Everyone was extremely excited about the baseball season getting under way. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken precedence in these times and we’re all scrambling to think about what could have been. The White Sox were about to embark on a season of contention for the first time in many years. The foundation has been laid and the bearing of fruit has begun. Some of the organization’s top prospects were expected to descend upon Chicago, while others are knocking on the doorstep of the major leagues.
Some top prospects were expected to chase Rookie of the Year honors, while others were anticipating their first taste of professional baseball. Certain hitters will enjoy the launching pad in Charlotte, whereas others will endure the challenge of the Southern League once again. The organization is littered with high-upside pitchers returning from injury, and hitters looking to rebound from offensive struggles. Can once-promising prospects rebound and improve some of their prospect shine once and for all? Will the White Sox as an organization be healthier than ever once baseball actually begins?
Ulnar collateral ligaments have been repaired, hamate bones have been fixed and achilles tendons are now fully attached. The franchise is finally in a solid place in regards to injuries and time appears to be on their side for once. Which of the young players will ascend and put themselves on the map? Can some of these pitchers with high leverage upside fly through the system? How will the player development and coaching staff alterations affect change positively throughout the organization? Will more international talent be added to the organization and will the draft philosophy start to look different?
These are just some of the storylines that our writers were looking forward to seeing unfold prior to the world stopping in its tracks.
Andrew Vaughn’s Ascension to the Majors
The former Golden Spikes’ winner was one of the best players in college baseball during his career at California. As the 3rd overall pick in the 2019 draft, Vaughn entered the organization with significant cache. The 22-year-old right handed hitting first baseman posted a 138 wRC+ in 103 brief plate appearances with Low-A Kannapolis last year.
The 5’11” slugger also played in 29 contests with the Winston-Salem Dash and posted a 122 wRC+ with 3 homers. He showed the plate patience and swing mechanics that were prevalent parts of his game during his amateur career. Vaughn didn’t hit for a ton of power during that small sample, but he earned high praise and looked the part of a future middle-of-the-order masher in big league spring training.
Andrew Vaughn has been universally listed as a top 40 prospect in baseball and was expected to start the season at Double-A Birmingham. In a normal season, Vaughn had a very outside chance of reaching the majors in his first full season. What he ultimately does with the Barons will determine how quickly he moves through the system but the White Sox already have double occupancy at his position for whenever big league games do end up starting again.
Andrew Vaughn looks to be a significant part of the White Sox’s future. That future likely starts in 2021 however. With Jose Abreu and Edwin Encarnacion ensconced in the big leagues, Vaughn would need an injury to reach the majors in his first full season. Starting the 2021 season as the first baseman in Chicago isn’t out of the question however.
Can Jonathan Stiever Become a Top-100 Prospect?
The 22-year-old Stiever was selected in the 5th round of the 2018 draft out of Indiana University. In Winston-Salem under the tutelage of pitching coach Matt Zaleski, Jonathan Stiever burst onto the scene. In 71 innings, the former Wisconsin prep football star posted a 2.15 ERA with a 3.13 FIP and averaged almost 10 K/9.
Stiever’s stuff has ticked up with some changes to his arsenal and some mechanical tweaks. FutureSox has spoken to numerous prospect evaluators recently and they were all in unison on his future ability as a mid-rotation starter. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN was impressed with his growth. Keith Law of The Athletic offered high praise as well while Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline heralded some of the pitcher’s amateur success.
Stiever was expected to start the season with the Barons in Double-A Birmingham and his success in the pitcher friendly Southern League could have earned him top-100 list status for multiple publications. Stiever could pitch out of the bullpen in Chicago fairly soon if necessary but his future appears to be in the starting rotation and the industry as a whole may become more familiar with the former Hoosier soon.
Will Zack Burdi Make his Big League Debut in 2020?
Zack Burdi is healthy and looked pretty good in spring training appearances. He is expected to start the season with the Barons in Double-A. As a 40 man roster player, it’s likely that a healthy start would soon lead to a big league audition for the big right-hander.
Burdi was selected with the 26th overall pick out of Louisville in 2016 and was seen as the closer of the future for the Chicago White Sox, while appearing on the fast track to the majors. Burdi rehabbed from Tommy John surgery and then missed the 2019 season after undergoing surgery for a torn patella tendon in his knee.
Burdi’s stuff isn’t all the way back to Louisville levels as of yet, but he has enough to be a factor in the back-end of a big league bullpen. He doesn’t have the calling card 80-grade fastball that he used to have, but the pitch is still above average. His breaking stuff and command will be important on his path to Chicago. If Burdi remains healthy, he should make his major league debut in 2020.
Can Bryce Bush Breakout in Kannapolis After Injury-Riddled Debut?
20-year-old outfielder Bryce Bush is expected to return to Kannapolis for his second full season. Bush was taken in the 33rd round back in 2018 and signed for $290K, instead of upholding his commitment to play baseball at Mississippi State.
He immediately made a name for himself by hitting .442/.538/.605 in 14 games in the Arizona Rookie League. With Kannapolis in 2019, Bush shifted to the outfield full time from third base. He also hit .201 and struck out 32% of the time. Bryce battled injuries and even had issues seeing the ball which resulted in a prescription for glasses and contacts.
Baseball America still ranks Bush as the #13 prospect in the White Sox system. That’s the highest known ranking of any similar publication. Bush possesses top end bat speed and enough raw power to drive the ball out of the park in all areas. He also shows solid bat control which is why evaluators are still high on him as a prospect. He needs to make better decisions in the batter’s box and lay off tough breaking balls. He definitely remains as a player to follow.
Will Sleeper Southpaw Ronaldo Guzman Make His Stateside Debut?
Ben Badler of Baseball America called Guzman an “intriguing lower dollar signing from the 2018 class”. In his scouting report, Badler wrote that the southpaw had an “easy arm action and athletic delivery that he repeats well to throw strikes with and advanced changeup for his age”. Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $75K, Guzman stands 6’1″ and his fastball gets up to 89 mph. He was one of the youngest players in the signing class. Badler also joined the FutureSox podcast and echoed many of the same sentiments.
The 17-year-old lefty threw 51.2 games for the White Sox affiliate in the Dominican Summer League. Guzman pitched in 14 games and averaged 13.24 K/9. Ronaldo walked almost 5 guys per 9 innings as well and posted a 4.53 ERA. His peripherals were even better as his ground ball rate was stellar and his xFIP sat at 2.97. Teenage lefties with advanced changeups are rare and Guzman is a name to know. With Chris Getz‘s history as the farm director in Chicago, it seems likely that Guzman was slated to make his stateside debut in the AZL.
What Role Will Zack Collins play in 2020?
25-year-old Zack Collins struggled in 102 big league plate appearances, but did walk 15 times in Chicago. The former 11th overall pick was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte before the world was shut down and that’s likely where he was slated to begin the 2020 season. There was some discussion of Collins being in the running for the 26th man spot, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards.
When baseball does return, even further expanded rosters could greatly affect Collins. An ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach could minimize the importance of minor league plate appearances and put the emphasis on winning as many big league games as possible — regardless of development. Collins has little to prove in the minor leagues after hitting .282/.403/.548 with a 140 wRC+ with the Knights last season. The lefty slugger also hit 19 dingers and walked at a 17% clip. He’s not a full-time catcher, but his ability to smash righties and get on base could contribute to team success in 2020.
Will Jason Bilous Remain as a Starter or Fast Track in Relief?
Jason Bilous could likely fast-track in a relief role, but the organization has kept him in the starting rotation for now. The 22-year-old was selected in the 13th round in 2018 out of Coastal Carolina. Bilous was one of the best prep pitchers ever to come out of the state of Delaware, but injuries allowed him to reach campus ultimately. The right-hander has great stuff evidenced by a 65-grade fastball and an above-average wipeout slider when he’s feeling right. Bilous was a top-200 draft prospect in 2018 according to MLB Pipeline.
In 104.2 innings with Kannapolis last year, Bilous posted a 3.70 ERA over 31 games. His 4.31 xFIP was also impressive despite averaging 5.25 BB/9. He also struck out almost 10 hitters per 9 innings. He has always battled command and control issues and also struggles with his release point and repeating his delivery at times. Bilous had great success in shorter stints as an amateur showing lightning stuff while pitching in the Cape Cod League. His future could ultimately be in relief but he was slated to begin the 2020 season as a member of the Winston-Salem Dash rotation in the High-A Carolina League.