Not only am I excited about the many talented ballplayers in single-A Kannapolis and Winston-Salem, I am equally enthused that managers Pat Leyland and Guillermo Quiróz are teaching their teams how to play winning baseball.
There’s no coincidence that the White Sox big-league club runs into outs on the bases, doesn’t seem to know how to move base runners at critical times and generally has a low baseball IQ that turns wins into losses. It’s fair to question whether or not these skills were emphasized in their development.
But that may not be an issue when the next wave of Sox minor leaguers moves up to the big-league squad. Leyland and Quiróz are solid baseball guys who recognize that player development is more than just at-bats and fielding reps. It is also about trying to win games, and learning to do all the little things that make that possible.
Quiróz, the Winston-Salem manager, told me it is no coincidence that both minor-league teams have that winning approach — the two managers worked closely together in Spring Training and had conversations specifically about it.
Burke, Cousin Get Coveted AFL Spots
Each MLB team can only send about a half-dozen or so minor leaguers to play in the fall league in Arizona, so the guys who are selected are among players each team thinks have pro futures.
Two members of the Winston-Salem Dash are getting a couple of those highly sought-after spots: Jacob Burke and Josimar Cousin.
Burke, of course, jumped onto the radar this season by reaching base in 52 straight games (35 in Kanny and 17 more in Winston-Salem), breaking the White Sox minor-league record set last year by Colson Montgomery.
The 11th-round draft pick in 2022 out of the University of Miami hits second in the Dash batting order, and his .372 OBP is an important part of the team’s offensive success.
Cousin, meanwhile, was signed out of Cuba as a free agent in late May. Because of his late start to the season, he’s only logged 41 innings, so the AFL assignment is a way for him to extend his season and add innings. But his development needs to be fast-tracked a bit because he’s already 25 years old and this is a step in that direction as well.
The only other White Sox minor leaguer yet to be confirmed for the Arizona Fall League is Colson Montgomery, who lost a big chuck of the season to a back injury.
Every Time I Think I’m Out, They Pull Me Back In!
The Charlotte Knights ran out of healthy starting pitching around the all-star break and the wins have been few and far between ever since. Their games got tougher and tougher to watch, so I began catching more games in Kannapolis and Winston-Salem, and I’m so glad I did. It has been a delight getting eyes on so many new, young White Sox players.
Now, with a two-week homestand for the Knights beginning this week, I figured I’d catch one or two games, mostly to see my pals at the ballpark, and then call it a season.
Not so fast! The White Sox promoted Cristian Mena, Nick Nastrini and Jose Rodriguez to Charlotte. The Knights are once-again must-see baseball, and I’ll happily be there!
The Dodgers And Their Ability To Develop Pitching
The White Sox have a number of pitchers who came through the Dodgers’ system, and they all say the same thing — the Dodgers made them better pitchers.
I am aware of four guys who spent time in the LA organization — Aldrin Batista, Cole Duensing, Nick Nastrini and Jordan Leasure — but I suspect there are more. (If you know of others, please let me know.)
If I were Chris Getz, I’d swallow my pride and pick the brains of his former Dodger pitchers. What could it hurt?
That’s very good news and let’s hope the White Sox will have a winning ball club again
On the subject of Dodger pitching development success, I have long held the opinion that, if you can identify successful scouts and teachers in other organizations, it is money very well spent to hire them to the White Sox for whatever it takes to get them. Compare that to the many millions spent on young players who are a bust.
Agree!!!