FutureSox MiLB Team of the Year

Despite the season-long struggles of its upper-tier pitching, the White Sox farm system produced a number of important developments throughout the 2021 campaign. Romy Gonzalez’s meteoric rise through the ranks, along with impactful seasons from Gavin Sheets, Jake Burger and Yoelqui Céspedes, among others, highlighted a largely successful year for the pipeline.

Let’s take a dive into the FutureSox MiLB Team of the Year:

*For the purposes of this piece, all MLB numbers are excluded for Gavin Sheets, Jake Burger,  Romy Gonzalez and Mike Wright. The statistics listed are through the conclusion of MiLB’s regular season.

Catcher — Carlos Pérez (AA) — 107 G, .264/.313/.418, 22 2B, 13 HR, 59 RBI, 102 wRC+

• Double-A catcher Carlos Pérez provided some unexpected production at the plate to earn the Catcher of the Year honor. The 25-year-old Venezuelan backstop ranked third in the Double-A South Division with 22 doubles. Pérez, who amassed just seven total home runs in 307 career MiLB games prior to the 2021 campaign, belted 13 homers with the Barons this season, which ranked second among Double-A South catchers behind only Braves No. 2 prospect Shea Langeliers.
  
  His 59 RBI paced all catchers in the division, and he continued to show a knack for putting the ball in play, as evident by his notable 10.2 percent strikeout rate. Pérez also nabbed an impressive 42 percent of baserunners and allowed just three passed balls throughout the course of the season. Pérez, who profiles as a backup catcher at the major-league level, will require protection on the 40-man roster in 2022. The White Sox rewarded him with a bump to Triple-A Charlotte for its “Final Stretch” campaign.

First baseman — Gavin Sheets (AAA) — 60 G, .295/.362/.507, 15 2B, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 131 wRC+

• Despite his struggles against left-handed pitching, White Sox No. 6 prospect Gavin Sheets has every look of a contributor for a big-league club. The 25-year-old first baseman enjoyed quite the season at Triple-A Charlotte and posted a stellar 131 wRC+ in 60 games with the Knights. It marked the fourth consecutive MiLB season in which Sheets logged a wRC+ of at least 120. He ranked first or second on the club in a plethora of offensive categories (min. 60 games), including batting average (.295), OBP (.362) and OPS (.869). Sheets saw his smooth swing from the left side translate to the major-league level, and his defensive flexibility (1B, LF, RF) is a welcome addition to his profile.

Second baseman — Yolbert Sanchez (A+/AA) — 99 G, .308/.352/.419, 13 2B, 9 HR, 42 RBI, 5 SB, 112 wRC+

• White Sox No. 17 prospect Yolbert Sanchez showed an advanced, mature approach at the plate in his first taste of full-season ball, and quickly moved from Hi-A to Double-A, where he finished the season. The 24-year-old middle infielder posted the second-lowest strikeout rate (among qualifiers) in the Hi-A East Division at the time of his promotion to Birmingham on July 20. Sanchez, who signed for $2.5 million in July 2019, boasted impressive figures in his introduction to Double-A pitching to the tune of a .343/.369/.469 slash line in 39 games with the Barons, which translated to a 132 wRC+. The Havana, Cuba, native saw plenty of action at both second base (423 innings) and shortstop (316 innings) this season, as well as a sprinkle at third base (22.1 innings). He’ll likely begin the 2022 season in Birmingham, but could see a quick bump to Triple-A if his bat-to-ball skills continue to play.

Third baseman — Jake Burger (AAA) — 75 G, .279/.328/.524, 16 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 51 RBI, 122 wRC+

• Undoubtedly the best story within the White Sox system, Jake Burger tore up Triple-A pitching this season and made his major-league debut July 2. Burger, who earned the No. 4 spot in FutureSox’s midseason Top 30 list, finally enjoyed a (largely) clean bill of health after two significant Achilles injuries, as well as a bruised heel, kept him off the diamond since 2017. The former first-round selection belted 17 homers and boasted a .524 slugging percentage with the Knights in 2021. In an attempt to circumvent injuries and expand Burger’s defensive profile, the White Sox tested him out at second base for a brief period in June. Burger recorded a 122 wRC+ in Triple-A this season and made his big-league debut July 2.

Shortstop — Romy Gonzalez (AA/AAA) — 87 G, .275/.357/.525, 15 2B, 23 HR, 57 RBI, 22 SB, 141 wRC+

• Romy Gonzalez saw a meteoric rise through the ranks throughout the 2021 season, which culminated in his major-league debut in September. The 25-year-old shortstop, who had not played above Low-A prior to the start of the campaign, became Double-A Birmingham’s first member of the 20-20 club since Aaron Rowand (2000).
  
  Just a day after he accomplished the feat, Gonzalez received a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte, where he promptly homered twice in his debut and collected eight RBI across his first two games. Gonzalez, whom the White Sox selected in the 18th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Miami (FL), transformed his body throughout the pandemic layoff and immediately reaped the results. He concluded the season with a remarkable 141 wRC+ and ascended to the No. 16 spot in FutureSox’s prospect ranks after he began the season unranked. Gonzalez has a chance to be incorporated into a Major League utility role in 2022.

Outfield — Luis Mieses (A/A+) — 110 G, .270/.312/.463, 31 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 104 wRC+

• The 2021 season marked an interesting one for White Sox No. 28 prospect Luis Mieses, a toolsy, yet streaky outfielder who looked overmatched in his first month against Hi-A pitching (.155/.189/.366) before he dropped down to Low-A Kannapolis. Mieses, 21, showed solid bat speed with the Cannon Ballers, as well as impressive arm strength. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, native batted .305/.347/.463 in Kannapolis and earned a second crack at Winston-Salem in August. Mieses amassed 49 extra-base hits and 74 RBI in total this year, and his sub-20 percent strikeout rate for a fourth consecutive season remains an encouraging sign of his development.

Outfield — Yoelqui Céspedes (A+/AA) — 72 G, .285/.350/.463, 20 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 18 SB, 121 wRC+

• Following some visa issues, which delayed his arrival to a stateside affiliate, White Sox No. 2 prospect Yoelqui Céspedes delivered a successful debut within the system. The 23-year-old outfielder, who participated in the Futures Game in July, hit safely in 18 of his final 21 games at Hi-A Winston-Salem before he earned a promotion to Double-A Birmingham in August.
  
  Céspedes batted .298 in 27 games at the cavernous Regions Field, and showed he can handle advanced pitching. The Yara, Cuba, native, who signed for $2.05 million in January 2021, showed smart tendencies on the basepaths and swiped 18 bases across the two levels. His strong arm and unquestioned athleticism makes him a likely corner outfield candidate at the big-league level, although he spent nearly the whole season in center field this year, where he committed just two errors in 347.1 innings.

Outfield — Micker Adolfo (AA/AAA) — 95 G, .249/.314/.529, 23 2B, 24 HR, 64 RBI, 3 SB, 124 wRC+

• White Sox No. 15 prospect Micker Adolfo enjoyed a resurgent 2021 campaign in which he produced a career-high .843 OPS with 48 extra-base hits. The 25-year-old outfielder earned a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte on July 21 and continued to put his raw power on display with 10 homers in just 40 games. Adolfo posted a standout .577 slugging percentage over the final two months of the regular season. Perhaps one of the more intriguing aspects of his stat line — Adolfo recorded a 124 wRC+ across the two levels in spite of a 34.6 percent strikeout rate. He is out of options following the conclusion of the 2021 season and the White Sox will have a decision to make about the 6-foot-4 slugger.

Starting pitcher — Emilio Vargas (AA) — 15 GS, 83.2 IP, 7 W, 2.90 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 10.65 K/9, 3.62 FIP

• Unranked right-hander Emilio Vargas provided a steady presence in Double-A Birmingham’s rotation throughout the 2021 season. The 25-year-old, whom the White Sox claimed off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks in November 2020, produced an impressive 2.90 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 21 appearances (83.2 IP), as well as a career-high 10.65 K/9 rate. Vargas allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of his 15 starts this season. He’s a late bloomer who should be expected to begin the 2022 season at Triple-A Charlotte and could potentially provide a spot start or two, if needed, at the big-league level.

Relief pitcher — Anderson Severino (AA/AAA) — 37 G, 42.2 IP, 2.32 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 10.76 K/9, 3.18 FIP, 5 HLD, 4 SV

• Left-handed reliever Anderson Severino excelled in his first year as a member of the White Sox organization. The 27-year-old southpaw was utterly dominant over his final 20 appearances to the tune of a 0.77 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 11.19 K/9 rate. Severino, an original signing of the New York Yankees in 2013, began the season at Double-A Birmingham before he earned a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte on Aug. 24. He collected five holds, secured four saves in five opportunities and finished 15 games between the two levels this season.

Honorable mentions

• 1B/3B Wilfred Veras (ROK) — 46 G, .322/.416/.533, 16 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 3 SB, 147 wRC+
• 2B/3B Bryan Ramos (A) — 115 G, .244/.345/.415, 23 2B, 6 3B, 13 HR, 57 RBI, 13 SB, 109 wRC+
• SS Jose Rodriguez (A/A+/AA) — 111 G, .301/.338/.469, 27 2B, 5 3B, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 30 SB, 115 wRC+
• OF Alex Destino (A+) — 105 G, .231/.323/.448, 15 2B, 3 3B, 21 HR, 60 RBI, 105 wRC+
• OF Mikie Mahtook (AAA) — 98 G, .263/.328/.543, 18 2B, 25 HR, 60 RBI, 7 SB, 126 wRC+
• OF Tyler Neslony (AA) — 38 G, .355/.444/.678, 16 2B, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 203 wRC+
• SP Kade McClure (AA/AAA) — 22 GS, 100.1 IP, 4 W, 4.40 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 9.69 K/9, 4.30 FIP
• SP Mike Wright (AAA) — 16 GS, 95.1 IP, 7 W, 3.40 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 8.50 K/9, 4.14 FIP
• RP Zach Muckenhirn (AA) — 30 G, 40.2 IP, 1.77 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 9.30 K/9, 5 HLD
• RP Caleb Freeman (A+/AA) — 39 G, 44.0 IP, 3.27 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 11.25 K/9, 9/11 SV/SVO

Photo credit: Jason Lowenthal/FutureSox

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