2017 FutureSox Draft Tracker

The MLB Draft is always one of the biggest events for FutureSox and prospect hound, and it’s finally here for 2017. The draft is now complete.
It’s time for the annual analysis and over-analysis of the newest group of players set to join the White Sox farm system. We’ll try to gather as much info on the new draft picks as possible and put it all in one place.
This page will be updated with links to individual posts that will be written for the top few picks and smaller bits of information for the rest of the draft class. The White Sox have $7,921,400 in their total bonus pool, which applies to all dollars spent on the first ten rounds, and any amount over $125k per player in rounds 11-40.
There will also be updates after the draft is over with signing info and the first affiliate the players are assigned to. When players are signed or have reported they are signing, their names will be bolded, with signing and affiliate assignment info as we get it.
Players who have stated they will not sign are in italics.
1 (11): Jake Burger, 3B, 6-1, 220, Bats: Right, Throws: Right, Missouri State

• STATUS: SIGNED for $3.7M (slot was $4,199,200), per Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline

2 (49): Gavin Sheets, 1B, 6-4, 230, Bats: L, Throws: L, Wake Forest

• STATUS: SIGNED for $2M (slot was $1,392,200), per Hudson Belinsky of Baseball America

3 (87): Luis Gonzalez, CF, 6-1, 190, B: L, T: L, New Mexico

• STATUS: SIGNED for $517k (slot was $636,500) per Jim Callis, assigned to Great Falls

4 (117): Lincoln Henzman, RHP, 6-2, 200, Louisville

• STATUS: Per Devan Fink of Beyond the Box Score, SIGNED for $450,000 (slot was $454,900)

5 (147): Tyler Johnson, RHP, 6-2, 180, South Carolina

• STATUS: SIGNED for $390k per MLB Pipeline (slot was $339,800), assigned to Great Falls

After a run on college hitters with have good plate discipline, the White Sox take two straight college relievers that they announced as starters.
Johnson was South Carolina’s closer this spring, posting 10 saves in 19 appearances. He missed some of this season due to injury, but finished with a 2.39 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 15 walks in 26.1 innings.
His sophomore year was much better with a 2.42 ERA, 59 strikeouts and 8 walks in 52 innings. He also pitched a complete game in a regional game last year, one of just two starts he made in his three-year collegiate career.
His fastball has sit in the mid 90s and has peaked as high as 99. He also features a slider and a lesser used change up, which could be key for him moving to the rotation full-time.
6 (177): Kade McClure, RHP, 6-7, 230, Louisville

• STATUS: Per Devan Fink of Beyond the Box Score, SIGNED for $330,000 (slot was $258,100)

Another college pitcher from a big program, and a second Louisville pitcher. McClure had a 3.43 ERA with 102 strikeouts against 35 walks in 97 innings (17 starts) this season.
His frame jumps out, even if his stuff doesn’t. He pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer with a 2.84 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 19 innings.
7 (207): Evan Skoug, C, 5-11, 200, L/R, TCU

• STATUS: Per Scott Merkin of MLB.com, SIGNED for $300,000 (slot was $201,700), assigned to AZL

Very likely an over-slot sign, Skoug is ranked the 48th best draft prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and 78th per Baseball America. A poor first half of 2017 hurt his stock a bit, though he recovered as the year went on. He finished the year with a .277/.385/.562 line as a junior with TCU in their regular season. Strike outs were a problem too – had 87 K in 292 PA.
Scouting reports put his bat above his defense, so of course the “will he stick” questions will abound. His ranking would indicate he likely needs something like a 3rd round bonus level to sign. Even with the step back he took, it’s surprising he fell this far. Bonus: he’s a Libertyville native.
Pick value: $201,700
8 (237): Sam Abbott, 1B, 6-4, 225, L/R, Curtis HS (Wash.)

• STATUS: SIGNED for $200k per MLB Pipeline (slot was $161,600), assigned to AZL

The Sox keep going for power, this time with a prep 1B that doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s top draft prospect rankings. Brian Sakowski of Perfect Game says he has big time raw pop. Not much info out there on Abbott, but apparently he was also very good at water polo and may or may not sign. The Sox haven’t failed to sign a Top 10 rounds pick since 2011 though.
9 (267): Craig Dedelow, OF, 6-4, 195, L/R, Indiana

• STATUS: SIGNED for $10k per MLB Pipeline (slot was $143k), assigned to Great Falls

Guess what? More power! Craig Dedelow rolled the dice and came back for his senior year at University of Indiana after being taken in the 34th round during last year’s draft. It ended up being a good gamble as he slugged 19 home runs and slashed .258/.336/.563 this year, improving his draft stock considerably. Dedelow’s 19 bombs was good for second most in the Big Ten.
Dedelow is a senior and should be an easy and quick sign for the Sox.
10 (297): J.B. Olson, RHP, 6-2, 195, Oklahoma

• STATUS: SIGNED for $10k per MLB Pipeline (slot was $134,400), assigned to Great Falls

The White Sox drafted two Oklahoma Sooner pitchers last year (Alec Hansen and Jake Elliott), and they go back for reliever J.B. Olson. Olson was incredibly effective over his two seasons for the Sooners, compiling a 2.01 ERA, 89 strikeouts, 12 saves, and 35 walks over 98.2 innings. Olson started his college career at Seward Community College in Kansas before transferring to Oklahoma for his junior and senior year.
11 (327): Will Kincanon, RHP, 6-3, 220, Indiana State

• STATUS: SIGNED for $150k ($25k against pool) per Jim Callis, assigned to Great Falls

Kincanon is a product of Riverside Brookfield High School in the western suburbs of Chicago and grew up as a White Sox fan. He is also the son of a former minor leaguer.
Indiana State, ranked 189th best draft prospect by MLB Pipeline, so he may require a somewhat bigger bonus for an 11th rounder to sign. He was drafted in the 29th round last year by the Dodgers out of Triton CC in Illinois. He opted to take a crack at D-1 baseball at Indiana State instead.
From MLB Pipeline:

At his best, Kincanon works at 92-94 mph and can touch 97 with a heavy fastball that misses bats and generates groundouts. Both his slider and changeup can flash as plus offerings, and he has shown the ability to get swings and misses with each of them. He lacks consistency, however, and there are days when he’s hittable and quickly runs up high pitch counts because he doesn’t command his stuff.

12 (357): Justin Yurchak, 3B, 6-1, 204, L/R, SUNY-Binghamton

• STATUS: SIGNED for $150k ($25k against pool) per Jonathan Mayo, assigned to Great Falls

Yurchak is a draft-eligible sophomore who showed solid contact skills this spring. He hit .320/.474/.442 for the America East (D-1) school. He drew 41 walks against just 12 strikeouts in 147 at-bats. He played his freshman year at Wake Forest in 2015, where he hit .312 with a .424 OBP and again had more walks (30) than strikeouts (22). He redshirted in 2016.
13 (387): Tate Blackman, 2B, 6-0, 185, R/R, Ole Miss

• STATUS: SIGNED for $100,000 (per Baseball America), assigned to Great Falls

After hitting .197 as a freshman in the SEC, Blackman hit over .300 the last two years at Ole Miss. This spring he showed some power as well, hitting nine home runs and slugging .525. He hit .302/.420/.525 with 34 walks against 46 strikeouts in 202 at-bats. The strikeout rate is high for a middle infielder, but so is the power.
14 (417): Alex Destino, OF, 6-2, 215, L/L, South Carolina

• STATUS: SIGNED for $125,000 (per Baseball America), assigned to AZL

Before the season, Destino was a well-regarded prospect after a strong sophomore campaign. However, he hit just .255 this spring, but, you guessed it, showed some power. He hit 10 homers for the Gamecocks. His slash line was .255/.338/.441 with 27 walks and 42 strikeouts in 204 at-bats. As a sophomore Destino hit .321/.373/.509 with a team-high 10 home runs.
15 (447): Tyler Frost, CF, 5-10, 183, L/R, Gonzaga

• STATUS: SIGNED for $75,000 (per Baseball America), assigned to Great Falls

Frost was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs. He had 24 extra base hits in 230 at-bats as a sophomore and hit .309. This year his average took a bit of a dip despite fewer strikeouts and more walks. As a junior, the centerfielder hit .284/.372/.442 with nine home runs.
16 (477): Logan Taylor, CF, 5-9, 175, R/R, Louisville

• STATUS: SIGNED, assigned to AZL
  

This is the third Louisville pick for the White Sox, joining fourth rounder Lincoln Henzman and sixth rounder Kade McClure. This time it’s a bat though.
Taylor is a senior who hit .279/.399/.358 this season. He had more walks (33) than strikeouts (29) and also stole 22 bases in 25 attempts. After breaking out as a sophomore with a .358 average in limited playing time, he hit .280 and .279 in his final two years of college.
17 (507): Blake Battenfield, RHP, 6-3, 220, Oklahoma State

• STATUS: SIGNED for $50,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to Great Falls
  

Battenfield is the first pitcher for the Sox after a run on five straight hitters. He was used mostly as a reliever for the Cowboys before moving to the rotation this year. The White Sox announced him as a
starter. He had a 4.91 ERA with 58 K and 31 BB in 69.2 IP. Battenfield is a fourth-year junior after being granted a medical redshirt in 2015.
18 (537): Hunter Kiel, RHP, 6-3, 220, LSU

• STATUS: SIGNED for $30,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Kiel had an awful time with LSU this spring, but has the stuff to warrant being a draft prospect. He had a 18.47 ERA with 9 K and 8 BB in 6.1 IP this spring. Kiel began his collegiate career at Pensacola State College, where he pitched for two years. His LSU bio states that he can throw 97 with his fastball. Arizona drafted him in the 29th round last year.
19 (567): Anthony Herron, RHP, 6-2, 195, Missouri State

• STATUS: SIGNED for $125,000 – pool max (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Herron is an interesting case. He blew away JuCo hitters for two years (1.76 ERA, 89 K in 66.2 as a freshman; 8-2, 2.97 ERA, 130 K in 75.2 IP as a sophomore) at Jefferson College before transferring to Missouri State. He didn’t pitch this spring due to suspension. The Cardinals drafted him in the 32nd round out of high school in 2014 and the Mets grabbed him four rounds later last year.
20 (597): David Cronin, 2B, 5-9, 175, L/R, UIC

• STATUS: SIGNED for $15,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Cronin is a redshirt junior who hit .313/.429/.435 for the Flames this spring. He had more walks (39) than strikeouts (29). The Orland Park native hit .360 last year, but Cronin improved his power and walk rate this year.
21 (627): John Parke, LHP, 6-4, 205, South Carolina

• STATUS: SIGNED for $30,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Three picks from Louisville and now three picks from South Carolina. Parke struggled in three years at South Carolina. This past year he had an 8.53 ERA with 21 strikeouts against nine walks in 25.1 innings. Made two starts and 12 relief appearances.
22 (657): Joseph Benitez, LHP, 6-0, 190, South Carolina-Aiken

• STATUS: SIGNED for $2,500 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Benitez pitched three years at Division I Old Dominion before having a breakout year at Division II South Carolina-Aiken. He had a 2.63 ERA with 135 strikeouts and 23 walks in 116.1 innings as a senior this spring.
23 (687): Mikey Duarte, SS, 5-11, 195, R/R, UC Irvine

• STATUS: SIGNED, assigned to Great Falls

Duarte is a redshirt senior so he is likely to sign. He hit .345 as a junior in 2015 and then sat out 2016 and redshirted. This spring he hit .320 with 19 walks and 19 strikeouts in 194 at-bats.
24 (717): Vince Arobio, RHP, 6-0, 185, U. of Pacific

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Aorbio was a four-year reliever for Pacific. He tallied 22 saves in his career, 21 in the last three years. This season he had seven saves with a 3.86 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 20 walks in 42 innings. He was drafted in the 27th round by the Red Sox last year.
25 (747): Jose Garcia, OF, 6-0, 210, R/R, Texas Rio Grande Valley

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), but no affiliate assignment yet

Garcia spent two years at Galveston Community College before joining the WAC school. The Mexican-born Garcia hit .369/.444/.477 as a junior at RGV and was named Second Team All-WAC as a catcher. The White Sox listed him as an outfielder and that’s what he is listed as on RGV’s website for this season as well. His average dipped to .317 this season as a senior, but he hit seven home runs (after not hitting any as a junior) and had 42 walks against 25 strikeouts for a .453 OBP.
26 (777): Michael Staudinger, OF, 6-4, 195, L/L, Azusa Pacific

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Staudinger is a redshirt junior who put up big numbers for the Division II program this spring. He hit .359/.422/.647 with 11 homers.
27 (807): JJ Muno, SS, 5-11, 190, L/R, UC Santa Barbara

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Muno is a redshirt junior who hit .246/.333/.342 this season with 14 stolen bases. He is the cousin of Danny Muno, who played for the Charlotte Knights last year. Last year he hit .294.

28 (837): Laz Rivera, IF, 6-1, 185, R/R, U. of Tampa

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Rivera played two years at the Division II powerhouse and put up strong numbers. As a junior in 2016 he hit 427/.477/.624. This year his numbers dipped a bit: .355/.403/.475.
29 (867): Joe Mockbee, LHP, 6-3, 205, Michigan State University

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to Great Falls

Mockbee is a senior who saw his numbers rise through his time at Michigan State. He ended his career with a combined 3.24 ERA over 93 appearances, striking out 178 batters during 172 innings.
30 (897): Ryan Erickson, LHP, 6-3, 197, University of Iowa

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Erickson was a Juco transfer from Johnson Country CC, where he dominated his freshmen year. Erickson posted a 3.66 ERA over 13 appearances out of the bullpen in 2016 and also started three games. This season he has made 12 starts and had a 3.00 ERA over 75 innings.
31 (927): Parker Rigler, LHP, 5-11, 183, Kansas State University

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to Great Falls

Rigler is another senior who was a Juco transfer, this time from Cowley CC. Used exclusively as a started this year, Rigler posted a 3.67 ERA over 76 innings, striking out 51 and walking 44.
32 (957): Greg Minier, LHP, 6-4, 235, University of Washington

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Minier attended Bethune-Cookman College and  Ventura College before finishing his career with the University of Washington. Had a 3.53 ERA over 43.1 innings all coming in relief. Struck out 41 batters to just 14 walks.
33 (987): Kevin George, LHP, 5-10, 185, Menlo College

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Transfer from Santa Clara University. Struck out 69 batters over 50 innings over 23 appearances with a 3.42 ERA this season. According to Menlo College website, he has a “funky three-quarter delivery.”
34 (1017): Michael McCormick, RHP, 6-3, 190, Eastern Illinois University

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

McCormick transferred from Parkland CC to Eastern Illinois for his junior and senior year. Did not have a lot of statistical success in the Ohio Valley Conference, posting a 6.46 ERA in 2016, and a 7.42 ERA this season. He worked mostly as a starter for the Panthers.
35 (1047): Riley Crean, RHP, 6-3, 190, Bloomington North HS, Indiana

• STATUS: Crean is committed to attend IMG Academy in Brandenton, Florida for a post-graduate year (he broke his commit to Indiana), similar to what 2014 top unsigned pick Brady Aiken did. So he is unlikely to sign. Also, Nick Hostetler talked about whether or not he’d be a re-draft later in a way that made clear he’s not signing this cycle.

Son of former University of Indiana head basketball coach Tom Crean, Riley is a two-sport start who was committed to play for Indiana, ironically enough. Crean reportedly has a upper-80’s fastball and advanced breaking stuff.
36 (1077): Alex Widmer, RHP, 5-11, 160, Norwayne HS, Ohio

• STATUS: Per this article from the Daily Record in Wooster, Widmer makes clear he will not be signing.

Prep righty is committed to Malone University. Also played varsity basketball, which is a good sign for his athleticism at 5’11”. Same high school that White Sox Scouting Director Nick Hostetler attended.
37 (1107): Ted Andrews, RHP, 6-6, 235, Tulane University

• STATUS: SIGNED for $1,000 (per MLB Pipeline), assigned to AZL

Andrews spent three years at Furman, before transferring to Tulane. Missed some time to injury, and is now 23 years old. Posted a 6.06 ERA this season in 15 games for the Green Wave, walking 28 and striking out 10 in 16.1 IP. Here’s a story on how the graduate student ended up at Tulane.
38 (1137): Dylan Horvitz, C, 6-2, 190, New Trier HS (Winnetka, IL)

• STATUS: Dylan has updated us that he will not sign, and will attend Indiana instead

Not much scouting information available. New Trier grad, he was a Central Suburban League All Star.
39 (1167): Chance King, RHP, 6-2, 190, IMG Academy (Florida)

• STATUS: Unknown, but likely will not sign.

Young righty from the prestigious IMG program. Here’s some video of King. He’s also the son of Larry King. Yes, that Larry King.
40 (1197): Angelo Smith, LHP, 5-10, 165, Richards HS (Oak Lawn)

• STATUS: As the annual prep ACE program pick, Angelo looks to honor his college commitment and will not sign

Smith represents the annual ACE program pick, where the White Sox draft one of the graduates from their fantastic urban baseball development program, knowing they won’t sign with the club (at least this time around). Smith is committed to Michigan.
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