Primer:
The Top Prospect Report is a weekly post here at FutureSox highlighting performances of the top prospects in the system. More specifically, it will cover the top 15 prospects (plus an occasional bonus or two) as classified by their most recent FS ranking.
This can serve as your one-stop shop to see weekly and season stat lines for all the high-end talent growing on the farm. Most players will have a few notes about their recent performance, while others may have more in-depth blurbs. How much a prospect is featured in a given week will be dictated by performance or relevant narratives.
*Stats may not reflect last night’s results*
Hitter of the week: C Zack Collins
Pitcher of the week: RHP Alec Hansen
1. Yoan Moncada, 2B
Moncada returned from a bruised thumb and scuffled a bit but showed solid plate discipline all week (7 K/7 BB). Two of his three hits went for extra bases, including a double and triple in his second game back. His OBP remains above .400 and all things considered, it’s good to see the second baseman back in Charlotte. White Sox faithful were already starting to go through Moncada withdrawal.
Last Week: .167/.400/.333 (.733 OPS), 3 H, 2B, 3B, 7 BB, 7 K, 25 PA
Season Line: .312/.401/.484 (.855 OPS), 49 H, 5 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 10 SB, 13.2 BB%, 27.5 K%, .422 BABIP, 182 PA
2. Lucas Giolito, RHP
Giolito’s encore to his no-hitter was far less flashy, but certainly didn’t evaporate recent goodwill he’s earned among skeptical pundits. He gave up two runs on eight hits over four innings, but didn’t allow a single free pass and struck out three. Giolito lived in the zone for most of his outing, throwing nearly 70 percent of his pitches for strikes. That’s a promising sign, even if he did surrender plenty of contact. Over his last five starts, Giolito has compiled a 3.67 ERA. An interesting note on Giolito is a significant split disparity between his results against right-handed and left-handed hitters. The righty has limited same-handed batters to a .212/.313/.384 line but has been lit up by lefties to the tune of a .312/.393/.581 output. There hasn’t been a significant gap throughout his career, and he was actually better vs. LHB than RHB in 2015 and 2016, so this is something that may be worth dissecting further. It’s possible that as he continues to work out kinks in his delivery, he’s let some deception slide against same-sided hitters.
Last Week: 0-0, 4.50 ERA, 3 K, 0 BB, 1 GS, 4.0 IP
Season Line: 2-5, 5.36 ERA, 5.22 FIP, 8.23 K/9, 4.47 BB/9, 1.43 HR/9, 10 GS, 50.1 IP
3. Michael Kopech, RHP
It’s good for the Birmingham Barons’ social media account that Twitter allows 140 characters or else their #KKKKKKKopech tweets would no longer be practical. While that’s somewhat of a hyperbole, Kopech continues to print strikeouts. He just missed a quality start against the Chattanooga Lookouts, going 5.2 scoreless innings with four hits and four walks serving as the only blemishes on his scorecard. Control continues to be a problem, but he’s lowered his walks over the last month to a somewhat more manageable level. Of course, striking out ten hitters in 5.2 innings is one way to limit any self-inflicted damage. Lucky for the Barons social media intern, Kopech will never notch 140+ Ks in a game. In a season? Well that’s another story.
Last Week: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 10 K, 4 BB, 1 GS, 5.2 IP
Season Line: 4-2, 2.38 ERA, 3.17 FIP, 12.74 K/9, 5.26 BB/9, 0.68 HR/9, 10 GS, 53.0 IP
4. Reynaldo Lopez, RHP
Lopez had polar opposite starts last week. On May 26th, he gave up eight runs on eight hits over four innings and compounded that with three walks. His control evaded him for much of the game and of the eight hits, four went for extra-bases, including three doubles and a home run. He got the early hook after escaping a troubled fourth despite being at just 76 pitches. He simply didn’t have it. However, that “it” happened to be there in full earnest in Wednesday’s start. Lopez shutdown the Syracuse Chiefs with a quality outing. He gave up one earned run on five hits over six strong frames. His control was present again, as he walked one batter and struck out six. He safely put a dismal start to the week in the rear view mirror.
Last Week: 0-1, 8.10 ERA, 10 K, 4 BB, 2 GS, 10.0 IP
Season Line: 5-2, 3.81 ERA, 4.08 FIP, 9.15 K/9, 4.12 BB/9, 0.92 HR/9, 11 GS, 59.0 IP
5. Zack Collins, C
Have yourself a week Zack Collins! The Winston-Salem backstop had 22 plate appearances and made the most of them, accumulating five hits and four walks. Four of those five hits were comprised of a pair of doubles, a triple, and a home run. The slugger now has a .989 OPS over his last 22 games. His bearish start is more than over.
Last Week: .278/.409/.667 (1.076 OPS), 5 H, 2 2B, 3B, HR, 4 BB, 7 K, 22 PA
Season Line: .230/.399/.446 (.845 OPS), 34 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 21.2 BB%, 24.9 K%, .284 BABIP, 193 PA
6. Carson Fulmer, RHP
Oh how the narrative has changed for Carson Fulmer. The electric righty looked poised to see Chicago’s rotation as he strung together a 2.72 ERA over his first seven starts and showed improved control. The last three outings have featured an 11.20 ERA, fueled by a .300/.411/.600 opposing line and the .271 BABIP says it’s hardly been bad luck. This week’s start saw Fulmer leave after just three innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and walking four.
Last Week: 0-0, 18.00 ERA, 4 K, 4 BB, 1 GS, 3.0 IP
Season Line: 5-3, 4.89 ERA, 5.68 FIP, 6.92 K/9, 3.88 BB/9, 1.69 HR/9, 10 GS, 53.1 IP
7. Alec Hansen, RHP
With the draft approaching, it’s important to recognize how crucial it is to swoop in on buy-low opportunities when a player’s stock has fallen into value territory. That’s exactly what the White Sox saw in the 2nd round when they grabbed Alec Hansen, an uber-talented arm who had all the makings of a top 3 pick before a shaky junior season. The move has probably made Hostetler and Company consider a trip to Las Vegas, because it has certainly paid off. Hansen had undoubtedly his best outing of his White Sox career against Greensboro. He gave up one run over seven innings, but the real story was that he struck out fifteen batters and walked zero. He generated four whiffs in the bottom of the third, when a throwing error by Seby Zavala on a dropped third strike extended the inning.
Last Week: 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 15 K, 0 BB, 1 GS, 7.0 IP
Season Line: 5-3, 2.96 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 11.03 K/9, 3.13 BB/9, 0.33 HR/9, 10 GS, 54.2 IP
8. Zack Burdi, RHP
Burdi had one really bad outing sandwiched between a decent and mediocre one. He started his week with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts in a non-save situation due to a blow-out. His next night out featured the worst appearance of his year, and he was saddled with a loss and a blown save. He walked two batters, gave up three hits, and was charged with five earned runs while failing to even record an out. He had a bounce-back outing of sorts on Wednesday, getting two strikeouts in the seventh before giving up the game winning hit in the 8th inning of a shortened double header. So an up, down, mixed week for the Knights closer.
Last Week: 0-2, 16.88 ERA, 4 K, 2 BB, 3 G, 2.2 IP
Season Line: 0-4, 3.98 ERA, 1.89 FIP, 13.72 K/9, 3.54 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 5 SV, 2 BS, 18 G, 20.1 IP
9. Luis Alexander Basabe, OF
Basabe had his first decent week in some time. He walked three times to seven strikeouts and showed some pop with a pair of doubles and a home run. Hopefully the outfielder can get into a rhythm.
Last Week: .235/.333/.529 (.863 OPS), 4 H, 2 2B, HR, 3 BB, 7 K, 21 PA
Season Line: .227/.321/.326 (.647 OPS), 39 H, 5 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 10 SB, 10.1 BB%, 25.3 K%, .308 BABIP, 198 PA
10. Dane Dunning, RHP
Dunning redeemed himself this week and got his second win as a member of the Dash. He’d gone some extra time between starts as he served a suspension for hitting a batter intentionally. His control was back (one walk) and his efficacy was more in limiting hard contact than getting whiffs. Dunning was able to generate plenty of ground balls when he needed to escape a jam and finished with two earned runs over 6.2 innings.
Last Week: 1-0, 2.70 ERA, 2 K, 1 BB, 1 GS, 6.2 IP
Season Line:
Low-A: 2-0, 0.35 ERA, 1.41 FIP, 11.42 K/9, 0.69 BB/9, 0.00 HR/9, 4 GS, 26.0 IP
High-A: 2-0, 4.79 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 9.58 K/9, 4.79 BB/9, 0.87 HR/9, 5 GS, 20.2 IP
11. Jordan Stephens, RHP
*Currently Injured, but now throwing in Extended Spring Training and should return soon*
12. Alex Call, OF
*Currently Injured – intercostal muscle injury, has been taking BP in the cage, should return soon*
Last Week: Did Not Play
Season Line: .244/.311/.366 (.677 OPS), 10 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 2 SB, 6.7 BB%, 24.4 K%, .333 BABIP, 45 PA
13. Spencer Adams, RHP
Continuing the trend of good weeks for White Sox arms, Spencer Adams posted the longest outing of his season with eight innings of two-run ball against Mobile. He gave up five hits, including a home run, but sent six guys to the pine and didn’t walk a single batter, giving him exactly three walks over his last five starts. Not too shabby.
Last Week: 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 6 K, 0 BB, 1 GS, 8.0 IP
Season Line: 3-6, 4.03 ERA, 3.55 FIP, 6.56 K/9, 1.04 BB/9, 1.04 HR/9, 10 GS, 60.1 IP
14. Jameson Fisher, OF
Fisher stayed hot this week. He had more walks (4) than strikeouts (3) and collected seven hits. His knocks included a double and triple. He now has a .356/.415/.603 (1.017) slash line over the last month, erasing some early season concerns. He’s also lowered his K-rate to a much more manageable 22.8 percent.
Last Week: .333/.440/.476 (.916 OPS), 7 H, 2B, 3B, 4 BB, 3 K, 25 PA
Season Line: .299/.382/.463 (.845 OPS), 49 H,13 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 2 SB, 10.6 BB%, 22.8 K%, .387 BABIP, 192 PA
15. Luis Curbelo, SS
*In extended spring training*
Bonus:
Unranked – Just Missed: Nick Delmonico, 3B
Delmonico was among the “just missed” contingent on FutureSox’s preseason 2017 list. Had it not been for a massive infusion of talent this past offseason, he would likely have been in the Top 30 after a solid 2016. Delmonico was an intriguing prospect with the Orioles and Brewers before he disappeared, not just statistically, but literally. The White Sox scooped him up in 2015, signing him to a minor league deal, and helped him get re acclimated. He tore up Double-A in 2016 (1.073 OPS over 38 games) and finished out the year at Triple-A Charlotte. While the slash line fell a bit, Delmonico had 30 2B, 2 3B, and 17 HR across two levels.
The performance was enough to earn him a look in Spring Training, where he impressed scouts and the White Sox with a smooth left-handed stroke that kept him on the radar. A third baseman, Todd Frazier currently stands in Delmonico’s way. If it weren’t for the expiring Frazier, Delmonico would surely be in Chicago. He’s slashed .279/.357/.497 with 12 2B, 2 3B, and 9 HR at Triple-A Charlotte. His .305 BABIP is more than reasonable, he’s walking at a ten percent clip, and striking out just 16.7 percent of the time. This doesn’t look like the profile of an Andy Wilkins-esque AAAA type of player. Delmonico is showing the White Sox why a minor league free agent signing may just pay dividends as the 24 year-old has certainly opened eyes among the organization.
Last Week: .333/.429/.625 (1.054 OPS), 8 H, 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB, 8 K, 28 PA
Season Line: .279/.357/.497 (.854 OPS), 55 H, 12 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 1 SB, 10.0 BB%, 16.7 K%, .305 BABIP, 221 PA
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