The White Sox Prospect Hot List is back with two weeks of prime game action to break down. The White Sox affiliates have been reinforced by the 2017 draft class and a couple blockbuster major league talent-for-prospects swaps that has the system at its strongest in decades at least.
Charlotte Knights
When the smoke cleared and we started digging into the bountiful prospect return that the Chris Sale and Adam Eaton trades produced, Reynaldo Lopez appeared to be the most major league ready piece the Sox acquired. He had the most success in the majors and unlike Lucas Giolito, he didn’t have a daunting mechanical overhaul to undertake. However, he certainly had things to work on, as the White Sox introduced him to a slider and he struggled with walks in April and May. Something has obviously clicked for Lopez recently though, and over his last four starts he has posted a 1.80 ERA and allowed a minuscule 16 hits and five walks over 25 innings while striking out 28 batters. Those are the types of stats a good major league caliber pitcher should be putting up against AAA hitters and there isn’t much left for Lopez to prove at that level. I would expect an imminent promotion and for him to join Moncada in the big leagues as the first wave of the influx of rebuild era talent.
Flashback to mid-season 2016: utility infielder Jake Peter ascended the minor league ladder and was promoted to Charlotte. Peter held his own at AAA, however, in what must have been a disappointment to him, he started this season back in Birmingham. He slumped badly to start the season for the Barons, but has caught fire recently to earn his way back to the Queen City. Peter has slashed .367/.415/.551 between Birmingham and six games in Charlotte and has reemerged on the prospect scene with his sights on a possible major league super-utility role.
Birmingham Barons
After struggling through June (6.95 ERA), Michael Kopech has roared back to post back-to-back gems in his latest starts. After a six inning, one-run start on July 14th, Kopech fired his best start of the season going eight innings and allowing four hits, no walks, and striking out eight. It was the longest start of his career by a full inning and also his first start of the season where he did not allow a walk.
Fellow Barons starter Jordan Stephens may have missed the beginning of the season, but he is making up for lost time. The former Rice Owl struggled in his start last night, but overall he has a 2.04 ERA since joining the Barons on June 3rd.
Two Barons relievers, Connor Walsh (3 IP), and Jace Fry (3 IP,) posted perfect 0.00 ERA’s over the last two weeks. Fry is an interesting project as a former 3rd round pick and is a double TJS survivor whose repertoire has changed quite a bit.
Winston-Salem Dash
ELOY! The Jose Quintana trade saga finally ended with the White Sox and Cubs collaborating on the first crosstown trade since 2006 with the Sox snagging OF Eloy Jimenez, a consensus top 10 prospect in all of baseball. Jimenez has wasted no time impressing his new organization and is hitting .405/.488/.730 with the Dash, which raises his season line to .297/.378/.536 as a 20 year-old in A+.
Eloy wasn’t the only hot bat the Sox acquired in the Quintana trade, as SS/2B Bryant Flete is also on fire, slashing .316/.409/.368 in the ten games since joining the Dash.
Seby Zavala‘s season story has mirrored Jake Peter’s in many ways. Zavala seemed ready for Winston-Salem but was assigned to Kannapolis, where he had a miserable start. Zavala quickly rebounded though, and recently has been on fire, hitting .320/.414/.480 over his last eight games.
Alec Hansen struggled a bit initially when he got the call to join the Dash, but he acclimated to the higher level and was back to his normal dominant self in his last few starts. The towering right-hander has a 2.16 ERA over his last three starts spanning 16.2 innings with 22 strikeouts to eight walks and just six hits allowed.
Kannapolis Intimidators
Dylan Cease is flying under the radar because of Eloy Jimenez’s furious start, but the former Cub farmhand has been as advertised. Cease has posted a 3.72 ERA and struck out 11 batters over his first 9.2 innings of work while allowing six hits and four walks. The White Sox will be cautious with Cease, who is still building up arm strength since returning from TJS, but Kannapolis pitching coach Matt Zaleski recently told FutureSox he loves his pure stuff and his aggressiveness in going after hitters.
Jake Burger was a bit of a surprise selection at 10th overall, but the power-hitting third baseman has lived up to his draft pedigree by slashing .326/.436/.543 over 14 games for Kannapolis so far this season.
Fellow 2017 draft pick Evan Skoug has just played in eight contests this year between Arizona and now Kannapolis, but he has been red-hot, hitting .462/.576/.692.
Closer Matt Foster just earned a promotion to Winston-Salem thanks to a spectacular 0.79 ERA with 15 strikeouts to just two walks and four hits over 11.1 innings this season. The 20th round selection in last years draft actually briefly retired this past off-season, but thankfully returned the organization.
Great Falls Voyagers
Anthony Villa is repeating Great Falls as 2016 draft college bat, but even with that in mind he is treating the Pioneer League rudely. Villa is hitting .425/.521/.950 over the last two weeks with ten extra base hits in his last ten games and was recently named a Pioneer League All Star.
The White Sox struck gold with an undrafted free agent last year, picking up Aron McRee who ended up as the Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year. Fellow UDFA signee Kyle Von Ruden‘s rough start likely will exclude him from taking that honor, but over his last three starts (19.1 IP) he has posted a 0.93 ERA with 14 strikeouts to 4 walks.
2017 5th round pick Tyler Johnson was recently promoted to Kannapolis thanks to a 0.90 ERA with the Voyagers. Including two innings with the Intimidators, Johnson has struck out 21 batters over his first 12 professional innings. He was also named to the PIO All Star Team, but clearly won’t be participating in the actual game.
2017 16th round pick CF Logan Taylor is off to a great start as well, slashing .400/.481/.644 in 11 games with AZL and Great Falls.
Arizona League White Sox
They have been playing part-time, so proceed with caution on the small sample sizes, but 18 year-old Sam Abbott and 19 year-old Maiker Feliz have been impressive. Abbott was the White Sox lone prep player taken on day 1 or day 2 of the draft, so some struggles in pro ball would be expected. However, Abbott has hit .342/.490/.365 with an even 10/10 K/BB rate over his first 12 contests. Feliz, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2013, is repeating Arizona and has hit .364/.364/.606 over eight games with two home runs and two doubles.
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