2022 White Sox preseason individual top 30: Jason Lowenthal

1. OF Yoelqui Céspedes
2. SS Colson Montgomery
3. RHP Norge Vera
4. OF Oscar Colás
5. 3B Wes Kath
   
   I have very little against Colson Montgomery, and the high-end player comps for the kid are quite lofty, but I think we need to pump the brakes a little bit. Despite the contrary reports, I believe he’ll eventually need to move away from the shortstop position, and there are still questions about whether his hit tool will translate against advanced competition. One of the crucial pieces of information I look to in determining these rankings is a player’s ability to make adjustments, and Yoelqui Céspedes checked that box with flying colors last season:
   
   – First 15 games at Winston-Salem — batted .253 with a 36 percent strikeout rate
   – Next 25 games at Winston-Salem — batted .317 with a 23 percent strikeout rate
   – First 15 games at Birmingham — batted .236 with a .585 OPS
   – Next 12 games at Birmingham — batted .385 with a .967 OPS
   
   Beyond the numbers, his athleticism and speed were largely as advertised and he showed smart tendencies on the basepaths. Céspedes should continue to move through the system quickly and is well-deserving of the top spot in the system after a strong initial showing.
   
   
6. SS Jose Rodriguez
7. RHP Jared Kelley
8. 3B Jake Burger
9. RHP Sean Burke
10. OF Micker Adolfo
    
    Micker Adolfo remains the most polarizing player in the White Sox system. We know the story — jaw-dropping power, tantalizing arm strength and a laundry list of injuries. The Dominican outfielder, who played his first season stateside all the way back in 2014, is out of options and the White Sox were expected to give him a long look in Spring Training. Here’s why I continue to back Adolfo’s status as a Top 10 prospect in the system. Including last year, he’s had three seasons in which he’s been on the field for at least 70 games. In those three seasons, he’s produced wRC+ marks of 126, 137 and a 128 (Double-A) and 112 (Triple-A) last year. His OPS in those same three campaigns — .784, .833 and .832. As has always been the case with Adolfo, the numbers tend to speak for themselves. It remains a matter of whether he stays on the field, and he’ll get that opportunity to prove during the ramp up to the season, whenever that may be.
    
    A few more notes, Jose Rodriguez took massive leaps last season and showed an ability to impact the game on multiple levels. He made clear adjustments in terms of his pitch recognition and cut his strikeout rate from 23 percent in 2019 to 14 percent in 2021. Right-hander Sean Burke was my favorite selection from the 2021 draft class. I love his frame at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, and he’s got a significant floor as a high-leverage option. The slider looks good, and he already knows how to miss bats. He wants to attack hitters with a plus fastball and doesn’t appear afraid to throw it. If he continues to refine his changeup and knuckle-curve … watch out.
    
    
11. RHP Matthew Thompson
12. 2B/SS Yolbert Sanchez
13. RHP Jonathan Stiever
14. 3B Bryan Ramos
15. RHP Jimmy Lambert
    
    I’ll focus on Thompson and Sanchez here. Thompson, a prep arm from the 2019 draft, lost the zone in a good portion of his starts last season. He’s continuing to refine his changeup and a solid third pitch should go a long way toward his development. He was drafted on the basis of projectability and athleticism as a pitcher, and he still has plenty of time to make it happen, but this year will certainly be telling.
    
    I’m admittedly higher on Sanchez than most. I like his advanced, mature approach at the plate and I think he gained plenty of confidence in 2021. He posted the second-lowest strikeout rate (among qualifiers) in the Hi-A East Division at the time of his promotion last year and delivered a standout 132 wRC+ in nearly 40 games at the Double-A level. Sanchez followed it up with a dynamite showing in the Arizona Fall League, in which he batted .400 with a 1.048 OPS in 12 games. The White Sox do not have a long-term solution at second base on the current roster, and I think they’ll give Sanchez every opportunity to fill that role in due time. His ETA is still likely 2023, but I think there’s at least a half-decent chance he gets a look in 2022.
    
    
16. SS Romy Gonzalez
17. RHP Tanner McDougal
18. RHP Cristian Mena
19. OF Erick Hernández
20. RHP Andrew Dalquist
    
    I’ll start off by saying I hope Andrew Dalquist wildly outperforms this ranking and makes me look like a fool. Slotting him at No. 20 is in stark contrast to the rest of the crew here at FutureSox. I don’t think the lost year of development due to COVID-19 did him any favors (though he did spent time at the team’s alternate training site), and I haven’t seen nearly enough of the polish and maturity that characterized his draft profile. Dalquist’s HR/9 rate was exceedingly low (0.11) last year and is bound to elevate, which is concerning for a young pitcher still learning how to throw to professional hitters. His entire profile is about command and mixing his pitches effectively, and he struggled to check either of those boxes last season. Dalquist has time, of course, but I think there’s a serious danger he tops out as a Quadruple-A type of arm.
    
    Onto some other names from this section. There’s plenty to dream about with Cristian Mena. The swing-and-miss stuff and full arsenal of pitchers were on full display in Arizona last year. He knows the zone (76 percent strike rate), sometimes to a fault, which is partially why he got knocked around in his first taste of pro ball. I’d much rather him find the zone now and learn “pitchability” as he progresses than the other way around. He’s got a long way to go, but should be a really fun project to watch develop over the next few years. Dominican outfielder Erick Hernández presents plenty to dream on, as well, as evident by the eye-catching player comp to Juan Soto. He’s a major high-upside prospect and is definitely one to watch as he matures. In the limited clips I’ve seen, Hernández’s bat moves smoothly through the zone and the hit tool is everything you’d want it to be at his current age of 17. I wouldn’t be surprised in a few years if we’re talking about him as a Top 5 prospect in the system.
    
    
21. RHP Caleb Freeman
22. OF Luis Mieses
23. OF Misael Gonzalez
24. LHP Bennett Sousa
25. RHP Kade McClure
    
    A few intriguing arms in this section. Right-hander Caleb Freeman is one of my favorite relief-only prospects across the league. He shows a composed approach on the mound and filled the zone with ease last season, while also making strides with his curveball. The early returns in his brief time in Birmingham were very positive, and you hope the progress he made last year can continue into the upcoming season. If it does, he’ll be in Chicago sooner rather than later.
    
    Bennett Sousa is a surefire bet to contribute to the big-league club’s bullpen this season, and the White Sox confirmed that by adding the southpaw to the 40-man roster in November. Across equal periods of time in Double-A and Triple-A last season, Sousa dazzled to the tune of a 13.5 K/9 rate. He’s produced nothing but steady, reliable efforts out of the bullpen since Chicago selected him in the 10th round of the 2018 draft, and has handled every challenge presented his way.
    
    
26. SS Lenyn Sosa
27. 3B Wilfred Veras
28. RHP McKinley Moore
29. RHP Jason Bilous
30. 3B Victor Quezada
    
    The addition of Jason Bilous to the 40-man roster caught me by surprise, and it’s clear the Sox value the 24-year-old right-hander to some degree. However, command is still a struggle for Bilous, as he walked more than four batters per nine innings for the third straight season last year. I’m comfortable with him being rotational depth for now, but I think he’s better-suited as a full-time reliever, where he can lean on his fastball-slider combo.
    
    Wilfred Veras is the other interesting name at the back end of the rankings. The 19-year-old third baseman delivered a really strong showing in Arizona, and I appreciated his willingness to take pitches and see the ball out of the hand of the pitcher. He posted a 12 percent walk rate, which is impressive considering younger hitters can often overcompensate with aggressiveness at the beginning of their careers. Obviously, we still don’t know a ton about his game, given the small sample size, but this year should provide us with a good barometer to reference going forward.

Photo via Caleb Probst/FutureSox

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