2023 White Sox Prospect Notes

[Padres]

Tyler Schweitzer, LHP, Chicago White Sox (Low-A Kannapolis)

The 22-year-old Schweitzer has seen mixed results thus far in his professional debut, but the top-line numbers are somewhat misleading—his ERA is hovering around four primarily due to two five-run outings in mid/late May, and he hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his other starts (and that’s only happened once). A fifth-rounder last year out of Ball State, Schweitzer is a pitchability lefty with a legitimate four-pitch mix. This is a profile that appears often for the White Sox in the lower minor leagues, and this type of pitcher can be susceptible to petering out in the upper minors when the stuff isn’t enough to play. Schweitzer has better stuff than many, though, running his fastball up to 93 consistently and complementing it with a low-mid 80s slider, a mid-80s change, and an 11-5 curve in the upper-70s. He notched 10 strikeouts over six innings when I saw him (the best mark of his young career), leaning heavily on the curve and demonstrating that he is very comfortable throwing it for strikes. The pitch’s shape is nice but it can come in a little loopy, and it may prove less effective as he climbs the ladder. The slider and change are more promising, the former flashing sharp break and horizontal action, the latter diving diagonally away from right-handed hitters. Schweitzer shows feel for commanding the fastball up and to both sides of the plate, but his future viability will depend on how many of his secondaries he can get to average and beyond. —Ben Spanier

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... -judgment/

[Padres]

Rays: Dominic Keegan, C (No. 25)

The Vanderbilt product got off to a roaring start with Single-A Charleston, hitting .382/.477/.618 through 17 games in April. He’s cooled off a bit since, but he still enters the week with a 146 wRC+ with the RiverDogs. After finally emerging as a starter with the Commodores last spring, Keegan posted a 1.065 OPS over 60 games as a junior, proving his hit and power tools were at least average, and the 2022 fourth-rounder has carried those into pro ball. A more challenging move to High-A can’t be far off.

https://www.mlb.com/news/best-2022-mlb- ... e-coverage

[Padres]

Noah Schultz, the White Sox No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, followed up a five-strikeout debut for Single-A Kannapolis covering two scoreless innings with two more scoreless frames on June 9 against Lynchburg. Schultz struck out one in that outing.

Chris Getz, the White Sox assistant general manager/player development, praised Schultz’s excellence at the outset of his career.

“It’s just good to see him in a Kannapolis Cannon Ballers uniform, but the most impressive part was the amount of strikes he’s throwing,” Getz said. “The stuff is very good, and that shows with how the hitters have reacted.

“His delivery has been clean, and we like his direction. He’s commanding the slider really well and he’s got power with his four-seam and two-seam. He’s shown a good changeup. So far, so good. A lot of encouraging signs.”

That two-seamer is a newish pitch for Schultz and a nice pitch for his arm slot, per Getz.

“He’s certainly a guy who can ride his fastball in and have heavy sink to his fastball,” Getz said. “Those are two nice weapons to have. His slider is a real wipeout pitch, and he can command it.

“So for a guy of his age, and without too much of a professional workload under his belt, there are a lot of good signs. It’s helpful when a player enjoys what they do, and really embraces the professional baseball lifestyle and loves to compete. He has a good head on his shoulders and he’s always chomping at the bit for his next outing.”

- Scott Merkin

[Padres]

Jacob Melton, OF, Houston Astros (High-A Asheville)

Houston’s second-round selection in the 2022 draft, Melton is following last year’s brief but successful Low-A stint with a High-A campaign that so far has featured mixed results. After sitting on the Tourists for a few games, it’s easy to tell both the good and the bad in the 22-year-old’s game. Melton looks good in the uniform–-and the athleticism isn’t just visual, it works in practice: He is a plus runner who can cover all three outfield spots, and is twitchy at the plate with excellent bat speed. His swing is designed for power, too, and that quick bat plays beautifully when he gets his “A swing” off—within my look he hit two of the more aesthetically impressive homers I’ve seen at this level, on a line and rising. The issues here are that that swing can get a bit stiff and repetitive, and more concerningly, that this can lead to excessive swing and miss both inside and slightly outside of the zone—on spin especially, but on high fastballs as well. He does generally control the plate well, and his ability to reach his ceiling as an everyday power-over-hit outfielder will depend on whether he can keep the whiffs under a manageable threshold. —Ben Spanier

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... bad2377d0f

[Padres]

Hogan Harris, Oakland Athletics (12% rostered)

This one is all about context.

Harris is neither a long-awaited prospect—there’s literally zero articles in which he’s tagged on the BP site—nor the pop-up variety. He is, simply, a prospect, in the sense that prospects are relatively young players in a team’s minor league system.

So, deploying him for fantasy purposes will be all about the matchup, and your team’s individual needs. His next start, Saturday in Toronto against the Blue Jays? Full avoid. But the following start at home against the White Sox? That’s one that a needy fantasy manager could consider with a dearth of better options.

Harris thus far has gotten by with limiting hard contact, helping him post a 4.45 ERA and 0.99 WHIP that are mostly supported by an average 102 DRA-. He’s not a big swing-and-miss guy, so the best-case scenario for fantasy is ratio help and the possibility of a stray win here and there. Don’t go crazy, though—the 80-grade name is the only thing that’s 80-grade about the 26-year-old at this point.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... e-week-13/

[Padres]

White Sox: José Rodriguez, 2B/SS (No. 6)

Signed for just $50,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, Rodriguez has developed into one of the best young hitters in the White Sox organization. He shook off an uncharacteristic .174/.211/.298 start to bat .353/.384/.662 with five homers over his last 16 Double-A games and earn his first big league callup on Monday.

Angels: Adrian Placencia, SS (No. 7)

While his totals over the last 30 days – a .258/.386/.452 line – may seem modest compared to others in this story, it should be noted Placencia is just 20 and playing in High-A ball. He also showed an impressive approach, with a walk rate of 17.5 percent to go along with four homers (to bring his season total to six). He’s also shown steady improvement as the season has gone on, with a .499 OPS in April, .888 in May and .912 to date in June.

https://www.mlb.com/news/hottest-hittin ... e-coverage

[Padres]

Pedro León, 2B/OF, Houston Astros (Triple-A Sugar Land): 8-12, 2 2B, 3B, HR, BB, 3 K.

There’s space between León and the heights of a prospect he was signed with hopes of becoming. The 25-year-old Cuban has been too stymied by stateside pitching to establish a consistent viable profile, while his quality foot speed has translated into aggressive, inefficient base stealing. Now in his third season at Triple-A, León has flashed promising power, but has been too tied to the least pleasant of the three true outcomes to stand out in the Pacific Coast League’s friendly confines.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ugar-land/

[Padres]

Jorge Barrosa, OF, D-Backs
Team: Triple-A Reno (Pacific Coast)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .524/.565/.952 (11-for-21), 5 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO, 2-for-2 SB

The Scoop: An undersized switch-hitter, Barrosa stands at 5-foot-5, but his bat packs more punch than you’d think. Over six games last week, Barrosa collected multiple hits in every game but one. His best game of the week came on Tuesday, when Barrosa finished a home run shy of the cycle and drove in a pair of runs. At just 22 years old, Barrosa is on the 40-man roster and has a strong track record of offensive production over the last few seasons. Barrosa is an underrated prospect likely not getting enough respect. (GP)

Oscar Colas , OF, White Sox
Team: Triple-A Charlotte (International)
Age: 24

Why He’s Here: .421/.450/.895 (8-for-19), 3 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 3 HR, 5 RBIs, 0 BB, 3 SO, 0-for-0 SB

The Scoop: Entering the season there was a fair amount of buzz around Colas beginning the year as a member of the White Sox outfield. He got his opportunity and played in 25 games over the first month of the season. After hitting just .211/.265/.276, Colas was demoted to Triple-A Charlotte, where he’s performed fairly well over 43 games. Over five games last week, Colas collected a hit in each and multiple hits in four out of five. He ended the week on a high note with three home runs over his final two games against Louisville. (GP)

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... eek-62723/

[Padres]

Oscar Colás is slashing .292/.365/.458 with five homers and 25 RBIs since joining Triple-A Charlotte following a rough April with the White Sox. But the numbers are from the only gauge for the right fielder’s improvement.

“The day-in, day-out goals for him are to develop a solid pregame game prep routine, stick with that, and part of that involves improving pitch selection decisions he’s making at the plate,” general manager Rick Hahn told MLB.com recently. “He’s showing improvement in both those things.

“Frankly the good part of his development is taking place with pitches he’s not swinging at as well as stuff he’s doing off the field prior to the game,” Hahn added.

An idea of Colás being rushed to the Majors at the outset of 2023 doesn’t ring true for Hahn, as much as there was still room for improvement for the 24-year-old.

“He’s still relatively young as a pro, especially in the States,” Hahn said. “It’s not a shock he’s not quite a finished product in that regard. He’s taken to instruction great and made improvement in those two important elements.

“All the reports have been really positive. The development is headed in the right direction.”

- Scott Merkin

[Padres]

Hector Rodriguez, OF, Reds:

Rodriguez came over to the Reds from the Mets last season as part of the trade that sent Tyler Naquin and Phillip Diehl to New York. So far, Rodriguez is looking like a coup. The 19-year-old outfielder landed among the Florida Complex League’s Top 10 prospects last fall, and this year he’s putting on an encore performance in the Low-A Florida State League. Rodriguez collected a double and a home run (his 13th of the season) in Daytona’s win over Tampa. He’s one of just three teenagers in the minor leagues with double-digits in doubles, home runs and steals, and he’s the only one hitting better than .300.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... rs-in-win/

[Padres]

Oscar Colás has had quite the past week.

The No. 79 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline has slugged six long balls in the past five games for Triple-A Charlotte and tallied a pair of two-homer games in that span. One of those two-tater performances came on Friday night in the Knights' 5-4 extra-inning loss against the Tides.

The first of the two Colás jacks came in the fourth inning, when he hit a scorching line drive off the foul pole in right field. The laser was off right-hander Justin Armbruester -- the Orioles' No. 30 prospect -- and left Colás’ bat at 110.3 mph.

It got out in a hurry, leaving the yard with a mere 3.6 seconds of hangtime and a 22-degree launch angle.

Three innings later, the second-ranked White Sox prospect did it again, but this time it was of the fly ball variety.

The Tides made a pitching change right before Colás’ at-bat, bringing in lefty Easton Lucas to provide a left-on-left matchup.

Colás is actually hitting 34 points higher against southpaws, so the change didn’t slow him down one bit. On a 3-2 curveball, he crushed a towering home run to right field, giving Charlotte a 4-3 lead.

The Cuba native made the White Sox Opening Day roster to start 2023, but after slashing .211/.265/.541 with Chicago, he was sent down to Charlotte at the end of April. Since the demotion, Colás has been on a tear.

He’s slashing .297/.365/.505 with eight dingers, six of those coming in the past week and is amid an eight-game hitting streak. He also had at least one knock in 18 of 22 games in June.

Colás’ other two-homer game came against the Louisville Bats on June 24. The first jack was an absolute moonshot, traveling 431 feet into the night sky. The second barely snuck out of the yard, going just 340 feet into the bleachers.

The 24-year-old outfielder took the fast track to the Majors, playing just one season in the Minors. This is because he spent from 2017-19 playing in the Japanese Western League and Japanese Pacific League, where he posted an .825 OPS in his final season.

The foreign league experience has given Colás a leg up throughout the Minor Leagues, but he may have debuted in Chicago too soon. Now a few months later, he has sharpened his skills in Charlotte and looks primed for a return to The Show.

https://www.mlb.com/news/white-sox-osca ... e-coverage

[Padres]

There was more than just the physical side to Oscar Colás’ early struggles after making the White Sox Opening Day roster this season.

The No. 2 White Sox prospect and No. 78 overall, per MLB Pipeline, made that point clear on Tuesday, after being recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. Colás hit sixth in the lineup against Toronto and got the start in right field.

In 25 games prior to being sent to Charlotte, Colás batted .211 with one home run and seven RBIs. But the talented left-handed hitter had to find a pregame preparation and a plate approach that worked for him, as well as learning how to handle failure.

“As a rookie, I think I was trying to do too much. I was battling with my anxieties. Now, I'm in a better position,” said Colás, through interpreter Billy Russo. “In the past, I just felt overwhelmed and I just put my head down. Now, I'm able to just sit down and think about it and analyze what happened or the situation. That helped me to get better.”

Manager Pedro Grifol also highlighted the emotional learning curve for the 24-year-old Colás.

“He’s a guy that plays with a lot of flair and a lot of emotion, and we’re asking him to tone that down a little bit,” Grifol said. “I don’t want him to stop playing with fire or emotion. I just want, when mistakes are made, to stay calm and just understand that we’re going to learn from this and we’re going to move on, but we’re certainly not going to add to it.”

Colás slashed .293/.358/.508 with 14 doubles, nine home runs, 29 RBIs, 35 runs scored, 18 walks and an .866 OPS in 48 games with the Knights. He hit safely in his last eight games from June 22-30, going 13-for-33 with six home runs, eight RBIs, five multi-hit efforts and a 1.382 OPS.

Being sent back to Charlotte was disappointing for Colás, especially with the intense offseason work he put in alongside All-Star Luis Robert Jr. But Colás used it as a learning experience, or so he hopes to show in this second stint with the White Sox.

“My results were just the work I was putting in every day there,” said Colás of his Charlotte success, followed up by a 1-for-4 showing via a bunt single during a 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Tuesday. “Ever since they sent me down, I started working harder. And even though the results didn't show up at the beginning, I knew that sooner rather than later the results would be there.

“I'm 100 percent convinced that the results are going to be better this time. My confidence was always there. I am very confident in myself right now, too.”

Grifol and general manager Rick Hahn all but named Colás as their right fielder for the 75 remaining regular-season games after Tuesday, although Grifol will pick and choose some breaks. Hahn also credited Charlotte manager Justin Jirschele and hitting coach Cameron Seitzer for the work they did with Colás after he returned.

“The work in terms of his pregame prep, his preparing for the pitchers, really just having a purposeful workday that has put him in a better position to succeed both offensively and defensively has been really what has stood out most,” Hahn said. “It translated to him doing more damage at the plate recently and also making better swing decisions. Hopefully, that translates here over the next several games as we lead up to the break.”

https://www.mlb.com/news/oscar-colas-re ... confidence

[Padres]

Hector Rodriguez, OF, Reds:

When Cincinnati acquired Rodriguez from the Mets as part of the package that sent Tyler Naquin to Queens, it did not see power as a big part of his game. Color it pleasantly surprised. The 19-year-old clubbed two extra-base hits in his team’s win over Bradenton. The output included a double and a home run, his 14th of each on the season. The home run places him in a tie with Yankees prospect Jared Serna for tops in the FSL.

Terrell Tatum, OF, White Sox:

Quietly, Tatum has made a lot of noise in the last two seasons. The North Carolina State product has had some setbacks because of injuries and suspensions, but he’s produced when on the field. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and a stolen base on Thursday, giving him six longballs and 35 swipes between High-A and Double-A this season. Add speed, a hint of power and excellent defense in center field, and you’ve got a sneaky good prospect bubbling in the Southern League.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... -slugfest/

[Padres]

In Brent Headrick, the Twins have another hurler that hasn’t been mentioned much this season as the masses clamored for Louie Varland. Despite being yo-yo’ed this year for brief relief appearances, and with the return of Kenta Maeda seeming blocking a path to a starting pitcher role for now this staff has a history of battling injuries. In Triple-A, Headrick’s 21.9% was the best K-BB rate outside of names like Andrew Abbott, Grayson Rodriguez, and Brandon Pfaadt. Moreover, Headrick averaged nearly five IP per start and he can be stretched out fairly quickly. Most might jump at Varland getting another bite at the apple, but Headrick’s fastball/slider combo has outperformed Varland in almost every meaningful metric. At 25, he might be a “late” blooming prospect, but he’s proving he can do it and he’s basically coming at no cost (unranked in Jesse’s June Top-500 dynasty prospects).

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/fant ... ospective/

[Padres]

In case you haven’t heard, Jacob Burke has the longest on-base streak in the minors. He extended that streak to 43 games in the Dash’s doubleheader yesterday.

https://www.soxon35th.com/white-sox-far ... ly-6-2023/

White Sox: Jonathan Cannon, RHP (No. 10)

Cannon has been exactly what the White Sox hoped when they paid him an over-slot $925,000 out of Georgia in the third round last year: an advanced college pitcher who throws four pitches for strikes, highlighted by an upper-80s cutter and a 92-96 mph sinker.

https://www.mlb.com/news/2023-futures-g ... e-coverage

Jonathan Cannon, RHP, Chicago White Sox

Age: 22
Team: Winston-Salem Dash (High A)
Stats: 14 G (14 S), 72 2/3 IP, 3.59 ERA, 24 BB, 67 K, 3.0 BB/9, 8.3 K/9, 1.225 WHIP

Cannon may not be a strikeout artist, but he doesn’t need to rack up Ks to be effective. His ability to pitch in all quadrants of the zone and induce contact is more than enough. Those qualities are what have helped him to rank 10th in the South Atlantic League in ERA and fifth in innings pitched, both figures that speak to Cannon’s efficiency. Cannon has a strong enough foundation in place to move through the minor-league ranks quickly.

“He’s a guy that can attack north, south, east, west, pounds the zone,” assistant general manager Chris Getz told The Athletic last month. “He pitches to contact, goes deep into games. He competes, clearly. The defense likes playing behind him. Minor-league games are already moving fairly quickly, but when Jonathan Cannon’s on the mound, it moves even quicker. We’ve been impressed on the whole. He’s got an attack plan both for righties and lefties.”

RHP Jonathan Cannon

The Futures game representative for Chicago has been a workhorse, going 5+ IP in 10 of his 13 starts across A and A+. Batted ball stats suggest that he’s been a bit unlucky as well.

70.2 IP
3.69 ERA
23.1 K%
8.4 BB%

https://theathletic.com/4674218/2023/07 ... -to-watch/

[Padres]

The Futures Game taught Jonathan Cannon what pitching for the White Sox might feel like, as the American League was shut out by the National League 5-0 despite Cannon’s best efforts.

He pitched a scoreless fourth inning for the AL, striking out the first batter he faced, then working around a one-out walk. The Statcast data from the Futures Game shows Cannon averaging 96-97 with his fastballs, although his slider led the way.

In affiliated action, Noah Schultz returned to where he left off before his illness by throwing three innings and 35 pitches against Down East. He once again allowed no hits and no runs while striking out three. Some of his plate appearances ran longer than he’d probably prefer, including a six-pitch HBP in the first inning, but he finished his night with an eight-pitch third for a tidy conclusion.

Jeff Cohen watched Schultz’s start and said he sat two ticks lower than he did in his professional debut …

… but Schultz told Jeff that the first start was a bigger outlier due to adrenaline.

Either way, Schultz’s line still reflects a guy who is toying with Low-A hitters: 12 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 16 K.

https://soxmachine.com/2023/07/white-so ... ly-8-2023/

[Padres]

Noah Schultz, LHP, White Sox

Schultz dealt with mononucleosis during his senior season of high school, which gave scouts a bit of a limited look at the lefthander. The White Sox snapped him up with the 26th overall pick and look to have gotten a steal. His 2023 season was delayed by injuries, but with Low-A Kannapolis he’s overpowered hitters with a three-pitch mix fronted by a sinking fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s and backed by one of the filthiest sliders in the minors. His changeup shows separation and drop as well, and should be at least an average offering.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... ures-game/

[Padres]

A quick look at the numbers of White Sox positional player minor leaguers around the half way point of the season:

Dominic 22-Keegan, C/1B/LF (Hi-A/Lo-A) .303/.395/.449

Hunter 21-Goodman 1B/LF/C (AA) .228/.324/.488, 18 HR

Loidel 22-Chapelli Jr 2B (Hi-A) .230/.336/.379, 13 SB

Cody 21-Morrisette 2B./3B/SS (AA/Hi-A) .214/.299/..376, 10 HR

Pedro Leon CF/2B/RF/LF (AAA) .247/.337/.444, 12 HR

Bryan Ramos 3B (AA/Hi-A) .220/.336/.379 - hurt for first few months

Jose Rodriguez 2B/SS (AA) .251/.282/.454, 12 HR, 13 SB

Max 21-Muncy SS (Hi-A) .255/..327/.386

Ryan 22-Burrowes SS/2B (Rk) .265/..383/.456

Mason 21-Auer CF/RF/LF (AA) .172/.259/.290, 32 SB - terrible April & May

Terrell 21-Tatum* CF/RF/LF (AA/Hi-A) .269/430/.426, 36 SB

Jorge Barrosa# CF/RF/LF (AAA) .278/..384/.466, 11 SB

Gavin 22-Cross* CF/RF (Hi-A) .208/303/.386, 10 HR, 18 SB - 101 K!!!

Jacob 22-Burke CF (Hi-A/Lo-A) .333/432/.512, 15 SB

Wilfred Veras RF (Hi-A) .279/.320/.452, 9 HR, 17 SB

Jacob 22-Melton*(Hi-A) CF/RF/LF .232/.337/443, 14 HR, 30 SB

[Padres]

A quick look at the numbers and injury status of White Sox minor leaguers with no major league appearances ... a little help coming in 2024 and more patience required for others ...

Noah 22-Schultz* (Lo-A) 0.00, 21/2 (14.1), 0.488, 6 GS - missed first 2 months

Jordan 21-Wicks* (AAA/AA) ​3.72,78/25 (67.2), 1.197, 15 GS

Michael 21-McGreevy (AAA/AA) 3.26, 70/23 (91.0), 1.374, 16 GS​

Jonathan 22-Cannon (AA/Hi-A) 3.64, 70/27 (76.2), 1.252, 15 GS

Sean 21-Burke (AAA) 7.61 ERA, 34/27 K/BB (36.2 IP), 1.718 WHIP, 9 GS

Dax Fulton* - 5.18, 39/19 (##.0), 1.545, 6 GS/7 G - DL until early-2024/non-TJ elbow surgery

Justin 22-Campbell - DL until late 2023/non-TJ elbow surgery

Cristian Mena (AA) 5.42, 102/43 (78.0), 1.423, 17 GS

Kohl 21-Simas (Hi-A) 5.85, 81/31 (60.0), 1.550, 13 GS/14 G

Norge Vera (Hi-A) 13.50, 3/6 (1.1), 5.250, 2 GS - 60 day DL/back

Tyler 22-Schweitzer* (Lo-A) 3.86, 76/21 (67.2), 1.227, 13 GS

Ashton 22-Izzi (Rk) 2.70, 6/2 (6.2), 1.800, 4 GS

[Padres]

4. Jacob Melton, OF, Astros
Team: High-A Asheville (South Atlantic)
Age: 22

Why He’s Here: .522/.577/.870 (12-for-23), 10 R, 5 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 3 BB, 4 SO, 4-for-5 SB

The Scoop: While Drew Gilbert and others from the 2022 draft class get more headlines, Melton has been quietly strong this season. He is up to 17 home runs and 39 stolen bases this year, while striking out just 21% of the time and posting a 13% walk rate. Last week Melton recorded three games where he had three or more hits. His best game of the week came on Saturday as he went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Melton has an excellent combination of power, speed and on-base ability. (GP)

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... dium=email

[Padres]

Max Muncy, SS, Oakland Athletics (Double-A Midland)

Count me in. The profile for me starts with the glove. Muncy displays athletic movements at short, covering ground well and making a couple of difficult picks in my viewing. He pairs it with a plus arm that generates effortless carry across the diamond with a flick of his wrist. There’s still some footwork and mechanics to work out here, but given the skill set and reputation for a strong makeup, I buy into his becoming a plus glove/plus arm defender at short.

The bat I’m less certain on—I don’t see his swing and pitch recognition lining up to actualize his power in-game and he will likely be susceptible to off-speed. However, he did show an ability to adjust and line a slider when he saw it multiple times in the same at-bat, very important in that it prevents an “easy out” plan of attack. He also has strong bat speed which should allow him to hold his own even if he never fully develops on this side of the ball.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... p-10-pack/

[Padres]

With Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn traded before the Aug. 1 deadline, Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech are the only two White Sox starters who have spots locked up for the 2024 season.

Plenty of young arms in the minor leagues will get long looks in spring training and beyond, and 23-year-old righthander Jonathan Cannon is definitely in the mix.

Even after a stellar junior season at Georgia, the 6-foot-6 righthander was still on the board when Chicago’s pick came up in the third round of the 2022 draft.

Cannon was obviously motivated by the snub.

“He had been through some bumps in the road with his career, but if you told Jonathan Cannon he was going to be a third-rounder?” White Sox scouting director Mike Shirley said. “It kind of (bleeped) him off. I do think that gave him a little bit of edge.”

Cannon has certainly been sharp in his first full professional season. He earned the organization’s lone invite this year to the Futures Game, where he pitched a scoreless inning.

“Jonathan’s had a very good year,” White Sox assistant general manager/farm director Chris Getz said. “He’s a guy who can attack north, south, east, west. He pounds the zone. He pitches to contact, goes deep into games. He competes, clearly.”

Cannon opened the season at High-A Winston-Salem. After recording a 3.84 ERA in 14 starts, he went to the Futures Game and was promoted to Double-A Birmingham.

A rocky first four starts with the Barons did not concern Chicago.

Carrying 213 pounds on his tall frame, Cannon doesn’t have a prototype power repertoire. He’s had big success with a cutter, sinker and changeup.

“We’ve been impressed on the whole,” Getz said. “He’s got an attack plan both for righties and lefties. You may look at Cristian Mena’s strikeout-to-walk ratio and compare that to Jonathan Cannon. It’s a different profile.

“Jonathan attacks hitters differently and we’ve been really happy with his progress so far.”

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... h-an-edge/

[Padres]

Jacob Burke, OF, Chicago White Sox (High-A Winston-Salem)

Chicago’s system isn’t especially deep, and injuries to some of the top names have weighed down its overall performance, but there have been a couple of shrewd, recent draft picks who have turned out to be pop-up names this season. Former 16th-rounder Terrell Tatum has not maintained his same level of performance since being promoted to Double-A but retains potential big-league utility due to his profile, and Burke possesses a similarly broad array of skills while showing higher upside.

An overslot 11th-rounder out of the University of Miami, Burke was presentable in his full-season debut last season and, asked to repeat Low-A to begin this season, dominated to the tune of a .315/.416/.512 slash in 149 plate appearances. For the most part he has kept it up since his promotion to High-A, though the SLG has taken a bit of a hit. Burke is a good athlete—not overly tall but well-built with strength throughout, and he runs well. He also plays a really good center field, getting fast jumps and closing in quickly on balls, while also showing some flair for difficult and dramatic plays. There is some lightning at the plate too, with impressive bat speed and a nice uphill quality to the swing that allows for at least an above-average power projection. Whether he gets there is far from a slam dunk, as there multiple things happening in the box that cast doubt on both the hit tool and the pop becoming what they need to be—one is his propensity for chasing good breaking stuff down, another is some extra pre-pitch hand movement that can cause his swing to become less direct and give him issues with velocity. The walk and strikeout rates are still pretty solid, though, and Burke has already dealt with some injuries. Further development is possible if he can stay healthy. —Ben Spanier

[Padres]

Bryan Ramos, 3B, Chicago White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 3-4, 2B, HR, BB, 2 R, RBI.

One of a few legitimate breakouts in the Sox system last year thanks to huge power potential and a sneaky loud contact tool, Ramos has spent much of this season either struggling to stay healthy or simply struggling. He’s looked a bit more like himself thus far in August, slashing .286/.375/.762 with three homers and 10 RBI.

Wilfred Veras, OF, Chicago White Sox (Double-A Birmingham): 2-5, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI.

https://www.baseballprospectus.com/pros ... ted-blade/

[Padres]

Rays: Dominic Keegan, C

A bat-first catcher out of Vanderbilt, Keegan continues to hit everywhere he’s sent, including Single-A and High-A with similar production at both levels in 2023. While he’s proven capable of hitting for both power and average in the pros, the 23-year-old has also impressed Tampa Bay officials with his defensive gains behind the plate, and his caught-stealing rate has actually gone up as he’s ascended. There will be further tests coming, but the Rays may be able to develop Keegan from a fourth-rounder into a well-rounded backstop.

White Sox: Jacob Burke, OF

Burke missed the first six weeks of the season with lower-back issues but since has batted .311/.413/.473 with five homers and 17 steals in 64 games at two Class A levels. An 11th-round pick from Miami in 2022, he's an aggressive hitter who provides solid speed and center-field defense.

https://www.mlb.com/news/prospects-who- ... e-coverage

James Outman, CF, Dodgers (previously unranked): Outman's season has been a roller coaster, with a .415 wOBA through April before a .249 mark in May and June. But the 26-year-old has been on fire in the past month, slashing .361/.519/.525, with nearly as many walks (18) as strikeouts (19). Plus, solid defense in center field is a nice bonus.

https://www.mlb.com/news/august-2023-ml ... e-coverage