Many teams stopped playing instructional league games, opting for mini-camp environments instead before the world was halted by a global pandemic. Most organizations changed course last year and the majority of them brought older prospects to participate due to the lack of instruction throughout 2020.
Things appear to be more traditional in 2021 and Baseball America is an incredible resource in providing detailed lists of instructional league rosters from Arizona.
Instructional league action began on Monday September 27 and clubs will participate throughout October until the season culminates on Saturday October 23. The Chicago White Sox play their games in Glendale, Arizona at Camelback Ranch which puts them in the western portion of the state. They are participating in the West Valley League along with the squads provided by the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres.
These games will provide some much needed reps for some of the youngest prospects in the White Sox’s system. Many of these players were drafted in the 2021 Draft back in July but others have been in the system prior.
Who is Going? (age in parenthesis)
Catchers: Jefferson Mendoza (21), Adam Hackenberg (22), Colby Smelley (21), Victor Torres (21)
Infielders: DJ Gladney (20), Shawn Goosenberg (22), Wes Kath (19), Colson Montgomery (19), Bryan Ramos (19), Wilber Sanchez (19), Wilfred Veras (18)
Outfielders: Benyamin Bailey (20), James Beard (20), Cam Butler (19), Logan Glass (21), Misael Gonzalez (20), Chase Krogman (21), Luis Mieses (21)
Every player on this roster is 21-years-old or younger. The position player group is highlighted by two of the highest ranked prospects in the system. 19-year-old shortstop Colson Montgomery was the 22nd overall pick in the 2021 draft and he’s currently the #1 prospect in the Pale Hose system. The 6-4 205 pound infielder played in 26 games for the Arizona Complex League club after signing his first professional contract. The former Indiana prep standout didn’t find hid power stroke in the desert but he did walk at a 12% clip. Montgomery posted a 112 wRC+ while slashing .287/.396/.362.
The front office doubled up on prep position players in the first two rounds of the latest draft and Wes Kath joined his classmate in the desert after being selected in the second round by the White Sox. The 6-3 200 pounder played primarily third base in Arizona and he really struggled offensively after a stellar high school season. Kath did hit three homers however. The duo is expected to comprise the left side of the infield for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in Low-A to begin the 2022 season. The rest of the infield will be made up of recent draftees and international signings.
DJ Gladney was selected in the 16th round of the 2019 draft and Shawn Goosenberg was added in the 19th round this past July. Bryan Ramos, Wilber Sanchez and Wilfred Veras are a trio of recent international signings who have shown myriad success in the system so far.
Ramos played the entire season as a 19-year-old in Low-A with Kannapolis and he produced a very solid season. The 6-2 190 pounder posted a 109 wRC+ with a 10% walk rate and 13 homers in 115 games. Ramos signed for $300K out of Cuba in 2018 and he skipped the Dominican Summer League, debuting stateside in 2019. In the Arizona League, the Cuban infielder posted similar numbers as a 17-year-old. He has played second and third base and will likely start the 2022 season in High-A with Winston-Salem.
Wilfred Veras is the son of former big leaguer Wilton Veras and the cousin of Fernando Tatis Jr. and he signed in the same class as Elijah Tatis for a total of $200K. The 18-year-old third baseman made his professional debut in the Arizona Complex League this summer and he put up a stellar campaign. The 6-2 180 pounder hit .322/.416/.533 with four home runs over the course of 46 games. The slugger posted a 147 wRC+ with a walk rate of nearly 12%. He’s an exciting young hitter and he should make his full season debut in 2022. Wilber Sanchez posted a 125 wRC+ in the DSL back in 2019 but struggled offensively this year. The 5-10 160 pounder can play shortstop defensively and he advanced to Low-A this summer.
DJ Gladney and Shawn Goosenberg round out the infield. Gladney is a 20-year-old third baseman who was drafted in the 16th round back in 2019. He had a solid debut in Arizona that year after slugging eight homers but there are real concerns over his strikeout rate.
In 2021, the 6-3 195 pounder showed some power and walked a lot but struck out at a 42% rate with the Cannon Ballers in 71 games. Gladney likely returns to Low-A Kannapolis in 2022. Goosenberg was selected in the 19th round of July’s draft out of Northwestern. The second baseman was stellar with a 140 wRC+ in the complex league but struggled in 23 games in A ball despite an outstanding walk rate.
The outfielders on the instructional league roster are comprised of recent draftees and international additions as well. One of the best stories of the minor league season for the White Sox was 2017 signing Luis Mieses.
The athletic Dominican struggled initially with his assignment in High-A at Winston-Salem. The 21-year-old was exceptional with the Ballers though and he carried over that success after returning to the Dash to close out the season. The 6-3 180 pounder projects in an outfield corner and belted 14 homers on the year. Another interesting development on the farm in 2021 was the emergence of 2019 12th rounder Misael Gonzalez.
Gonzalez signed for an over-slot bonus in the 12th round out out of a Puerto Rican Academy. The 6-0 175 pounder struggled in his initial foray into professional baseball back in 2019 but he was the best player on the ACL roster once things kicked off this summer in Arizona. The 20-year-old center fielder hit .311/.393/.595 and five homers which equated to a 151 wRC+. Gonzalez was promoted to Kannapolis to close out the year and he struggled in 31 games but hit three homers and walked a lot. He should begin the 2022 season back in Low-A. James Beard, Logan Glass and Chase Krogman were also members of the 2019 draft class.
Beard was drafted in the 4th round out of a small Mississippi high school and he was lauded for 80-grade run times and bat speed despite being a very raw baseball product. The 21-year-old strikes out way too much but he sported a solid 13.6% walk rate in Kannapolis while clubbing five homers. Beard played in 73 games for the Cannon Ballers and he could move to Winston-Salem to start 2022.
Glass was selected in the 22nd round after establishing himself as one of the better prep outfielders in the state of Oklahoma in advance of the 2019 draft. He possesses a strong throwing arm and bat speed but the 6-4 215 pounder has struggled at the plate in two seasons in rookie ball. He likely returns to rookie ball for a third season.
Krogman is one of the top 30 names on most prospect lists regarding the White Sox and he rebounded to close out 2021. The 5-11 180 pounder hits and throws left handed and shows plus power from a compact swing. His mechanics were completely out of whack for much of the season in Kannapolis but swing changes powered the 20-year-old down the stretch. Krogman was signed away from a Missouri State commitment in the 32nd round back in 2019 and he hit ten homers this year. He likely did enough to earn a promotion to start the 2022 season in High-A.
Benyamin Bailey and Cameron Butler are other young outfielders joining the group for instructs. Bailey really struggled in 2021 after a DSL breakout in 2019 and Butler is an athletic outfielder from California that was selected in the 15th round of the most recent draft.
There are four catchers on the instructional league roster as well. Two from the 2021 draft, a 2019 draftee and a former international signing make up an intriguing young group of backstops. Colby Smelley, Adam Hackenberg, Victor Torres and Jefferson Mendoza will all get plenty of work during league action. Mendoza was a $300K signing out of Venezuela that has seen some rookie ball success to start his career. He’s an adept game caller with a throwing arm. The 20-year-old struggled offensively in Arizona but increased his home run output with five. The 6-0 220 pounder also hit .305/.391/.484 with a 141 wRC+ in 33 games in 2019. Mendoza should make his full season debut in 2022.
Victor Torres was selected in the 11th round of the 2019 draft out of Puerto Rico and he was known for his excellent all around defensive skills. The 21-year-old has shown that plus, plus defense so far in the White Sox’s system but he has struggled at the dish. The 6-0 180 pounder began the season in Low-A with the Cannon Ballers and hit three homers while building strong relationships with the young pitching staff. After the draft however, Torres went back to the Arizona Complex League where he posted a 116 wRC+ in eight games.
Adam Hackenberg and Colby Smelley were late arrivals to their clubs but they got into the mix as well. Smelley was drafted out of Shelton State Community College and the 21-year-old caught some games in Arizona. Hackenberg was an SEC product out of Clemson and the 22-year-old batted .346/.384/.457 in Low-A. He posted a 130 wRC+ and showed off defensive skills as well.
Right Handed Pitchers: Taylor Broadway (25), Jerry Burke (23), Sean Burke (21), Zach Cable (22), Andrew Dalquist (21), Christian Edwards (23), Everhett Hazelwood (22), Jared Kelley (20), Tanner McDougal (18), Cristian Mena (18), Edgar Navarro (24), Noah Owen (21), Karan Patel (25), Johnny Ray (23), Yoelvin Silven (22), Kohl Simas (22), Matthew Thompson (21)
Left Handed Pitchers: Fraser Ellard (24), Brooks Gosswein (23), Ronaldo Guzman (18), Gil Luna (22)
Some of the young right handers in the system often get lumped together and I’m doing it again here. Matthew Thompson, Andrew Dalquist and Jared Kelley are all top ten prospects in the organization and they all struggled for the most part in 2021. They’ll get a chance to pitch this month in Arizona however and try to carry over some late season momentum.
Thompson and Dalquist were selected in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the 2019 draft out of Texas and California respectively. Thompson is the most athletic pitcher in the entire system and possesses better stuff. Dalquist employs a four pitch mix already his profile is much safer. Thompson posted a 5.90 ERA in 71.2 innings in Low-A this year while Dalquist posted a 4.99 ERA in 83 innings. Both guys pitched much better down the stretch and are on track to start next season with Winston-Salem in High-A.
Kelley was seen as a top 20 prospect in the 2020 draft and many were surprised when he fell to the White Sox at No. 47 overall. It was a steep asking price of $3 million but the organization paid it and successfully pushed the Texas prep down the board. 2021 was a disaster of a season for the 6-3 230 pound righty. He posted an ERA over 6.00 in Kannapolis and walked way too many hitters while only completing 21 innings. He was not as advertised but the 20-year-old has plenty of time to get it together. Shut down early due to a shoulder impingement, he’s expected to throw a bullpen session in Arizona this coming week. It might be back to the basics for Kelley as mechanical alterations just didn’t take. Better conditioning needs to be a priority but this is a young hurler with an elite fastball/changeup combination. He could repeat at Kannapolis to begin the 2022 campaign but he’ll need to prove that he’s healthy in instructs first.
2019 day three picks Jerry Burke and Karan Patel are on the roster as well in addition to some recent international signings. 18-year-old righty Cristian Mena, 19-year-old southpaw Ronaldo Guzman and 22-year-old righty reliever Yoelvin Silven will take part in instructs too. Mena is a top 30 prospect in the system and was the best pitcher the organization signed in the international class in 2019. The 6-2 170 pounder posted a 4.46 xFIP while averaging 11.5 K/9 and 3.91 BB/9 in 48.1 innings in Arizona. He made 12 starts and showed off a fastball that could be plus in the future. Mena should make his full season debut in 2022.
19-year-old lefty Ronaldo Guzman posted a 2.97 xFIP while averaging 13.24 K/9 pitching in the DSL in 2019. The 6-0 150 pounder struggled in the Arizona League this summer but he did punch out almost 11 hitters per nine innings in 39 IP. Silven is a 22-year-old reliever that throws hard. The 6-1 176 pounder threw at three minor league levels in 2021 but didn’t strike out enough batters.
The rest of the pitching staff is comprised of members from the 2022 draft class. Sean Burke and Tanner McDougal are the biggest attractions from the right side and southpaw Brooks Gosswein was their fourth round selection out of Bradley. Burke signed for $900K and was rated much higher by publications than the #94 pick where he was taken. The 21-year-old former Terrapin threw three flawless innings in the Arizona Complex League before earning the promotion to finish his season in Low-A with the Cannon Ballers. The 6-6 230 pounder posted a 3.21 ERA while averaging 12.86 K/9 but he walked too many guys. He’s an athletic righty with big stuff and he should start the 2022 season in High-A with the Dash.
Gosswein throws in the upper nineties from the left side and he might be the best southpaw in the system currently. The White Sox have had success improving lefties that they’ve drafted in recent years and Avery Weems, Konnor Pilkington and Bailey Horn were all used as currency in trades. The 22-year-old showed solid stuff in eight innings in Arizona and eventually in a nine inning sample with Kannapolis. The 6-2 205 pounder should join Burke in Winston-Salem to begin his first full season.
The 18-year-old McDougal is another prep pick for Mike Shirley’s crew and the Nevada product signed for $850K in the fifth round. He was lauded for a high spin breaking ball and the makings of an elite fastball after the draft. The 6-5 185 pound righty threw 9.2 innings in Arizona and put up big strikeout numbers while walking too many as well. He was unlucky as well, posting an ERA of 9.31 with a 3.56 xFIP. He should begin the 2022 season in Kannapolis with the Cannon Ballers.
25-year-old right Taylor Broadway was the closer at Ole Miss and advanced to High-A in the White Sox’ system already. Fraser Ellard and Gil Luna are a pair of lefties who were selected on day two out of Liberty and Arizona respectively. Ellard is a 6-4 205 pounder and he struck out 27 in 21 innings in Arizona and Kannapolis after signing. Luna Jr. was excellent in 15.1 innings as well. The 5-10 173 pounder racked up 24 strikeouts and didn’t give up a run in his debut. The trio could begin next season in Winston-Salem with the Dash. Day three of the draft produced more pitching as well and some of those names are listed on this roster as well.
Righties Christian Edwards of Jacksonville State and Johnny Ray of Texas Christian were the first two picks of day three and both took over-slot agreements to sign. Shirley discussed both players in a conference call with reporters after the draft. Noah Owen joins the instructs roster after being selected out of Golden West College in round 14 as well. Righties Zach Cable, Kohl Simas and Everhett Hazelwood joined the organization as undrafted free agents after the draft as well and the trio has varying levels of success initially. Simas racked up 23 strikeouts in 18 innings in Low-A. 24-year-old righty Edgar Navarro is on the squad as well.
The majority of the younger prospects in the system are taking part in fall instructs. There are a few names who aren’t there but it’s for good reason. Outfielder Yoelqui Cespedes, infielders Yolbert Sanchez and Jose Rodriguez and righty relievers Caleb Freeman and McKinley Moore will participate in the Arizona Fall League later this month.
Photo credit: Sean Williams/FutureSox
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