The Arizona Fall League takes place at the end of Major League Baseball’s regular season and Minor League Baseball’s Triple-A season. Operated by MLB, the AFL plays host to the game’s notable prospects who are close to Major League ready and/or are in need of more live reps prior to their respective season’s conclusion.
The Chicago White Sox will send eight of its farmhands to Arizona, as competition begins October 2. Players include: RHP Adisyn Coffey, RHP Josimar Cousin, LHP Jake Eder, LHP Fraser Ellard, RHP Jordan Leasure, SS Colson Montgomery, 3B Bryan Ramos and OF Jacob Burke. They will play on the Glendale Desert Dogs.
Announcing the 2023 Glendale Desert Dogs! #AFL23 pic.twitter.com/oygiIe0hxH
— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) September 22, 2023
THE PITCHERS
Adisyn Coffey (RHP)
The White Sox implemented a draft strategy that included spending $7.5 million of their allotted $7.764 million worth of slot in the abbreviated 2020 draft on left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet and right-handed prep starter Jared Kelley. Adisyn Coffey was the team’s third round draft pick that year and signed for $50,000, which was below the $733,100 slot of pick No. 83.
Seldom do we see stories of success regarding prospects who signed severely under slot, but Coffey is proving to be an exception. The White Sox were intrigued by Coffey’s athleticism, as the Wabash Valley Community College (Ill.) product showcased an ability to pitch, hit and play the field. Once a member of the organization, Coffey operated strictly as a reliever.
The right-hander didn’t get started as a professional until 2022, where he pitched often as a closer in 32 games in Low-A. He began 2023 at Advanced-A Winston-Salem and finished with 29 strikeouts and a 1.143 WHIP over 21 innings. By mid-July, Coffey was pitching in Double-A. The walks and hits allowed ticked up a bit, but the strikeouts remained consistent across his 25.2 innings. The White Sox challenged the 24-year-old this year and he faces another test in Arizona following a career-high 46.2 innings pitched.
Josimar Cousin (RHP)
Josimar Cousin was a late international signing during the 2023 season for the Chicago White Sox. From Havana, Cuba, Cousin made his stateside debut in June where he spent time briefly in the Arizona Complex League before heading to Winston-Salem.
The 25-year-old traditionally pitched to contact during his time in Cuba. However, Cousin managed one strikeout per inning across his 10 starts in High-A. He finished with a 5.37 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP as a member of the Dash. Cousin then threw nine innings across two Double-A starts before his Arizona Fall League assignment.
The White Sox can afford to be aggressive with Cousin’s development, as his age and experience in Cuba offers a proximity to the Big Leagues that’s closer than many of his teammates.
Jake Eder (LHP)
Jake Eder got a late start to his 2023 season due to a foot fracture that occurred in the latter part of March. He also missed the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery, so the Miami Marlins were already going to tread lightly with the left-hander. Following nearly 30 innings pitched in Double-A in 2023, the White Sox called and acquired Eder for third baseman Jake Burger.
The 6-foot-4, 215 pound lefty got roughed up in his first experience at Birmingham, but managed to add 17.1 innings to his season total. He finished the year with 56.2 innings and looks to head into the offseason on a high note by participating in the Arizona Fall League.
Eder was among baseball’s top prospects in his first year as a professional in 2021. Miami aggressively assigned him to Double-A where he produced a 1.77 ERA and a 0.981 WHIP across 71.1 innings with 99 strikeouts, 27 walks and only 43 hits allowed. He is currently ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the system, according to our most recent mid-season top 30 list. Here’s to wishing him a full offseason of health and a fresh start in 2024, where a Big League debut is realistic.
Fraser Ellard (LHP)
Fraser Ellard was drafted by the White Sox in the eighth round of 2021 and has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen across three levels. The 6-foot-4 lefty was assigned to Double-A, but dealt with several injuries that interrupted his season.
Ellard is nearing 100 innings pitched for his career over three seasons. Command has been an issue dating back to his time in college, but his quiet mechanics and low-three-quarters delivery offers optimism his issues can be shored up. There won’t be a better time for the soon-to-be 26-year-old to participate in the Arizona Fall League, as he looks to catch up on time missed in 2023 and showcase to the White Sox that his stuff can hold up against strong competition.
Jordan Leasure (RHP)
Jordan Leasure was among three players acquired by the White Sox after trading Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Leasure comes in as the No. 23 prospect on our top 30 list.
The freshly-turned 25-year-old has spent his professional career as a reliever and offers an upper-90’s fastball paired with a high-80’s slider. As a member of the Dodgers, Leasure accumulated 153 strikeouts in 104 innings across three seasons. He was assigned to Triple-A by the White Sox and struggled to the tune of a 6.57 ERA, but managed 22 strikeouts in 12.1 innings.
THE POSITION PLAYERS
Colson Montgomery (SS)
Regarded as one of the best 30 prospects in baseball according to outlets such as ESPN, The Athletic, Baseball America and Major League Baseball Pipeline, Colson Montgomery is convincing evaluators that he is the future shortstop of the Chicago White Sox. He is the top prospect in the system and has been since he was drafted No. 22 overall in 2021.
Montgomery missed nearly all of the first half of the MiLB season in 2023 due to a back issue. After a brief rehab stint in the Arizona Complex League where he hit .353 with a 1.099 OPS in 34 at-bats, the 21-year-old bullied his way through Advanced-A competition. Montgomery slashed .345/.537/.552 with three home runs, three doubles and 20 walks compared to 15 strikeouts in 17 games at Winston-Salem.
He was assigned to Double-A Birmingham on August 1 and played exclusively at shortstop. His advanced command of the strike zone remains on display at the highest level of competition he’s faced, as the left-handed hitter notched a .402 OBP and .435 slugging percentage across 119 plate appearances. It’s fair to anticipate his arrival to 35th and Shields at some point in 2024.
Bryan Ramos (3B)
Listed as the No. 4 Sox prospect in our rankings, Bryan Ramos showcased his impressive skillet by slashing .272/.369/.457 (.826) in his first full season at Double-A. He had a scorching month of August, hitting .306 with a .510 slugging percentage thanks to five home runs and five doubles. Ramos remains on the White Sox’s 40-man roster and turns 22 in March.
Of the 77 Double-A contests Ramos appeared in, he played third base in 64 of them. The rest were at designated hitter.
Fans in attendance know when Ramos is at the plate, as his loud contact skills echo throughout the ballpark. He offers pop to all fields in his compact and controlled swing. Throughout 2023, Ramos launched 14 home runs and 10 doubles as a member of the Barons, while striking out 75 times compared to 38 walks. Since entering the organization as a 17-year-old in 2019, Ramos has tallied 54 home runs, 62 doubles and 10 triples across 367 games.
Jacob Burke (OF)
Jacob Burke was drafted in the 11th round of what is looking like a strong 2022 White Sox draft class. Burke brought his confidence from the University of Miami over to the White Sox and is proving to be a quick riser. The 22-year-old will play in the Arizona Fall League following his first full season as a professional.
In his draft season, Burke didn’t skip a beat when assigned to Low-A Kannapolis, as he slashed .269/.380/.410 in 22 games. He added to those numbers by hitting .315 with a .928 OPS in 35 Kannapolis contests before his call-up to High-A Winston-Salem. He slowed down only slightly across 50 games, as the centerfielder finished hitting .281 with a .771 OPS.
Burke has the makeup of a Major League ball player. To learn more about him, read James Fox’s feature, as he talked to Jacob Burke prior to the 2023 season.