Due to multiple reasons the blog hasn’t been as active this year (though the FutureSox Twitter remains as active as ever) and that’s definitely a shame. Most of the reasons aren’t related to baseball, but one is the lack of excitement coming from the White Sox minor league system so far this season.
Multiple offseason trades added new players to the fold and added depth to the system. The problem is, most of those players aren’t doing well. A number of other players that ended 2011 on a roll haven’t translated that to higher levels this year (Tyler Kuhn, Andy Wilkins, Kevan Smith). After hot starts Jared Mitchell and Josh Phegley have hit ruts in May. There also hasn’t been a standout prospect, whether it be a breakout prospect or a well-rated one, to have a great year to create some buzz.
Obviously the season isn’t two months in so it’s too early to say anything drastic about the season as a whole. That said, it’s looking bleak at the moment.
OK, no more negativity. Where is the excitement this year? Pitchers Dylan Axelrod, Terry Doyle, Jose Quintana and Blair Walters have been the most productive pitchers so far. Axelrod and Doyle could have a future of some sort in the Majors, but it’s not clear in what capacity yet.
On the hitting side Carlos Sanchez is hitting around .300 with a good walk rate for the Dash, teammate Marcus Semien has had some production in his first full year of pro ball and Rangel Ravelo has teased us with a high batting average and little else. Tyler Saladino is struggling to hit for a high average, but leads the Southern League in walks by a good amount with 39 entering Friday.
Jefferson Olacio has probably created the most buzz for the real baseball geeks. He’s just 18 so don’t expect to hear his name on the Southside any time soon, but he’s flashed a mid 90s fastball in Kannapolis and considering his age he’s done quite well. He’s striking out more than a batter an inning (26 in 25.2 IP) and has improved his control. 15 BB so far is an improvement compared to last year when he walked more than a batter an inning in the Dominican Summer League.
So where’s the excitement? Not sure, but there are things to be pleased with. It’s not all bad. Here’s hoping that the Saladino can get the average up to match the plate discipline and Ravelo can hit for some power to go with the average.