FutureSox Draft Tracker 2015

It’s draft day, which means the busiest few days of the year on FutureSox. Our collection of writers will be updating this post and adding individual posts when the White Sox select players throughout the draft. We will add as much info as we can find on the new White Sox draftees. You can also follow along on our Twitter account, which will be updated as the picks come in. Once the draft is over we will update with players signings and affiliate assignments once the players are in the system. A full list of all teams’ selections can be found on MLB.com.
STATUS NOTES: Italics are reports and unofficial word. Bolded are signed. Affilaites and bonuses may be added later…
Round 1 (8th overall): Carson Fulmer, RHP, 6-0, 195, Vanderbilt 

• STATUS: SIGNED – Bonus $3,470,600, which is slot money, per White Sox press release

4 (112): Zack Erwin, LHP, 6-5, 195, Clemson

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED – Bonus $508,000, slot money per Jim Callis/MLB.com. Assigned to Great Falls.

Another college pitcher, which isn’t a major shock. On the MLB.com draft stream, they mentioned Erwin pitching at 87-91 with his fastball with decent secondary stuff and a strong ability to get ground balls. This season he logged 106.2 IP with a 3.04 ERA, 92 K, 16 BB, 108 hits allowed. He made 16 starts and one relief appearance. As a sophomore he made seven starts and 19 relief appearances with a 4.21 ERA with 62 K and 28 BB in 72.2 IP. He logged 60 innings with a 3.45 ERA, 32 K, 20 BB as a freshman. Here’s a video.
5 (142): Jordan Stephens, RHP, 6-1, 185, Rice

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED – Bonus $300,000, under slot (380,000) per Chris Cotillo. Assigned to AZL Sox.

The redshirt junior pitcher supposedly can top out at 94 and has a good curve, but durability is a concern. He is a Tommy John veteran. This spring he logged 59.2 IP with a 3.17 ERA, 75 K, 17 BB. In 2014 he only pitched 14 innings, missing time due to the injury. In 2013, before the injury, he was the Rice ace. In 118.2 IP he posted a 2.43 ERA, 100 K, 31 BB and 91 hits allowed.
6 (172): Corey Zangari, 1B, 6-4, 240, R-R, Carl Albert HS (OK)

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED – Bonus $510,000, over slot ($284,800) by $225,200 per Jim Callis (MLB.com). Assigned to AZL Sox.

Zangari is a prep 1B with what Baseball America’s JJ Cooper calls “big, big power”. Also has a power arm but lacks control when trying to pitch, so he’s probably taken as a 1B here. But he has hit 95+ on the gun. Hit 19 home runs during his senior year high school season. Has also played catcher. Oklahoma State commit. Here’s a pitching video, and here’s a hitting video.
7 (202): Blake Hickman, RHP, 6-4, 220, Iowa

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED – Bonus $200,000, under slot ($213,400) by $13,400 per MLB.com. Assigned to AZL Sox.

Converted catcher can hit mid 90s with fastball and has shown a sharp slider. He’s been inconsistent in college though, and has failed to maintain his velocity. He’s got a strong arm, but he is raw. Hickman is a Simeon High School product from Chicago so they probably know him well from that. The White Sox drafted him in the 20th round out of high school in 2012.
He’s from the White Sox ACE program, but he’s not a charity pick. He has talent. He can throw into the mid 90s and has shown a good slider when he’s on. This season the junior had a 2.99 ERA in 16 starts with 52 K, 42 BB, 66 H in 84.1 IP.
8 (232): Casey Schroeder, C, 6-1, 195, S-R, Coastal Carolina

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED – Bonus $150,000, under slot ($174,800) by $24,800 per MLB.com. Assigned to Great Falls.

The junior catcher hit just .230 this spring, but he has some good arm strength behind the plate. He hit .230/.370/.500 this season, which at least shows big power potential. Jim Callis on the MLB.com draft stream said he is raw behind the plate, but has decent receiving skills. Schroeder has already been drafted twice, once out of high school and as a junior college player.
He began his career at Kentucky as a freshman, but only played eight games and transferred to Polk State College for his sophomore year. There he was named Suncoast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-Conference after hitting .321.
9 (262): Ryan Hinchley, LHP, 6-3, 205, Illinois-Chicago

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED – Bonus $25,000, under slot ($163,200) by $138,200 per Baseball America. Assigned to Great Falls.

Hinchley is likely drafted because he will be a senior sign. He struggled with injuries at times and command for years, but had a solid senior season. The White Sox should be familiar with him because he is from York High School in Elmhurst and played his college ball at UIC.
He’s got a strong arm, but hasn’t always had a lot of production to go with it due to a lack of command. As a senior he had a 3.89 ERA with 10 saves in 37 innings as UIC’s closer. He did manage 50 strikeouts, but walked 28 and hit five batters. He led the Flames with 27 appearances. This after making a combined 15 appearances in his first three years on campus.
10 (292): Jackson Glines, CF, 6-0, 195, L-L, Michigan

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED – Bonus $10,000, under slot ($152,300) per MLB.com. Assigned to Great Falls.

Another senior goes to the White Sox, but this one has some strong numbers. Glines, just the second position player for the Sox in this draft, was All-Big Ten First Team this spring after hitting .349/.440/.492. Impressively had more walks (61) than strikeouts (49) in two years at Michigan after beginning his career at Fresno City College. Even flashed decent speed with 21 stolen bases in 26 attempts in 121 games for the Wolverines.
11 (322): Danny Dopico, RHP, 6-2, 190, Florida International

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED. Assigned to Great Falls.

The Sox kick off day three with a reliever. He had a 1.99 ERA with 57 K, 20 BB in 45.1 IP this season as a junior. FIU’s closer had played the previous two years in JuCo ball.
12 (352): Seby Zavala, C, 6-0, 185, R-R, San Diego State

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

The second catcher of the Sox draft, Zavala hit .290/.399/.537 this season as a redshirt junior.
13 (382): Ryan Riga, LHP, 6-0, 210, Ohio State

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

Senior left-hander with a 3.32 ERA, 71 K, 27 BB in 97.2 IP this season. Used as a starter his freshman season at Wabash Valley College, then spent 2013 as a reliever for Ohio State. Moved into Buckeyes’ rotation last year.
14 (412): Tyler Sullivan, CF, 5-9, 175, L-L, Pacific

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

Sullivan, a senior, led the Tigers with a .351 batting average this spring. The leadoff hitter batted .351/.416/.441. 11 stolen bases in 16 attempts, 20 BB, 25 in 211 AB. Hit .315 as a junior and .356 in the Northwoods League (summer wood bat league) in the summer leading up to this year.
15 (442): Chris Comito, RHP, 6-5, 220, Norwalk HS (Iowa)

• STATUS: Per White Sox, SIGNED. Andy Hamilton (Des Moines Register) reports he’ll be collecting a $170,000 bonus, which puts a 70k dent in the pool. Assigned to AZL Sox.

Iowa commit. From Iowa’s athletics website: “Went 7-3 with a 1.66 ERA over 67 1/3 innings, struck out 107 to just 16 walks in 2014; went 10-0 with a 1.73 ERA over 52 innings as a sophomore.” His fastball sits around 90. His fastball sits around 90. Iowa head coach, Chris Comito describes Chris as “a hard throwing (90 mph this fall) right-hander with a good breaking ball. He is a proven winner, competes well, and has great leadership potential. Chris has a huge upside and a bright future at Iowa. We love that Chris can already pound the strike zone, which should allow for him to compete early in his career. We are thrilled Chris has chosen to be a Hawkeye.” Comito indicated prior to the draft that he intended to attend Iowa, unless drafted within the first 7 rounds.
16 (472): Brandon Quintero, RHP, 6-2, 180, Cal State Los Angeles

• STATUS: Signed, per White Sox. Assigned to AZL Sox.

Quintero had a 3.91 ERA for the Division II Golden Eagles this year. 66 K, 21 BB in 48.1 IP (10 appearances, 9 starts). The junior posted an ERA above 4 in his first two years in the program while leading his team in wins each of his first two seasons.
17 (502): Jeffrey (Sikes) Orvis, 1B, 6-2, 250, L-R, Mississippi

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to Great Falls.

Orvis is listed as Sikes on the Ole Miss roster so we’re going with that. The senior hit .264/.394/.587. That’s obviously pretty big power. He was drafted in the 19th round last year after being a first team All-SEC pick. Hit .294/.397/.540 as a junior.
18 (532): Dante Flores, 2B, 5-9, 185, L-R, USC

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to Great Falls. 
  

The first middle infielder of the Sox draft hit .304/.397/.461 as a senior. He hit below .300 the previous two years, but did play in the Cape Cod League twice, including earning First-Team All-Cape Cod League honors in 2013 when he hit .317.
19 (562): Frank Califano, CF, 5-11, 185, L-L, Youngstown State

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to Great Falls.

After spending two years at Golden West College, Califano hit .362 with 19 stolen bases this season as a junior at Youngstown State. He led the Penguins in batting average.
20 (592): Jacob Cooper-Steadman, C, 5-10, 221, R-R, Modesto JC (Calif.)

• STATUS: Signed, per Modesto Bee. Assigned to AZL Sox.

Cooper is the first JuCo pick for the Sox this draft and the third catcher. He hit .286/.331/.381 this spring as a freshman.
21 (622): Landon Lassiter, LF, 6-1, 175, R-R, North Carolina

• STATUS: SIGNED per Mike Duprez of the Davidson County Dispatch. Assigned to Great Falls.
  

The junior might actually be a tough sign considering his performance for the Tar Heels over three years. He was a consensus freshman All-American after hitting .358 with 53 walks leading to a .491 on-base percentage. Lassiter’s production dipped a bit as a sophomore hitting .305/.411/.359. This year he was UNC’s top hitter at .300, but that was another drop for him. He has a good on-base ability and seems like a solid pick for this late in the draft.
Note: Lassiter was suspended from the team in late May and missed the rest of the season due to unspecified “conduct detrimental to the team”. This may have allowed him to slip further on the board.
22 (652): Daniel Mendick, SS, 5-10, 180, R/R, Massachusetts Lowell

• STATUS: Signed, per White Sox. Assigned to AZL Sox.

The senior played two years of JuCo ball before landing with the River Hawks, a newer Division I program in the America East Conference. He hit .314 as a junior and .309 as a senior, but defense is his calling card. He was nominated for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award, given to the best collegiate shortstop in the country.
23 (682): Dylan Barrow, RHP, 6-3, 205, U. of Tampa

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to Great Falls.

The Sox have a history of taking players from Division II powerhouse the University of Tampa and it continues with Barrow. Barrow spent two years at Santa Fe College, redshirted last season at Tampa and posted a 3.70 ERA with 56 K and 21 BB in 58.1 IP. Former teammate (high school) of RHP Tyler Danish.
24 (712): Brandon Magallones, RHP, 6-3, 195, Northwestern

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to Great Falls.

A Providence Catholic product, Magallones had a 5.55 ERA with 67 K, 38 BB in 84.1 IP. His first two years in Evanston were his best two, including a 3.30 ERA as a sophomore. However, he’s never struck out batters at a high rate.
25 (742): Richard McWilliams, RHP, 6-4, 210, Cal Poly Pomona

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

A junior college transfer who had a 5.45 ERA with 26 K and 22 BB in 34.2 IP as a reliever in his first year with the Division II program.
26 (772): Grant Massey, SS, 5-10, 183, R-R, Lipscomb

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to Great Falls.

Massey led the Bisons in batting average at .345 this season for a team that made the NCAA Tournament. He spent the first two years of his collegiate career in JuCo ball, where he hit under .300 both years. Then last season he hit .322 and was second-team all-conference. Also 18-for-21 in stolen bases this year.
27 (802): Alex Katz, LHP, 5-10, 190, St. John’s

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

The junior left-hander has split time between a starting role and the bullpen with the Red Storm. Had a 3.40 ERA with 52 K, 30 BB in 55.2 IP this season.
28 (832): Bradley Strong, 3B, 5-8, 175, Western Carolina

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

Strong led the Catamounts with a .344 batting average to earn all-conference honors in the Southern Conference. Had 31 extra base hits to finish the season with a 1.007 OPS. Strong was a four-year starter for WCU, hitting over .300 in three of those seasons.
29 (862): Jake Fincher, CF, 6-1, 185, R-R, North Carolina State

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

The senior outfielder was a teammate of Carlos Rodon’s and was a high performer for the Wolfpack. After hitting .313 as a sophomore he hit just .267 as a junior and .291 this season, which might explain his draft slide. He also made the SportsCenter Top 10 twice for defensive plays.
30 (892): Jack Charleston, RHP, 6-5, 170, Faulkner U.

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

A draft eligible sophomore and another Santa Fe College product (like 23rd rounder Dylan Barrow), Charleston had a 1.70 ERA with 83 K and 20 BB this season for the NAIA Faulkner University.
31 (922): David Walker, 2B, 5-9, 185, L-R, Grand Canyon University

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

The White Sox drafted the Gilbert, AZ native as a 2B (listed as an OF on team website). Walker, a senior, had a slash line of .306/.404/.347 with 0 HRs, 18 RBIs, 47 Rs, eight doubles, three SBs, and a BB:SO of 31:21 (stats updated as of 5/16/2015).
32 (952): Taylore Cherry, RHP, 6-9, 260, North Carolina

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

In two active seasons (2013-2014) at North Carolina, the massive righty posted a 4.75 ERA in 53 IP with 30 SOs and 23 BBs. Cherry was a heralded prospect out of high school (2012 Rawlings 1st Team-All-American). “Extra big strong RHP, Easy low 90’s up to 94,” wrote Perfect Game in a 2011 report. Here is a video of Cherry at a showcase from 2011.
33 (982): Johnathan Frebis, LHP, 6-3, 222, Middle Tennessee State

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to AZL Sox.

Frebis, a senior, posted a 4.86 ERA with 70 K and 35 BB in 83.1 IP this season. In his four-year career he totaled 56 games pitched (55 starts) and a 4.67 ERA in 289 IP with a 223:136 SO:BB (1.64 K/BB).
34 (1012): Drew Hasler, RHP, 6-6, 225, Valparaiso

• STATUS: SIGNED. Assigned to Great Falls.

Hasler is the son of White Sox MiLB pitching coordinator Curt Hasler. He went 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA in nine appearances, including two starts, in 2013. This spring he had a 6.08 ERA in 26.2 IP, mostly out of the bullpen.
35 (1042): DJ King, SS, 6-2, 180, R-R, Hillsborough CC (Fla.)

• STATUS: n/a

Drafted in the 21st round out of high school by the Marlins, D.J. King made second team All-Suncoast Conference this past season, hitting .264 as a freshman.
36 (1072): Mike Hickman, C, 6-1, 205, L-R, Seven Lakes HS (Texas)

• STATUS: Hickman reports to Future Sox that he will not be signing this year.

An Oklahoma commit who was a second-team All-American by Perfect Game. Perfect Game report: “Bat needs to be watched very closely. Huge bat-speed and power potential. Showed big power at PG Jr. National. Good at PG MLK. Showed big power at WWBA WC.” The athleticism/coordination seems to be advanced for his age too, as PG has a 1.88 pop-time on Hickman (1.9 is M.L average for catcher’s release). Video.
37 (1102): Garvin Alston Jr., LHP, 6-4, 180, Mountain Pointe HS (Ariz.)

• STATUS: Alston reports to Future Sox he will be honoring his commitment to ASU and will not sign.

His dad is a former MLB pitcher and is currently a coach in the Oakland A’s system. Alston Jr. is committed to Arizona State.
38 (1132): Cody Staab, CF, 5-10, 165, L-L, College Station HS (Texas)

• STATUS: Staab reports to Future Sox he plans to honor his commitment to Rice, and will not sign.

Staab is the son of White Sox scout Keith Staab and a Rice commit.
39 (1162): Jalin McMillan, 3B, 6-2, 190, R-R, Simeon HS (Ill.)

• STATUS: ACE program grabs at this part of the draft don’t generally sign, McMillan probably won’t either. Illini commit.

A local product out of Simeon, the second Simeon alum the Sox have drafted along with seventh rounder Blake Hickman. The Illinois recruit is also out of the ACE program.
40 (1192): Joseph Reinsdorf, 2B, 5-11, 148, L-R, New Trier HS (Ill.)

• STATUS: Didn’t actually play on New Trier’s team. Will not sign.

Bet you can guess where this pick comes from. He is not listed on New Trier’s roster.
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