With many of the major prospects at or on the cusp of playing in the big leagues, it’s logical to surmise that the White Sox minor league system would become less interesting this season. This is not the case, as there are several compelling storylines that’ll play out throughout the year.
First, there are a ton of high profile prospects coming back from injury. Then, there’s a group coming off disappointing 2019 seasons that need to break out to fulfill their major league aspirations. Lastly, there are several teenagers worth monitoring to go along with a couple of rising stars.
In this series, several of our writers discuss the prospects they’ll be keeping an eye on this season.
Ken Sawilchik
Ok, the hype has gotten to me. I’m usually a guy who gravitates towards the under the radar prospect. With so many major publications singing Vaughn’s praises this winter, I’m intrigued to see if he can live up to them. He did well in an abbreviated stint last year, but one publication called him the best bat in the minors. As they say: big, if true. Can he be this year’s Luis Robert? I can’t wait to find out.
So, maybe I’m not as much as an under the radar prospect guy as I thought. I didn’t get a chance to see much of Dunning before he went down with an injury in June of 2018, so I want to get a good look at him.
The rotation in Chicago is crowded. Although, there are several question marks that may come in to play, leaving the door open for Dunning. If all goes according to plan, the righty could see time in the majors as early as this year. I’m excited to see if he can make enough progress for a late-season call up. At 25, the clock is ticking.
Finally, an under the radar guy for me to talk about. I’m a sucker for a big curveball, and Varnell’s got one. Hitters in low-A barely had a chance against him last season. His numbers did slip slightly after a late-season promotion to Winston-Salem, but, still, there’s speculation that the 29th rounder out of Oklahoma has a shot at being a bullpen piece on a major league roster. With the new three batter minimum rule, a lefty that is equally effective against right-handers is solid gold. In 2019, Varnell did just that. Determining if his stuff is sustainable at higher levels of the minors will be fun to watch.
Sleepy Harold
Jose Rodriguez is intriguing after his solid season and stateside debut in 2019. His power numbers and ISO increased, he plays up the middle on the infield, and he’ll be turning 19 in May. Depth up the middle is always valuable, and having a young player with developing power and a solid glove is an attention grabber. Whether Rodriguez ends up in Great Falls or Kannapolis to start this season, he’ll be a fun player to keep track of.
Outside of Luis Robert, no other White Sox hitting prospect may have burst onto the scene quite like Benyamin Bailey did in 2019. The enormous 6’5″, 225 pound outfielder runs well, has great plate recognition, and solid power potential. Bailey is a well rounded player and will be making his stateside debut in 2020. Considerable attention will be paid to the 18 year old to see how he responds to his next challenge.
Matthew Thompson and Andrew Dalquist
Due to the fact that both of these players are in similar situations, the progression of 2019 second and third round picks Matthew Thompson and Andrew Dalquist is something worth following. It’s been a while since the White Sox had two young pitchers of this caliber in their system. Both were handled delicately with limited debuts in 2019, pitching two and three innings respectively for the AZL Sox in 2019. It will be interesting to see how their stuff plays as well as how they’re going to be handled in their first true taste of professional baseball in 2020.
David Wildman
It’s no secret that the Sox have a bit of logjam in the outfield. Micker Adolfo’s big bat caught the eye of many as he slugged 16 home runs for Kannapolis in 2017. Adolfo has had quite a bit of misfortune with injuries. If not for those, he may have contended for the starting spot in right field for the big league squad this year.
Adolfo no doubt faces a bit of a make or break year in 2020. He’ll start the year in either Birmingham or Charlotte, and will have to show the team he has his power back and can stay healthy. If he’s able to do that, he may still contend for a spot on the big league team by the end of the year. Adolfo is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Rutherford has been one of the more frustrating prospects in the White Sox system. After coming over from the Yankees farm in 2018, Rutherford has struggled to produce the kind of power numbers the organization envisioned when they traded for him. Rutherford slugged only .365 last season in Birmingham. Granted, the Barons play in a park that is notoriously difficult to hit for power in, but nonetheless, everyone has been hoping for more from Rutherford.
Dane Dunning (yes, again)
After coming over from the Washington Nationals in the Adam Eaton trade, there was a moment where it appeared Dane Dunning may be the crown jewel of that trade. In the ensuing twelve months, Lucas Giolito has reclaimed that spot, and Tommy John surgery has caused Dunning to become a bit of an afterthought in the organization.
Dunning is reportedly fully healthy entering 2020, and is hoping to round back into the pitcher that struck out 168 batters over 144 innings pitched in 2017. Dunning finding his form again would represent a major development for an organization that is hoping to have several young arms emerge as the next wave of quality that is clawing at a shot at the Majors.
Like many prospects on the list, Bryce Bush has had his share of injuries. Bush is also one of the more intriguing low level prospects in the White Sox system. Bush joined the team out of high school in 2018 and his quick hands and pretty swing enticed scouts and pundits alike.
An impressive introductory campaign after the draft in 2018 set the stage for a 2019 in which Bush could have solidified himself as a diamond in the rough as a 33rd round pick. Injuries changed those plans as the 20-year-old played in just 71 games in 2019, while hitting a mere .194. That said, Bush is still an intriguing profile and a low level lottery ticket worth keeping an eye on in 2020. If he can put together his physical tools in Low-A Kannapolis against players who have about two years of age on him, then Bush will find his way on national lists soon.
Sean Williams
The 22-year-old middle infielder got his first taste of professional baseball with the White Sox in 2019, where he had expected success with the Dominican Summer League affiliate. Being older than most of his competition, Sanchez posted a .386 OBP in 29 games last season.
This year, he will be playing against guys much closer to his age or older so it will be interesting to see how he handles the task. He’s further ahead with the glove right now, so it will be interesting to see how he develops offensively as he gets more experience playing with a full season affiliate.
18-year-old DJ Gladney set the White Sox single season home run record with the AZL affiliate in 2019. He was later matched and edged out by Jose Rodriguez, but it was still an impressive first professional season for Gladney. Swings and misses are a concern in his game, but he has a ton of power potential and he’s someone that White Sox fans are going to want to keep a close eye on moving forward.
He will get experience playing at a full season affiliate in 2020, whether he’s pushed there initially or makes his way there before the end of the season. He’s still very young, so there might be some growing pains next year, but I’m looking forward to watching how he handles his next assignment.
Andrew Vaughn (yes, again)
Vaughn has the potential to reach Charlotte before the end of this season, and to be honest, I’d be surprised if he didn’t. He breezed through three levels in 2019 and showed why he was rated as one of the top hitters in his draft class. He will be spending a lot of time playing in the Southern League in 2020, which is a league that hasn’t always been kind to hitters.
However, I think Vaughn is going to rise to the occasion and is going to continue to hit in Double-A. His swing is smooth and balanced, and the ball really carries off his bat. I don’t think the Southern League is going to suppress his power and limit him from showing the type of damage that he can do.
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I want to see Jake Burger, A.J. Puckett and Andre Davis. Victor Diaz too. All guys who have completely disappeared from nearly everybody’s radar. Aside from those guys I want to see how good Andrew Vaughn can be.
Has Jake Burger reported or is he still on the “PUP” list?