Cohen: End of season awards for the 2022 Charlotte Knights

Jeff Cohen just completed his second season covering the Charlotte Knights for FutureSox. Below are his 2022 end of the season awards.

MOST IMPROVED

It is easy to pull for Zach Remillard — he dedicated himself to turning around his baseball career last off-season, and he more than pulled it off.  Though frequently hitting out the 9-hole, Remillard led the team in OBP (.373) and walks (57) and was second on the team in runs scored (83).  His batting average, at .280, is 87 points higher than his first go-round in Triple-A.  His baseball IQ, along with his position versatility (he played first, second, short, third and left this year) and willingness to do all the little things that can win a baseball game are the reasons he has the chance to be a valuable bench piece for an MLB club.

White Sox fans probably have a bit of prospect fatigue with Blake Rutherford but he has taken a step forward this season and for the first time in his career is looking like he’ll turn into the power-hitting left-handed bat that befits his first-round draft pedigree. Rutherford ended the year with 13 homers, 26 doubles and a slash line of .271/.310/.428.

MR. CLUTCH

You can go with Mark Payton here and not get an argument, given his amazing second half of the season.  But Carlos Perez has been as consistent as a hitter can be from day one, and led the International League as the toughest player to strike out.  He continues to improve defensively and will battle Zavala for the back-up catcher’s job next spring.

MR. PERSONALITY

There are a lot of fun personalities on this team, but Kyle Kubat has an enthusiasm about baseball — and life — that is infectious.

MOST PROMISING RELIEVER

The White Sox did not need to reach too deep into the Knights’ bullpen for emergency arms this year, as Tanner Banks, Bennett Sousa, Anderson Severino and Matt Foster proved to be more than enough guys to man the shuttle between Charlotte and Chicago.

I’d give this award to Hunter Schryver, because he had the best year statistically and had big-league potential in his near future, but he unexpectedly retired a few weeks before the end of the season.  

As a result, the award goes to…two relievers: Andrew Perez and Zach Muckenhirn, who were both among team leaders in appearances, WHIP and batting average against.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Kudos to the White Sox for recognizing the upside of Davis Martin and moving him from Birmingham to Charlotte — and then up to Chicago on nine different occasions.  Davis had solid stats in the majors, appearing in 12 games, making 7 starts and tossing 56 innings, with a 1.20 WHIP and .239 batting average against.

BIGGEST UPSIDE: POSITION PLAYER

Last year, I gave this honor to Micker Adolfo.  I thought a full year in Triple-A would finally improve his bat-to-ball skills to the point where his massive power would make a difference for a big-league club.  Now I’m a lot less sure, though I’m pulling for him to break out — he remains one of the nicest guys on the team.

So this year I’m pivoting to Lenyn Sosa.  I love the power in his bat — across two levels, he hit 23 homers in 2022,  along with a .315 BA and a .369 OBP.   There’s a lot to like here, and he appears well on his way to tapping his potential.  I’m betting his next go-round in Chicago will be dramatically different.

A LOOK BACK ON THE KNIGHTS’ SEASON

It is a recent pattern with the Knights: mediocre pitching and a lot of losses.  And, most importantly, successfully answering the call when the White Sox needed a fill-in.

In particular, Jake Burger stepped in nicely for Yoan Moncada, Davis Martin was solid in his spot starts, Seby Zavala surprised a lot of White Sox fans with his rejuvenated bat, and Romy Gonzalez’ roller-coaster season took a surprising turn with his successful end-of-the-year call-up.

But none of that made the team in Charlotte any more competitive.  Woefully short on starting pitching all year, the Knights frequently rolled out six, seven or eight relievers a game.  At least one or two guys were typically having off nights, and a stout Knights’ offense usually found itself in too big of a hole early.  Hence, a record of 58-92.

There was an exciting stretch in August when the pitching staff kept games close and the offense pulled off several late-inning rallies, including a doubleheader with two walk-offs.  The team went 15-8 in that stretch and it was the best baseball of the season, though the pitching staff couldn’t sustain it.

So who are the future big leaguers?

On the mound, there’s not a lot of obvious candidates who appear to be ticketed to Chicago, as John Parke took a step back after a promising end to his 2021 season, and fellow starters Kade McClure and Jason Bilous transitioned to multi-inning reliever roles.

Johan Dominguez looked good early before an injury led to Tommy John surgery.  Veteran Wes Benjamin got off to a great start with the Knights before cashing out and heading to the KBO.

In the pen, there were times when Kyle Kubat, Declan Cronin, Zach Muckenhirn, Lincoln Henzman, JB Olson, Lane Ramsey and Andrew Perez looked promising, but none demonstrated the consistency necessary to advance just yet.  I’m especially intrigued by some late-season additions: waiver claim Nicholas Padilla and Birmingham call-ups Sammy Peralta and Edgar Navarro.  

Perhaps one or more guys will break out in Spring Training 2023, much like Tanner Banks and Bennett Sousa did this year.  But it’s anyone’s guess who it might be.  Matt Zaleski praised Declan Cronin so that’s good enough for me.

Among non-pitchers, the White Sox usually stock Charlotte with older players who have a bit of MLB experience and that was the case again this year, with guys like Mark Payton and Nick Ciuffo.  Payton, of course, thrilled us with exceptional baseball as he combined a red-hot bat with unmatched effort and great baseball IQ.

But this year’s edition of the Knights featured some noteworthy higher-end prospects as well, led by catcher Carlos Perez and two middle infielders, Lenyn Sosa and Yolbert Sanchez, all three of whom had solid years and and appear on the verge of the big leagues — perhaps as soon as next season.

Perez’ ceiling may likely be that of a perennial back-up in the big leagues, but he was among the toughest guys to strike out in the International League, and those elite bat-to-ball skills could surprise on the upside.

Likewise, I love the thump in Sosa’s bat (he hit 23 HRs in Birmingham and Charlotte this year).  That power could prove to be quite an asset if his glove is solid enough to play second base for the White Sox next year.  It could be an interesting battle between he and Romy Gonzalez in the spring.  

Yolbert had a solid year, hitting .280, but with only 20 extra-base hits.  Yet Chris Johnson and others think the power is there and will begin to show itself, so we’ll see if 2023 is a break-out year for the Cuban infielder.

Speaking of Gonzalez, he, along with Micker Adolfo, Blake Rutherford and Zach Remillard, all made return appearances this year in Charlotte, with varying degrees of success.  

Before his call-up to Chicago, Gonzalez had trouble staying healthy enough to even get on the field, with just 121 ABs all year long for Charlotte.  Meanwhile, Remillard’s turnaround season was a thrill to watch, such that he could eventually find himself being a utility guy for a big-league club, though it may not be the White Sox, given the logjam of middle infielders ahead of him in the queue, plus his free agency.

Rutherford probably won’t be a White Sox in 2023 either, but there’s always a place in baseball for a power-hitting lefty, and for the first time, he’s starting to look like one.  As for Adolfo, he posted another year with a disappointing strikeout rate (35.4%) — and prodigeous power.  There are a lot of routine fly balls that just eke their way out of Trust Field, but there was never any doubt on any of Adolfo’s big blasts.

Finally, for the rest of the roster, I suspect 2022 is the end of the line for two power-hitting lefties, Craig Dedelow and Tyler Neslony, as well as infielder Laz Rivera, outfielder Adam Haseley, and catchers Xavier Fernandez and Nick Ciuffo, though it is possible one or two return to the Knights next year for another go.  

First things first

I have no idea how the White Sox are going to fix their roster this off-season.  But we all know the team needs better outfield defense, a second baseman and more left-handed hitters.  

So come Spring Training, I have to believe right field is Oscar Colas’ job to lose, Carlos Perez and Seby Zavala will be battling for the back-up catcher’s job, and Lenyn Sosa or Romy Gonzalez are going head-to-head for second base.

Back in Charlotte, I’d anticipate seeing another wave of top prospects at some point in 2023 including Sean Burke, Jose Rodriguez, Colson Montgomery and Yoelqui Cespedes.  I can only hope the Sox find some free-agent, minor-league starting pitchers to join them.

What about Jake?

I just don’t know how Jake Burger fits into the 2023 White Sox.  How much do the White Sox value him?  Jake enjoyed success in Chicago early, filling in for an injured Moncada, but the league seemed to find the holes in his swing just before some tough-luck injuries kept him sidelined much of the second half.

And, finally, a big Thank You!

This was a great season!  Yeah, there was some really poor pitching and a ton of losses.  But, lest you forget, there was NO minor-league baseball in 2020 and last year I was masked full-time, even on the field, with limited access to players and coaches.  So, yeah, for me, this was a terrific season.

I continue to be amazed by how hard Triple-A players work at their craft, how good they are, and how much pressure they are under to find a way to earn a big-league roster spot.  I’m increasingly convinced that so much of their success at this level hinges on their mental strength, especially the ability to handle adversity.

And yet the Knights players and coaches took time out to talk to me, even during their toughest struggles, and for that I am indebted.