It’s been a while since we saw Minor League Baseball. After the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season and with the subsequent re-alignment of the minor leagues in general, lots has changed since we last saw organized minor league action. Fortunately, the wait is about to end as the MiLB season is set to get under way in the upcoming week. The White Sox Double-A affiliate in Birmingham will see its first pitch tonight, on May 4, 2021, when the Barons host the Biloxi Shuckers, Milwaukee’s Double-A team, at Regions Field.
This Birmingham Barons will be led by manager Justin Jirschele in 2021. The 31-year-old manager was tabbed to be Birmingham’s skipper prior to the canceled 2020 season, but had to wait a year before actually being able to take the reigns. He will be assisted by veteran pitching coach Richard Dotson and hitting coach Cam Seitzer. Seitzer was supposed to be the hitting coach for the now-defunct Great Falls Voyagers in 2020. Instead, he will take on the same role in Birmingham. He replaces Charlie Romero, who was re-assigned to Kannapolis for the 2021 season.
There are several interesting players on the Birmingham Barons in 2021, players who are worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses. Overall, this does not seem like a team destined for greatness, but individually, there are plenty of storylines that intrigue. Here is what the Barons will look like at the start of the 2021 season.
Opening Day ages of the players are listed in parentheses.
Top 30 Prospects
No. 14 Micker Adolfo.
Adolfo is also the only Baron who is on the 40-man roster.
Pitchers
Blake Battenfield (RHP, 26), Cooper Bradford (RHP, 23), Jake Elliott (RHP, 26), Ofreidy Gomez (RHP, 25), Alec Hansen (RHP, 26), Lincoln Henzman (RHP, 25), Will Kincanon (RHP, 25), Luis Ledo (RHP, 25), Alejandro Mateo (RHP, 27), Kade McClure (RHP, 25), Zach Muckenhirn (LHP, 26), John Parke (LHP, 26), Andrew Perez (LHP, 23), Konnor Pilkington (LHP, 23), Keyvius Sampson (RHP, 30), Anderson Severino (LHP, 26), Bennett Sousa (LHP, 26), Peter Tago (RHP, 28), Emilio Vargas (RHP, 24).
The Barons will carry no fewer than 19 pitchers on the roster to start the season, and most of them are above the average Double-A age of 24 years old. Cooper Bradford is making the biggest jump, as he goes from the Arizona League to Double-A. He posted a 4.80 ERA in 8 starts for the AZL White Sox in 2019, so he will be an interesting name to follow. Ofreidy Gomez came over from the Royals organization, for whom he pitched in Double-A and Triple-A in 2019. Other new faces in the organization are Alejandro Mateo and Emilio Vargas, both of whom previously reached as high as Double-A in the Marlins organization. Zach Muckenhirn came over from the Baltimore Orioles, where he saw brief Triple-A action. Keyvius Sampson last pitched in the Giants organization, and Anderson Severino spent the previous years with the Yankees.
Back for another go-around in AA are several familiar names. Blake Battenfield, Jake Elliott, Alec Hansen, Lincoln Henzman, John Parke and Bennett Sousa all return to Birmingham (though Sousa only pitched 2.2 innings for the Barons in 2019 and spent most of that season with Winston-Salem). Former 47th overall draft pick for the Rockies Peter Tago kinda-sorta also makes a comeback to Alabama, but he last pitched for the Barons in 2016, then spent 2017 at Double-A Arkansas (Mariners), before missing all of 2018 and spending 2019 in an independent league.
Will Kincanon, Kade McClure, Andrew Perez, Konnor Pilkington and Luis Ledo move to Double-A after spending 2019 in High-A with Winston Salem. McClure has been turning some heads and will be an arm to follow closely as the season progresses. It will also be interesting to see what happens with Perez’ strikeout rate, as he struck out more than a batter per inning in Winston-Salem in 2019. Third round draft-pick from 2018 Konnor Pilkington also gets his first taste of Double-A, after a decent 2019 with Winston-Salem.
Catchers
Xavier Fernandez (25), Carlos Perez (24), Gunnar Troutwine (25)
Xavier Fernandez was acquired as a free agent back in early 2020 and it is somewhat surprising he was assigned to Double-A. In 2019, Fernandez spent the majority of his season with the Omaha Storm Chasers in the then-PCL and he performed well enough to consider Triple-A for 2021. Instead, he will joing Carlos Perez and Gunnar Troutwine as one of three catchers the Barons will carry to open the season. Perez spent his last full season with Winston-Salem and earned the promotion to Birmingham, as he performed well. Troutwine, a 9th round draft pick from 2018, spent 2019 with Kannapolis and now gets to skip Winston-Salem. He is one of several aggressive promotions by the White Sox, heading into the minor league season.
Infielders
Samir Dueñez (1B, 24), Ti’Quan Forbes (IF, 24), Romy Gonzalez (2B, 24), JJ Muno (SS, 27), Zach Remillard (3B, 27), Laz Rivera (SS, 26), Mitch Roman (2B, 26)
Ti’Quan Forbes returns to Birmingham for his second year. Forbes, acquired in the Miguel Gonzalez trade with Texas in 2017, has been with the organization for four years, but is still only 24 years old. The former second round draft pick of the Rangers hit for a .660 OPS in 2019, so look for him to attempt to take steps forward this year. Romy Gonzalez spent 2019 with Kannapolis and gets his first attempt at Double-A. JJ Muno returns to the Barons, but after a long absence. The 27-year old got eight at-bats in 2018, before spending 2019 with Winston-Salem. Samir Dueñez signed with the White Sox in December 2019, after having spent the majority of his career in the Royals organization (and 70 at-bats with Cincinnati’s Double-A in 2019). Remillard, Rivera and Roman have all spent time with the Barons before, most recently in 2019 and all with varying success.
Outfielders
Micker Adolfo (24), Ian Dawkins (25), Craig Dedelow (26), Jameson Fisher (27), Zack Granite (28)
Aside from the nifty chronological order the Barons put their outfielders on their roster, the Barons outfield is mostly worth monitoring because of Micker Adolfo. Despite having been around seemingly forever, the muscular slugger is still only 24 years old. Though his development has not been the same since the elbow surgery, a few seasons ago, there is still plenty to look for in Adolfo in 2021. Ian Dawkins makes the jump to Birmingham from Kannapolis, where he spent 2019 and performed well. Craig Dedelow moves up the ranks from Winston-Salem, while Jameson returns to the Barons for the first time since 2018. After a disappointing season, the White Sox returned the former 4th rounder to Single-A in 2019, where he also struggled. There is hope that a second attempt at Double-A will be more succesful. Zack Granite is the only new organization face on the roster. He spent 2019 in Triple-A with the Nashville Sounds (then Texas Rangers, now Milwaukee Brewers).
And then there is, of course, Yoelqui Cespedes. The White Sox’ new prized international signing is dealing with some visa issues and has not been assigned to an affiliate yet. He is expected to join Birmingham’s roster once the visa situation is resolved, but for now, we don’t know where he will play. Once we do, we will report it here.
Photo credit: Sean Williams/FutureSox
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