a single batter over 23 innings while striking out 29 on the way to a 1.17 ERA. A late bloomer, Walter is 25 in Double-A in his second full minor league season, but the development of his three-pitch mix and the quality of his secondaries have boosted his prospect status. Walter combines the ability to drive weak ground ball contact on his low-90s sinker, while driving loads of swinging strikes against his low-80s sweeper slider and his plus changeup. It’s not unreasonable to think Walter could see starts for the Red Sox this summer.
Beck Way, RHP (Moves from No. 27 to No. 12)
Way’s rise has been among the biggest in the system among pitchers. His mid-to-upper-90s fastball has earned grades as high as double-plus, and his slider is good enough to blow away hitters in High-A. He’s worked hard to keep his timing in check and in sync because his arm is quick. When everything works in harmony, Way has the stuff to give him a chance to be at least an impact reliever.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... dium=email
Moreno motors in Bisons' win
It’s no secret Gabriel Moreno can hit, and he showcased that ability again with three hits in Triple-A Buffalo’s 3-2 victory over Lehigh Valley. But wheels? Those aren’t the Blue Jays’ top prospect’s calling card.
Moreno, however, occasionally shows some off. Like in the Bisons' win, swiping his first base of the season and matching his 2021 total in the category. It was the 16th career steal in five Minor League seasons for the backstop, and first ever at Triple-A. — Joe Trezza
https://www.mlb.com/news/toronto-blue-j ... e-coverage
Drafted in the 19th round of the 2019 draft out of Delaware after an injury-riddled amateur career, Walter made significant gains during the 2020 shutdown and has quickly emerged as one of the Red Sox best prospects. Over the first month of the 2022 season Walter didn’t walk a single batter over 23 innings while striking out 29 on the way to a 1.17 ERA. A late bloomer, Walter is 25 in Double-A in his second full minor league season, but the development of his three-pitch mix and the quality of his secondaries have boosted his prospect status. Walter combines the ability to drive weak ground ball contact on his low-90s sinker, while driving loads of swinging strikes against his low-80s sweeper slider and his plus changeup. It’s not unreasonable to think Walter could see starts for the Red Sox this summer.
Beck Way, RHP (Moves from No. 27 to No. 12)
Way’s rise has been among the biggest in the system among pitchers. His mid-to-upper-90s fastball has earned grades as high as double-plus, and his slider is good enough to blow away hitters in High-A. He’s worked hard to keep his timing in check and in sync because his arm is quick. When everything works in harmony, Way has the stuff to give him a chance to be at least an impact reliever.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... dium=email
Moreno motors in Bisons' win
It’s no secret Gabriel Moreno can hit, and he showcased that ability again with three hits in Triple-A Buffalo’s 3-2 victory over Lehigh Valley. But wheels? Those aren’t the Blue Jays’ top prospect’s calling card.
Moreno, however, occasionally shows some off. Like in the Bisons' win, swiping his first base of the season and matching his 2021 total in the category. It was the 16th career steal in five Minor League seasons for the backstop, and first ever at Triple-A. — Joe Trezza
https://www.mlb.com/news/toronto-blue-j ... e-coverage
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Pedro Leon, Houston’s No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, hit a pair of three-run home runs en route to a career-high six RBIs, leading the Triple-A Sugar Land Space Cowboys to a 12-2 win over the Isotopes.
Leon got his big night started with a booming drive over the left-field wall in the fifth inning, extending the Space Cowboys’ lead to five. In the ninth he hit a line-drive homer to center to bring Sugar Land’s run total to 12.
The 23-year-old shortstop’s dominant performance added to his already impressive 2022 season, as he is slashing .270/.393 /.574 with seven home runs and 10 doubles in 30 games.
https://www.mlb.com/news/pedro-leon-kor ... e-coverage
Steven Kwan went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles as the Guardians defeated the Twins in extra innings on Saturday night.
As a team, the Guardians totaled just seven hits in the victory, with Kwan the only member of the team to have more than one. He just continues to hit, slashing .293/.391/.413 to go along with one homer, 13 RBI and one stolen base on the season.
https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... teven-kwan
Leon got his big night started with a booming drive over the left-field wall in the fifth inning, extending the Space Cowboys’ lead to five. In the ninth he hit a line-drive homer to center to bring Sugar Land’s run total to 12.
The 23-year-old shortstop’s dominant performance added to his already impressive 2022 season, as he is slashing .270/.393 /.574 with seven home runs and 10 doubles in 30 games.
https://www.mlb.com/news/pedro-leon-kor ... e-coverage
Steven Kwan went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles as the Guardians defeated the Twins in extra innings on Saturday night.
As a team, the Guardians totaled just seven hits in the victory, with Kwan the only member of the team to have more than one. He just continues to hit, slashing .293/.391/.413 to go along with one homer, 13 RBI and one stolen base on the season.
https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/baseball/ ... teven-kwan
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Cristian Mena, RHP, Chicago White Sox (Low-A Kannapolis)
A 19-year-old in a weak system who is dominating full-season ball, Mena already is well on the radar of those who know White Sox prospects. He’s been racking up strikeouts early on (31 over 22 innings and 19 in his last 11) thanks primarily to a plus-projecting curveball that comes in upper-70s/low-80s and varies in shape. At times the break is quite sharp and almost slider-like, creating a legitimate swing-and-miss pitch that is especially effective down and to the glove-side. He’ll also throw a more classic curve that he can land arm-side to grab strikes against lefties. These flashes of command are fleeting and can disappear when he loses consistency with the delivery, but there is a nascent feel for pitching here.
Presently Mena sits low-90s with his fastball topping out around 93. While some sort of velo bump can be anticipated as he matures physically, he’s on the shorter side for a starting pitcher and isn’t the best vessel for the already inexact science of projectability. The heater does have some life and plays well off of the curve when it is located up in and above the zone. And since you were going to ask, yes there is a mid-to-upper-80s work-in-progress changeup currently acting as a sparsely-used third pitch. —Ben Spanier
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -pitchers/
In his seventh start of the season, Reese Olson hit a new gear.
Detroit's No. 17 prospect turned in his most dominant outing of the season, racking up 10 strikeouts over five one-hit innings to lead Double-A Erie to a 9-0 win in the opener of a doubleheader at Akron.
Olson was a perfect through four innings, retiring the first 12 batters he faced, seven via strikeouts. Already carving through Akron's lineup, the right-hander responded quickly to the only base traffic he faced. After yielding a leadoff double to the RubberDucks' Will Brennan in the fifth, Olson uncorked a wild pitch that moved Brennan to third. Then, the SeaWolves hurler bore down to strike out the side for the final three outs of his day.
The 22-year-old needed just 70 pitches to record his first double-digit strikeout day since Aug. 14 of last year for High-A West Michigan at Lake County. The effort also served as a strong rebound performance for Olson, who lasted just three innings in his last start a week ago against Altoona, giving up three runs on five hits. It was also his first scoreless outing since his first start of the season, which featured seven K's over four frames on April 8, also against the RubberDucks. -- Tyler Maun
https://www.mlb.com/news/detroit-tigers ... e-coverage
It was a dominant day for Connor Seabold.
The No. 14 prospect struck out half the batters he faced, racking up 11 whiffs across six scoreless innings of one-hit ball in Triple-A Worcester's 7-4 loss to Rochester. After allowing a two-out single in the second, he retired the next seven batters in a row, striking out five of them (four swinging, one looking). A fielding error and a walk put two on with one out, but the righty got back-to-back K’s to end the threat and give him his first double-digit strikeout performance since Aug. 4, 2021.
The 26-year-old lowered his ERA to 2.45 and has amassed 37 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings. -- Stephanie Sheehan
https://www.mlb.com/news/boston-red-sox ... e-coverage
A 19-year-old in a weak system who is dominating full-season ball, Mena already is well on the radar of those who know White Sox prospects. He’s been racking up strikeouts early on (31 over 22 innings and 19 in his last 11) thanks primarily to a plus-projecting curveball that comes in upper-70s/low-80s and varies in shape. At times the break is quite sharp and almost slider-like, creating a legitimate swing-and-miss pitch that is especially effective down and to the glove-side. He’ll also throw a more classic curve that he can land arm-side to grab strikes against lefties. These flashes of command are fleeting and can disappear when he loses consistency with the delivery, but there is a nascent feel for pitching here.
Presently Mena sits low-90s with his fastball topping out around 93. While some sort of velo bump can be anticipated as he matures physically, he’s on the shorter side for a starting pitcher and isn’t the best vessel for the already inexact science of projectability. The heater does have some life and plays well off of the curve when it is located up in and above the zone. And since you were going to ask, yes there is a mid-to-upper-80s work-in-progress changeup currently acting as a sparsely-used third pitch. —Ben Spanier
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -pitchers/
In his seventh start of the season, Reese Olson hit a new gear.
Detroit's No. 17 prospect turned in his most dominant outing of the season, racking up 10 strikeouts over five one-hit innings to lead Double-A Erie to a 9-0 win in the opener of a doubleheader at Akron.
Olson was a perfect through four innings, retiring the first 12 batters he faced, seven via strikeouts. Already carving through Akron's lineup, the right-hander responded quickly to the only base traffic he faced. After yielding a leadoff double to the RubberDucks' Will Brennan in the fifth, Olson uncorked a wild pitch that moved Brennan to third. Then, the SeaWolves hurler bore down to strike out the side for the final three outs of his day.
The 22-year-old needed just 70 pitches to record his first double-digit strikeout day since Aug. 14 of last year for High-A West Michigan at Lake County. The effort also served as a strong rebound performance for Olson, who lasted just three innings in his last start a week ago against Altoona, giving up three runs on five hits. It was also his first scoreless outing since his first start of the season, which featured seven K's over four frames on April 8, also against the RubberDucks. -- Tyler Maun
https://www.mlb.com/news/detroit-tigers ... e-coverage
It was a dominant day for Connor Seabold.
The No. 14 prospect struck out half the batters he faced, racking up 11 whiffs across six scoreless innings of one-hit ball in Triple-A Worcester's 7-4 loss to Rochester. After allowing a two-out single in the second, he retired the next seven batters in a row, striking out five of them (four swinging, one looking). A fielding error and a walk put two on with one out, but the righty got back-to-back K’s to end the threat and give him his first double-digit strikeout performance since Aug. 4, 2021.
The 26-year-old lowered his ERA to 2.45 and has amassed 37 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings. -- Stephanie Sheehan
https://www.mlb.com/news/boston-red-sox ... e-coverage
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Adam Hackenberg, C, Chicago White Sox (High-A Winston-Salem)
Hackenberg is a name that has gained some traction in the White Sox prospect sphere following a torrid stretch at Low-A Kannapolis last season and a solid beginning to his 2022 campaign one level up. I was skeptical at first, and still have some reservations, but the 22-year-old is a legitimate name to watch as a backup/1-B catcher type.
An 18th-round pick in 2021 out of Clemson, Hackenberg has slashed .253/.323/.434 with seven homers over nearly 100 plate appearances with Winston-Salem. Aside from the homers these aren’t eye-popping numbers, but this looks like legit plus power and he has consistently shown the ability to hit mistakes a long way. The swing can get a bit stiff and there is swing and miss in his game, but he’s nearly doubled the walk rate he had at Kanny (4.7% to 8.5%) even as his strikeouts have moderately increased. There aren’t a lot of actually good-hitting catchers in the majors these days, so if he shores up a couple of things here we’re probably within that ballpark. The other half (maybe more than half) of this profile is the defensive side, and here he is quite effective. Listed at 6-foot-one and 225, Hackenberg is large-framed but agile behind the dish, receiving pitches subtly with soft hands and cutting base thieves down with an excellent arm. Maybe not the most thrilling of profiles, but one worth keeping tabs on. —Ben Spanier
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ing-there/
Hackenberg is a name that has gained some traction in the White Sox prospect sphere following a torrid stretch at Low-A Kannapolis last season and a solid beginning to his 2022 campaign one level up. I was skeptical at first, and still have some reservations, but the 22-year-old is a legitimate name to watch as a backup/1-B catcher type.
An 18th-round pick in 2021 out of Clemson, Hackenberg has slashed .253/.323/.434 with seven homers over nearly 100 plate appearances with Winston-Salem. Aside from the homers these aren’t eye-popping numbers, but this looks like legit plus power and he has consistently shown the ability to hit mistakes a long way. The swing can get a bit stiff and there is swing and miss in his game, but he’s nearly doubled the walk rate he had at Kanny (4.7% to 8.5%) even as his strikeouts have moderately increased. There aren’t a lot of actually good-hitting catchers in the majors these days, so if he shores up a couple of things here we’re probably within that ballpark. The other half (maybe more than half) of this profile is the defensive side, and here he is quite effective. Listed at 6-foot-one and 225, Hackenberg is large-framed but agile behind the dish, receiving pitches subtly with soft hands and cutting base thieves down with an excellent arm. Maybe not the most thrilling of profiles, but one worth keeping tabs on. —Ben Spanier
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ing-there/
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Sean Burke, RHP (Moved from No. 9 to No. 4)
Last year’s third-round pick from Maryland is thriving in his first full season at High-A Winston-Salem with two plus pitches and a chance for a third as he develops the slider. Burke has a high floor with a projection of a mid-rotation starter.
Adam Hackenberg, C (Moved from No. 30 to No. 25)
Hackenberg continues to show better results at the plate than in his college career. He’s got plus raw power and a strong, athletic frame. The biggest key is his leadership skills to go with average defense and an above-average arm.
Kohl Simas, RHP (Moved from NR to No. 20)
An undrafted free agent in 2021, Simas moved into the rotation this year at Low-A Kannapolis and is attacking hitters with a four-pitch mix and a mid-90s fastball.
Beau Brieske, RHP (Up from No. 19 to No. 15)
With injuries to Casey Mize, Matt Manning and now Michael Pineda, Detroit has needed help for its starting rotation. Brieske has capably filled in. He doesn’t miss a lot of bats, but his above-average mid-90s fastball is firm enough to make sure hitters are aware of it, and he heavily relies on an above-average changeup. His fringy curveball and slider are good enough to make the whole package work.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... cts-lists/
Last year’s third-round pick from Maryland is thriving in his first full season at High-A Winston-Salem with two plus pitches and a chance for a third as he develops the slider. Burke has a high floor with a projection of a mid-rotation starter.
Adam Hackenberg, C (Moved from No. 30 to No. 25)
Hackenberg continues to show better results at the plate than in his college career. He’s got plus raw power and a strong, athletic frame. The biggest key is his leadership skills to go with average defense and an above-average arm.
Kohl Simas, RHP (Moved from NR to No. 20)
An undrafted free agent in 2021, Simas moved into the rotation this year at Low-A Kannapolis and is attacking hitters with a four-pitch mix and a mid-90s fastball.
Beau Brieske, RHP (Up from No. 19 to No. 15)
With injuries to Casey Mize, Matt Manning and now Michael Pineda, Detroit has needed help for its starting rotation. Brieske has capably filled in. He doesn’t miss a lot of bats, but his above-average mid-90s fastball is firm enough to make sure hitters are aware of it, and he heavily relies on an above-average changeup. His fringy curveball and slider are good enough to make the whole package work.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... cts-lists/
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Gabriel Moreno was sure to put an exclamation point on his return. The No. 5 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline launched his first Triple-A home run, two days after taking a pitch to the elbow that held him out of the Buffalo Bisons' lineup for two days.
Moreno pulled a pitch up in the zone from Syracuse reliever Andrew Mitchell for a solo shot in the fifth inning. Moreno later tied the game in the 10th inning with dramatic a two-run single that extended the contest. He finished 4-for-5 with a double, two singles and a walk in addition to his homer, good for three RBIs in the Bisons' 12-11 extra-innings win.
The talented catcher also stood out on the other side of the ball, nabbing Mets runner Nick Meyer at third base for the first out of the 11th. Otto Lopez, ranked as the Blue Jays' No. 4 prospect, brought home the winning run in the bottom of that frame.
The 22-year-old Moreno was hit in the left elbow in his first at-bat of the doubleheader between Buffalo and Syracuse on May 19. He stayed in the game to run the bases and catch the top of the second, but he was replaced by Stevie Berman behind the plate ahead of the third. The Blue Jays announced on May 20 that imaging in Moreno's arm showed no damage and he was cleared to return.
Moreno is hitting .347 with 22 RBIs on the season. -- Julia Kreuz
https://www.mlb.com/news/toronto-blue-j ... e-coverage
Moreno pulled a pitch up in the zone from Syracuse reliever Andrew Mitchell for a solo shot in the fifth inning. Moreno later tied the game in the 10th inning with dramatic a two-run single that extended the contest. He finished 4-for-5 with a double, two singles and a walk in addition to his homer, good for three RBIs in the Bisons' 12-11 extra-innings win.
The talented catcher also stood out on the other side of the ball, nabbing Mets runner Nick Meyer at third base for the first out of the 11th. Otto Lopez, ranked as the Blue Jays' No. 4 prospect, brought home the winning run in the bottom of that frame.
The 22-year-old Moreno was hit in the left elbow in his first at-bat of the doubleheader between Buffalo and Syracuse on May 19. He stayed in the game to run the bases and catch the top of the second, but he was replaced by Stevie Berman behind the plate ahead of the third. The Blue Jays announced on May 20 that imaging in Moreno's arm showed no damage and he was cleared to return.
Moreno is hitting .347 with 22 RBIs on the season. -- Julia Kreuz
https://www.mlb.com/news/toronto-blue-j ... e-coverage
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
The way in which you might have excitedly shared the tweet announcing Bryan Ramos had won the South Atlantic League player of the month award with a few of your White Sox prospect-obsessed buddies is probably not unlike how it was celebrated by Ramos and his team in the Winston-Salem Dash player and coach group chat.
Dash manager Lorenzo Bundy isn’t positive that the 20-year-old Cuban infielder was aware of the award’s existence before he secured it with a .403/.449/.653 slash line and four home runs in the month of April. But for someone experiencing a rush of incredible success while playing at a new level, where the average competition is at least two years older than him, Bundy felt that “Ramo” took it in stride.
“Bryan’s story as far as how he got here, what the process was — normally, that process is not very easy,” Bundy said in a phone call. “I just think he enjoys playing baseball. I really do. From the days that he started playing in Cuba, and now that he’s over here, I think he realized that the opportunity is right there. Obviously, somebody like Luis Robert that is at the major-league level, and taking his game to a point where he’s one of the top players in the game, I think Bryan was looking to strive to do the same.”
Bundy is fluent in Spanish, managing a Dash roster heavy on Latin American-born positional talent. So it’s more in passing that he notes how fluent Ramos has already grown in English, allowing him to assert himself as a leader in a clubhouse filled mostly with older players, and produce outcomes like a close friendship with Virginia-born catcher Adam Hackenberg. Ramos was playing for and holding his own on the White Sox Arizona League team at the age of 17 and is the rare Cuban prospect without experience on his home country’s national team, having signed at age 16 for a $300,000 bonus.
One look at Ramos’ broad shoulders says plenty about his potential to be a power-hitting third baseman, and that’s a big reason why he’s shot up toward the top of the team prospect lists with his hot start. But it’s built on the foundation of a feel for contact and a compact stroke that’s seen him strike out in only 20.6 percent of his career minor-league plate appearances and 17 percent in 2022 after this past weekend. When Ramos has been hot this year, Bundy said it’s rooted in Ramos wearing out right-center field and trusting the power results to come naturally.
“The big thing early that got Bryan off to a good start was he wasn’t missing his pitch, and he was staying on his fastball and he was using the whole field,” Bundy said. “His approach is being gap-to-gap, and he has power right-center. He can hit the ball out of the ballpark the other way. So I think once he settles in again, he’ll be just fine.”
Bundy and hitting coach Nicky Delmonico are in the process of getting Ramos to settle back in after a cold stretch to start May has muted consideration of promoting him to Double A for now. Brought on by what Bundy feels was a combination of bad weather getting Ramos out of his batting cage routine and overly aggressive, pull-happy swings, he finished this weekend hitting .167/.261/.200 for the month. But Thursday saw Ramos collect his first extra-base hit and first multi-hit game since May 3 as part of a small five-game hitting streak that suggests he’s pulling out of it. Bundy is quick to note that Ramos’ strike zone judgment (10.1 percent walk rate, 17.4 percent strikeout rate in May) has not fallen apart during his slump.
“Bryan has a very good idea of what he wants to do when he goes up to the plate, and as long as he stays with his plan, he’ll have success all the way up,” Bundy said. “But what I’ve seen a little bit here lately with Bryan is that he’s — I don’t know if it’s intentionally or unintentionally — but he’s been getting around some balls almost to the pull side of it.”
So far, it’s shaken out to a .296/.361/.447 line through 33 games this season, which, regardless of the streaks and slumps that put it together, represents encouraging progress for a young hitter still facing predominately older competition. The faith the organization has in Ramos’ bat has placed a focus on how high on the defensive spectrum they can keep him as he progresses. There are people with the Sox who believe Ramos has the athleticism to handle an outfield corner if the infield doesn’t work out down the line. But Bundy believes Ramos has been above-average defensively at third so far and was preparing for a visit this month from Sox infield coordinator Ryan Newman that would see Ramos get some more work at second base.
“It’s the way he moves his feet,” said Newman, who spent the offseason working with Ramos three days per week at the team’s spring training facility, emphasizing with him to stay low to the ground. “He’s doing a really good job of moving side to side and working his feet at third base right now. The hops are different at third base; you get a lot of rolled-over ground balls from right-handed hitters. He’s just trying to feel himself out and get comfortable being aggressive coming to get it.”
... Neither Ramos nor Colás seem particularly likely to spend all season at Winston-Salem given their trajectories, but they’ve already been beaten to Double-A Birmingham by right-hander Sean Burke. Despite being a third-round pick out of Maryland just last season, the 22-year-old made just six appearances with the Dash before getting the call, recording a 2.89 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 12 walks in 28 innings. He’s missing bats (15 strikeouts in 10 innings) through two starts with his new club, but three home runs allowed have his ERA sitting at 6.30 so far with the Barons.
Sox pitching coordinator Everett Teaford expressed surprise in spring training that Burke slipped to the third round, which was largely due to injuries during his junior year rather than anything based on performance or talent. It’s always informative what evaluators who are down on a player are willing to concede is a strength and what their proponents will admit is a weakness. Scouts who were skeptical of Burke in the draft due to his injuries will concede that he has the ideal starter build (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) and the powerful, riding fastball to stick in a rotation. And Bundy, who regularly cites the adage that players tell you with their performance when they’re ready to be promoted, said that Burke needed to be challenged in a way that wasn’t happening against High-A hitters overwhelmed by his fastball and curveball.
“A well-located fastball is the best pitch in baseball and Burkey did a nice job of doing that,” Bundy said. “He hadn’t thrown a lot of changeups, and I think that’s definitely going to be a pitch that he’s going to have to work on a lot. As he moves up the ladder, especially as a starter, you don’t see too many two-pitch pitchers at the major-league level. That third pitch, that changeup is going to be very important.”
https://theathletic.com/3323201/2022/05 ... yan-ramos/
Dash manager Lorenzo Bundy isn’t positive that the 20-year-old Cuban infielder was aware of the award’s existence before he secured it with a .403/.449/.653 slash line and four home runs in the month of April. But for someone experiencing a rush of incredible success while playing at a new level, where the average competition is at least two years older than him, Bundy felt that “Ramo” took it in stride.
“Bryan’s story as far as how he got here, what the process was — normally, that process is not very easy,” Bundy said in a phone call. “I just think he enjoys playing baseball. I really do. From the days that he started playing in Cuba, and now that he’s over here, I think he realized that the opportunity is right there. Obviously, somebody like Luis Robert that is at the major-league level, and taking his game to a point where he’s one of the top players in the game, I think Bryan was looking to strive to do the same.”
Bundy is fluent in Spanish, managing a Dash roster heavy on Latin American-born positional talent. So it’s more in passing that he notes how fluent Ramos has already grown in English, allowing him to assert himself as a leader in a clubhouse filled mostly with older players, and produce outcomes like a close friendship with Virginia-born catcher Adam Hackenberg. Ramos was playing for and holding his own on the White Sox Arizona League team at the age of 17 and is the rare Cuban prospect without experience on his home country’s national team, having signed at age 16 for a $300,000 bonus.
One look at Ramos’ broad shoulders says plenty about his potential to be a power-hitting third baseman, and that’s a big reason why he’s shot up toward the top of the team prospect lists with his hot start. But it’s built on the foundation of a feel for contact and a compact stroke that’s seen him strike out in only 20.6 percent of his career minor-league plate appearances and 17 percent in 2022 after this past weekend. When Ramos has been hot this year, Bundy said it’s rooted in Ramos wearing out right-center field and trusting the power results to come naturally.
“The big thing early that got Bryan off to a good start was he wasn’t missing his pitch, and he was staying on his fastball and he was using the whole field,” Bundy said. “His approach is being gap-to-gap, and he has power right-center. He can hit the ball out of the ballpark the other way. So I think once he settles in again, he’ll be just fine.”
Bundy and hitting coach Nicky Delmonico are in the process of getting Ramos to settle back in after a cold stretch to start May has muted consideration of promoting him to Double A for now. Brought on by what Bundy feels was a combination of bad weather getting Ramos out of his batting cage routine and overly aggressive, pull-happy swings, he finished this weekend hitting .167/.261/.200 for the month. But Thursday saw Ramos collect his first extra-base hit and first multi-hit game since May 3 as part of a small five-game hitting streak that suggests he’s pulling out of it. Bundy is quick to note that Ramos’ strike zone judgment (10.1 percent walk rate, 17.4 percent strikeout rate in May) has not fallen apart during his slump.
“Bryan has a very good idea of what he wants to do when he goes up to the plate, and as long as he stays with his plan, he’ll have success all the way up,” Bundy said. “But what I’ve seen a little bit here lately with Bryan is that he’s — I don’t know if it’s intentionally or unintentionally — but he’s been getting around some balls almost to the pull side of it.”
So far, it’s shaken out to a .296/.361/.447 line through 33 games this season, which, regardless of the streaks and slumps that put it together, represents encouraging progress for a young hitter still facing predominately older competition. The faith the organization has in Ramos’ bat has placed a focus on how high on the defensive spectrum they can keep him as he progresses. There are people with the Sox who believe Ramos has the athleticism to handle an outfield corner if the infield doesn’t work out down the line. But Bundy believes Ramos has been above-average defensively at third so far and was preparing for a visit this month from Sox infield coordinator Ryan Newman that would see Ramos get some more work at second base.
“It’s the way he moves his feet,” said Newman, who spent the offseason working with Ramos three days per week at the team’s spring training facility, emphasizing with him to stay low to the ground. “He’s doing a really good job of moving side to side and working his feet at third base right now. The hops are different at third base; you get a lot of rolled-over ground balls from right-handed hitters. He’s just trying to feel himself out and get comfortable being aggressive coming to get it.”
... Neither Ramos nor Colás seem particularly likely to spend all season at Winston-Salem given their trajectories, but they’ve already been beaten to Double-A Birmingham by right-hander Sean Burke. Despite being a third-round pick out of Maryland just last season, the 22-year-old made just six appearances with the Dash before getting the call, recording a 2.89 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 12 walks in 28 innings. He’s missing bats (15 strikeouts in 10 innings) through two starts with his new club, but three home runs allowed have his ERA sitting at 6.30 so far with the Barons.
Sox pitching coordinator Everett Teaford expressed surprise in spring training that Burke slipped to the third round, which was largely due to injuries during his junior year rather than anything based on performance or talent. It’s always informative what evaluators who are down on a player are willing to concede is a strength and what their proponents will admit is a weakness. Scouts who were skeptical of Burke in the draft due to his injuries will concede that he has the ideal starter build (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) and the powerful, riding fastball to stick in a rotation. And Bundy, who regularly cites the adage that players tell you with their performance when they’re ready to be promoted, said that Burke needed to be challenged in a way that wasn’t happening against High-A hitters overwhelmed by his fastball and curveball.
“A well-located fastball is the best pitch in baseball and Burkey did a nice job of doing that,” Bundy said. “He hadn’t thrown a lot of changeups, and I think that’s definitely going to be a pitch that he’s going to have to work on a lot. As he moves up the ladder, especially as a starter, you don’t see too many two-pitch pitchers at the major-league level. That third pitch, that changeup is going to be very important.”
https://theathletic.com/3323201/2022/05 ... yan-ramos/
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Brandon Walter, LHP, Red Sox (Double-A Portland): 7 IP, 1 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 HRA.
Facing off against Anthony Volpe and the Hudson Valley Renegades, Walter continued his breakout campaign. The southpaw from the University of Delaware continues to put up an unfathomably efficient line, now with 68 strikeouts to just three walks in 50 innings.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... t-walk-em/
Red Sox: Brandon Walter, LHP (No.
, slider
Walter has added velocity since signing for $35,000 as a 26th-round redshirt junior out of Delaware in 2019, and his now low-80s slider destroys left-handers and works against right-handers with its sharp horizontal action. He's excelling in Double-A, ranking second in the Minors with a 60/3 K/BB ratio and third in walks per nine innings (0.6) while logging a 3.14 ERA in 43 frames.
White Sox: Cristian Mena, RHP (No. 29), curveball
The most expensive pitcher in the White Sox' 2019 international class, Mena signed for $250,000 out of the Dominican Republic. He has the makings of a plus curveball with upper-70s velocity and true downer break, and it helped him lead the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in strikeouts per nine innings (11.5) last year. He's thriving in Single-A with a 3.22 ERA and a 50/11 K/BB ratio in 36 1/3 innings.
Marlins: Max Meyer, RHP (No. 2, MLB No. 28), slider
Scouts considered Meyer's upper-80s slider with wicked movement to be the best pitch in the 2020 Draft, and he went third overall to match Hall of Famer Paul Molitor as the highest pick ever out of the University of Minnesota. His slide piece helped him earn Double-A Central League pitcher of the year honors and rank fifth in the Minors in ERA (2.27) in his 2021 pro debut, and he has logged a 4.54 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings in Triple-A this year. He's currently on the injured list with ulnar nerve irritation.
Cubs: Jordan Wicks, LHP (No. 6), changeup
Wicks established Kansas State records for season (118) and career (230) strikeouts in 2021, when Chicago selected him 21st overall and scouts graded his low-80s tumbling changeup as the best in the Draft. It has helped him thrive in High-A, where he has posted a 3.55 ERA with a 37/9 K/BB ratio in 33 innings. Fellow Cubs lefty prospect D.J. Herz also has a well above-average changeup that ranks right with Wicks'.
Padres: MacKenzie Gore, LHP (No. 3, MLB No. 34), slider
The 23-year-old southpaw has gone noticeably fastball-heavy in his first taste of the Majors, throwing the heater 64.9 percent of the time, and that might not be a shock for a pitcher who has worked so hard in recent years on his command. But in terms of raw effectiveness, the slider is right there with his four-seam. Gore has earned whiffs on 32.6 percent of the swings he’s gotten on his sliders (above the 20 percent whiff rate of his fastball), and opposing batters only have a .206 expected batting average against it, based on the quality of contact. The slider, which can dive down and away from lefties or backfoot righties, accounts for nine of Gore’s 38 strikeouts, more than double the amount from his curveball and changeup combined.
https://www.mlb.com/news/prospects-with ... e-coverage
Facing off against Anthony Volpe and the Hudson Valley Renegades, Walter continued his breakout campaign. The southpaw from the University of Delaware continues to put up an unfathomably efficient line, now with 68 strikeouts to just three walks in 50 innings.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... t-walk-em/
Red Sox: Brandon Walter, LHP (No.
, sliderWalter has added velocity since signing for $35,000 as a 26th-round redshirt junior out of Delaware in 2019, and his now low-80s slider destroys left-handers and works against right-handers with its sharp horizontal action. He's excelling in Double-A, ranking second in the Minors with a 60/3 K/BB ratio and third in walks per nine innings (0.6) while logging a 3.14 ERA in 43 frames.
White Sox: Cristian Mena, RHP (No. 29), curveball
The most expensive pitcher in the White Sox' 2019 international class, Mena signed for $250,000 out of the Dominican Republic. He has the makings of a plus curveball with upper-70s velocity and true downer break, and it helped him lead the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League in strikeouts per nine innings (11.5) last year. He's thriving in Single-A with a 3.22 ERA and a 50/11 K/BB ratio in 36 1/3 innings.
Marlins: Max Meyer, RHP (No. 2, MLB No. 28), slider
Scouts considered Meyer's upper-80s slider with wicked movement to be the best pitch in the 2020 Draft, and he went third overall to match Hall of Famer Paul Molitor as the highest pick ever out of the University of Minnesota. His slide piece helped him earn Double-A Central League pitcher of the year honors and rank fifth in the Minors in ERA (2.27) in his 2021 pro debut, and he has logged a 4.54 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings in Triple-A this year. He's currently on the injured list with ulnar nerve irritation.
Cubs: Jordan Wicks, LHP (No. 6), changeup
Wicks established Kansas State records for season (118) and career (230) strikeouts in 2021, when Chicago selected him 21st overall and scouts graded his low-80s tumbling changeup as the best in the Draft. It has helped him thrive in High-A, where he has posted a 3.55 ERA with a 37/9 K/BB ratio in 33 innings. Fellow Cubs lefty prospect D.J. Herz also has a well above-average changeup that ranks right with Wicks'.
Padres: MacKenzie Gore, LHP (No. 3, MLB No. 34), slider
The 23-year-old southpaw has gone noticeably fastball-heavy in his first taste of the Majors, throwing the heater 64.9 percent of the time, and that might not be a shock for a pitcher who has worked so hard in recent years on his command. But in terms of raw effectiveness, the slider is right there with his four-seam. Gore has earned whiffs on 32.6 percent of the swings he’s gotten on his sliders (above the 20 percent whiff rate of his fastball), and opposing batters only have a .206 expected batting average against it, based on the quality of contact. The slider, which can dive down and away from lefties or backfoot righties, accounts for nine of Gore’s 38 strikeouts, more than double the amount from his curveball and changeup combined.
https://www.mlb.com/news/prospects-with ... e-coverage
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Reese Olson tossed another really good game and SeaWolves’ offense just paddled Bowie’s pitching staff all night. 17 runs? 22 hits? 8 walks? This game had everything on Erie’s side of the ledger.
Olson went five innings, allowing just two hits and two walks, racking up eight strikeouts. Olson now has 62 punch outs to nine walks in 40 innings of work showcasing four strong offerings and starting to refine his command. The one blemish on his card came in the fourth when he issued two walks, sandwiched around an error at second base. Olson struck out the next hitter, but a one-out ground out scored the lone run for the Baysox before he carved up Cody Roberts for the final out of the frame.
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/5/27/ ... -carpenter
Olson went five innings, allowing just two hits and two walks, racking up eight strikeouts. Olson now has 62 punch outs to nine walks in 40 innings of work showcasing four strong offerings and starting to refine his command. The one blemish on his card came in the fourth when he issued two walks, sandwiched around an error at second base. Olson struck out the next hitter, but a one-out ground out scored the lone run for the Baysox before he carved up Cody Roberts for the final out of the frame.
https://www.blessyouboys.com/2022/5/27/ ... -carpenter
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
After going a month without leaving the yard, Bryan Ramos has found the power. The No. 8 White Sox prospect clubbed a pair of long solo homers in High-A Winston-Salem's 12-11 win in 10 innings over visiting Greenville. Ramos has gone deep three times in his last three games after not clearing the fences since April 29.
It was the first multihomer game of the season for the 20-year-old and the fourth of his career, putting a solid finishing touch to what was a tough month. After batting .403 with a 1.102 OPS in April, Ramos ended May with a .180/.280/.371 slash line in 89 at-bats.
Despite his recent struggles, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound third baseman is batting .280/.343/.472 with 17 extra-base hits, seven homers and 26 RBIs in 41 games. -- Michael Avallone
https://www.mlb.com/news/chicago-white- ... e-coverage
Bryan Ramos, 3B, Chicago White Sox (High-A Winston-Salem): 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI.
Look for Ramos’ name to start being mentioned towards the top of White Sox prospect lists in the near future. He’s enjoying a breakout offensive season, striking out less and hitting for more power than in previous seasons. In a late-April Ten Pack, Ben Spanier noted that Ramos was getting to that plus raw power by way of an improved hit tool. He’s limited defensively, so the bat is going to have to continue to play, but so far this season it’s trending in the right direction.
Tommy Henry, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K.
Henry’s performance Tuesday was his best outing of the year. It’s a good sign, as he’s struggled to find consistency in the delivery and seen the control waver at times. The fastball sits in the low 90s with some natural sink and his three secondaries combine to round out a nice repertoire. However, he’ll need to continue to refine the command if he’s to find his way onto the Diamondbacks’ rotation.
Sean Burke, RHP, Chicago White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ell-crisp/
It was the first multihomer game of the season for the 20-year-old and the fourth of his career, putting a solid finishing touch to what was a tough month. After batting .403 with a 1.102 OPS in April, Ramos ended May with a .180/.280/.371 slash line in 89 at-bats.
Despite his recent struggles, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound third baseman is batting .280/.343/.472 with 17 extra-base hits, seven homers and 26 RBIs in 41 games. -- Michael Avallone
https://www.mlb.com/news/chicago-white- ... e-coverage
Bryan Ramos, 3B, Chicago White Sox (High-A Winston-Salem): 2-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI.
Look for Ramos’ name to start being mentioned towards the top of White Sox prospect lists in the near future. He’s enjoying a breakout offensive season, striking out less and hitting for more power than in previous seasons. In a late-April Ten Pack, Ben Spanier noted that Ramos was getting to that plus raw power by way of an improved hit tool. He’s limited defensively, so the bat is going to have to continue to play, but so far this season it’s trending in the right direction.
Tommy Henry, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (Triple-A Reno): 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K.
Henry’s performance Tuesday was his best outing of the year. It’s a good sign, as he’s struggled to find consistency in the delivery and seen the control waver at times. The fastball sits in the low 90s with some natural sink and his three secondaries combine to round out a nice repertoire. However, he’ll need to continue to refine the command if he’s to find his way onto the Diamondbacks’ rotation.
Sean Burke, RHP, Chicago White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ell-crisp/
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
Yoelqui Céspedes went the extra mile, collecting a homer and two doubles as Double-A Birmingham rolled past Tennessee, 14-5, at Smokies Stadium. The fourth-ranked White Sox prospect scored three runs and drove in two. It was the second time Céspedes notched three extra-base hits in a game and the first since a three-double performance last June 29 with High-A Winston Salem.
The offensive outburst was a positive sign for Céspedes, who amassed just four extra-base hits and six RBIs in 16 games during May. The 24-year-old is batting .268 with a .778 OPS, eight homers and 19 RBIs in 36 games. -- Michael Avallone
https://www.mlb.com/news/chicago-white- ... e-coverage
The offensive outburst was a positive sign for Céspedes, who amassed just four extra-base hits and six RBIs in 16 games during May. The 24-year-old is batting .268 with a .778 OPS, eight homers and 19 RBIs in 36 games. -- Michael Avallone
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Re: 2022 White Sox Prospect Notes
1. MacKenzie Gore, LHP, Padres
While most of the NL’s other top rookies have fallen off, Gore continues to deal in the Padres rotation. The 23-year-old lefthander is 3-1, 1.71 in eight appearances (seven starts) and is only getting better. He completed six innings for the first time in his young career in a win over the Giants two starts ago, and followed with seven scoreless innings with only two hits allowed against the Pirates in his most recent start. Overall, Gore has the lowest ERA and WHIP (1.07) of any qualified NL rookie and is beginning to separate himself in the NL Rookie of the Year field.
3. Luis Gonzalez, OF, Giants
Gonzalez has played nine fewer games than Suzuki, but he has already overtaken him for the NL rookie lead in hits with 35. The 26-year-old outfielder has hit a scorching .337/.374/.471 in 31 games since he was called up at the end of April, all of which would lead major league rookies if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. He’s done that while playing all three outfield positions and even coming in to pitch on occasion (he was a two-way player in college at New Mexico). Gonzalez needs to prove he can keep it up, but so far, he’s been one of the Giants’ best hitters.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -the-lead/
While most of the NL’s other top rookies have fallen off, Gore continues to deal in the Padres rotation. The 23-year-old lefthander is 3-1, 1.71 in eight appearances (seven starts) and is only getting better. He completed six innings for the first time in his young career in a win over the Giants two starts ago, and followed with seven scoreless innings with only two hits allowed against the Pirates in his most recent start. Overall, Gore has the lowest ERA and WHIP (1.07) of any qualified NL rookie and is beginning to separate himself in the NL Rookie of the Year field.
3. Luis Gonzalez, OF, Giants
Gonzalez has played nine fewer games than Suzuki, but he has already overtaken him for the NL rookie lead in hits with 35. The 26-year-old outfielder has hit a scorching .337/.374/.471 in 31 games since he was called up at the end of April, all of which would lead major league rookies if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. He’s done that while playing all three outfield positions and even coming in to pitch on occasion (he was a two-way player in college at New Mexico). Gonzalez needs to prove he can keep it up, but so far, he’s been one of the Giants’ best hitters.
https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -the-lead/
