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Credit: Dan Victor/FutureSox

2024 White Sox Affiliate Preview: Winston-Salem Dash (High-A)

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The Winston-Salem Dash weren’t very successful last season but some top White Sox prospects did make their way through North Carolina. The Dash posted a .737 OPS as a team which placed them ninth in the South Atlantic League overall. In a 12 team league, they also finished 11th on the pitching side after posting a team earned run average of 5.38.

The starting pitching staff should be much better in 2024 and some of the highest ranked prospects in the White Sox’s system will be starting their seasons with the Dash.

Four of the top 30 prospects on our pre-season list will occupy spots in the rotation and there are others on the staff who were profiled on our just missed list as well. The offensive side consists of two of the best prospects in the organization as well. Outfielder Samuel Zavala was acquired in the Dylan Cease trade and shortstop Jacob Gonzalez was selected with the 15th overall choice in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Guillermo Quiroz will serve as the manager for the Winston-Salem Dash this season. Darius Day, a former Amateur City Elite (ACE Program) member and Toronto Blue Jays’ draftee and minor leaguer, will make his professional coaching debut as the bench coach for the Dash. He attended Simeon Career Academy in Chicago and played in 169 minor league games. Jim Rickon is a veteran hitting instructor who is joining the Dash after a stint in the Cincinnati Reds organization. John Kovalik will be the pitching coach after joining the White Sox’s organization from the Houston Astros. Logan Jones will be the Performance Coach.

Here is the initial roster (ages in parenthesis).

Starting Pitching (White Sox)

  1. Juan Carela (RHP, 22)
  2. Tanner McDougal (RHP, 20)
  3. Peyton Pallette (RHP, 22)
  4. Noah Schultz (LHP, 20)
  5. Tyler Schweitzer (LHP, 23)

All five of these starters have ranked on various top prospect lists this winter. Peyton Pallette and Tyler Schweitzer were both members of the 2022 draft class in the second and fifth rounds respectively. Pallette threw 72 innings in his return from Tommy John surgery and he posted a 4.13 ERA in 22 starts. His stuff wasn’t all of the way back after looking like a future first rounder while pitching at Arkansas. The righty struck out 78 while walking 41 and this will be an important year for him to increase the innings load. Schweitzer posted a 4.08 ERA while striking out 121 hitters in 107.1 innings last year. He profiles as a back end starter.

Tyler Schweitzer – Credit: Dan Victor/FutureSox

Tanner McDougal is a 20-year-old right-hander who threw 69.1 innings last year in his return from elbow surgery as well. The former Nevada prepster posted a 4.15 ERA in 21 starts. He struck out 80 hitters and walked 43 overall. McDougal could really take off this year and he has excellent stuff but he’ll need to decrease his walk rate significantly. The White Sox acquired Juan Carela from the New York Yankees at the trade deadline and he posted a 3.34 ERA in 32.1 innings after the trade. His strikeout rate decreased once he got to the organization but he punched out 136 guys in 115.2 innings last season.

The main attraction for the Dash however will be 20-year-old lefty Noah Schultz. The White Sox selected the local product in the first round of the 2022 draft and he now looks like one of the best left-handed starters in the minors. The southpaw posted a 1.33 ERA in 27 innings with Kannapolis last season but he was sidelined twice for minor injuries.

Schultz struck out 38 batters while walking just six on the year. The organization will look to ramp Schultz up to 85-100 innings and their plan is different and interesting. The lefty will be used as a weekly starter and will open his season as the Saturday guy, similarly to what he’d be doing as a college starter.

Relief Pitching (White Sox)

  1. Eric Adler (RHP, 23)
  2. Cole Duensing (LHP, 25)
  3. Zach Franklin (RHP, 25)
  4. Riley Gowens (RHP, 24)
  5. Everhett Hazelwood (RHP, 24)
  6. Ernesto Jaquez (RHP, 24)
  7. Chase Plymell (RHP, 25)
  8. Jose Ramirez (RHP, 23)
  9. Johnny Ray (RHP, 25)
  10. Garrett Schoenle (LHP, 25)
  11. Jonah Scolaro (RHP, 25)
  12. Kohl Simas (RHP, 24)
  13. Vince Vannelle (RHP, 26)
  14. Norge Vera, (RHP, 23)
  15. Frander Veras (RHP, 25)

Eric Adler is the most well known prospect of the bunch in the bullpen and he returns to the Dash to start the seson. The righty throws really hard with great stuff and hes battled command since being selected in the sixth round out of Wake Forest a few years back. He profiles as a high-leverage option if it all comes together. Cole Duensing is a former Angels’ farmhand with a 97 mph fastball and above-average changeup. Zach Franklin was selected in the 10th round out of Missouri last July and he threw 11 innings in the system while striking out 18 in his debut.

The White Sox used a minor league Rule Five selection on Jose Ramirez this past December. He was used primarily as a starter in the Boston system and posted a 3.80 ERA in 90 innings in A ball last year with 20 starts. Ernesto Jaquez was a minor league Rule Five pick the previous year from Houston and he struggled in 37 innings before getting hurt last year. Chase Plymell threw nearly 68 innings last year and Everhett Hazelwood is returning to the Dash after accumulating 49.1 innings as well.

Johnny Ray throws pretty hard but walks too many guys and Frander Veras is returning to Winston-Salem as well. In 55.2 innings in Double-A, Jonah Scolaro posted lots of strikeouts and walks last season. He’ll be in the South Atlantic League to begin this time around. Garrett Schoenle has pitched out of the bullpen and contributed in a starting role in the past. The southpaw really struggled in 102.2 innings for the Barons last year. Cuban righty Norge Vera begins the year on the 60-day injured list while righties Kohl Simas and Vince Vannelle will be shutdown for the entirety of the 2024 season.

Infielders (White Sox)

  1. Mario Camilletti (24)
  2. Loidel Chapelli (22)
  3. Jacob Gonzalez (21)
  4. Shawn Goosenberg (24)
  5. Wes Kath (21)
  6. Jordan Sprinkle (23)
  7. Bryce Willits (24)

21-year-old shortstop Jacob Gonzalez was the first round selection of the White Sox last July with the 15th overall pick. He struggled in his debut but he did show the on-base ability that he’s always possessed. The left-handed hitter implemented some swing changes this off-season and the organization feels that the switch will increase his power output. He projects to hit 20-25 homers potentially in the big leagues. Gonzalez was the starting shortstop for two years for the U.S. Collegiate National Team despite being a below-average runner. This will be a huge year for the Ole Miss product and he’ll be given every opportunity to stay at shortstop.

Loidel Chapelli has done nothing but hit since signing with the White Sox out of Cuba for $500K two years ago. The 22-year-old has played primarily at second base and he’s repeating High-A after 106 games with the Dash last year. The left-handed hitter slashed .254/.361/.411 with a 115 wRC+ while walking at a 13.1% clip and ten homers. Chapelli could make his way to Double-A in short order. Shawn Goosenberg and Bryce Willits are returning to Winston-Salem after solid signings and they’ll likely play a lot in corner infield spots.

Wes Kath signed for $1.8 million as an Arizona High Schooler after being selected in the second round of the 2021 draft. The 21-year-old has really struggled as a professional and he played in 95 games with the Dash last season. Kath possesses huge raw power from the left side but strikeout rates over 40% have negated much of it. He has hit 24 minor league homers.

Jordan Sprinkle is fast and can really defend on the infield but the former fourth rounder really struggled offensively in Low-A with the Cannon Ballers. Camilletti is a former eighth rounder from Central Michigan and posted a .790 OPS last year due to 98 walks across two levels of A ball. He could moonlight some in the outfield as well.

Outfielders (White Sox)

  1. DJ Gladney (22)
  2. Chris Lanzilli (25)
  3. Samuel Zavala (19)

The White Sox acquired 19-year-old outfielder Samuel Zavala as one of the primary pieces in return for Dylan Cease from the San Diego Padres in February. The 6-1, 175 pounder signed for $1.2 million out of Venezuela back in 2021 and he’s performed since. The left-handed hitter plays center field and could stay there with his range and plus throwing arm. Zavala struggled in 14 games in High-A last year but he was very successful in Low-A as a teenger.

Zavala hit .267/.420/.451 in 101 games in A ball last season. The outfielder posted a 140 wRC+ with 14 homers while walking at a 20% clip. His 89 walks ranked amongst the leaders in Low-A. There’s some swing and miss in Zavala’s game but he’s added real mass this off-season and he’s the best position player prospect on this team.

DJ Gladney will return to Winston-Salem as well after posting a 109 wRC+ with 19 homers for the Dash last season. The local product originally signed with the White Sox after being drafted out of Iliana Christian High School back in 2019. The now 22-year-old has played on the infield and in the outfield and the 6-3, 195 pounder possesses significant raw power. Chris Lanzilli returns to the Dash after playing 38 games with the Dash last year as well.

Catchers (White Sox)

  1. Weston Eberly (23)
  2. Colby Smelley (24)

2023 fourth rounder Calvin Harris was expected to be the primary catcher for the Dash in Winston-Salem this year but he’s still in Arizona recovering from an undisclosed injury. Colby Smelley posted a 105 wRC+ in 28 games with the Dash last year and he returns for the 2024 season. The 6-2, 195 pounder was drafted in the 13th round in 2021. Weston Eberly played in just eight Arizona Complex League games after joining the organization as a 16th rounder in last year’s draft.