FutureSox MiLB Team of the Month for August 2022

By / / FutureSox

As the first week of September wraps up, it’s time to take a look back at some standout performances within the White Sox farm system during the month of August. No. 4 prospect Lenyn Sosa put together a remarkable stretch at Triple-A Charlotte, while No. 7 prospect Jose Rodriguez made massive strides at the plate with Double-A Birmingham.

Let’s dive into the full lineup:

Catcher — Tyler Osik (A+/AA)
1.107 OPS, 14 RBI, 189 wRC+

Unranked catcher/first baseman Tyler Osik put together a dynamic month of August, highlighted by a 1.107 OPS and 189 wRC+. The 25-year-old backstop delivered a remarkable .382/.444/.727 slash line across 16 games and earned himself a promotion to Double-A Birmingham on Aug. 23. Osik, whom the White Sox selected in the 27th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Central Florida, homered in back-to-back games to begin the month and recorded a career-high 10 total bases in an 8-0 win for Hi-A Winston-Salem on Aug. 3. This marks his first appearance in the Team of the Month lineup.

First Baseman — Raudy Read (AA/AAA)
.933 OPS, 13 RBI, 141 wRC+

August marked another strong period of production for veteran Raudy Read, who posted an OPS above .900 for the third consecutive month. The former Washington Nationals backstop delivered homers in each of his final two games with Double-A Birmingham before he earned a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte on Aug. 23. Read, 28, matched his season-high with four hits in a 13-5 loss for the Barons on Aug. 21. The White Sox signed the Dominican native to a minor-league contract in March. This marks his third consecutive entry in the Team of the Month lineup.

Second baseman — José Rodriguez (AA)
9 HR, 1.181 OPS, 198 wRC+

Despite seeing his season end due to a hamate injury, White Sox No. 7 prospect Jose Rodriguez is a clear choice at second base. The 21-year-old middle infielder torched Double-A pitching over 80 plate appearances to the tune of a 1.181 OPS. Rodriguez, whose 198 wRC+ in August ranked second among all qualified players within the White Sox system, miraculously homered in five consecutive games between Aug. 12-17. The Dominican native, whom the White Sox signed for just $50,000 in 2018, nearly doubled his walk rate from 6.9 percent (season-long) to 12.5 percent (August). Rodriguez concluded the 2022 season with 38 extra-base hits, 68 RBI and 40 stolen bases. After struggling in the opening months of the season, Rodriguez has now made consecutive appearances in the Team of the Month lineup.

Third Baseman — Wes Kath (A/AA)
.876 OPS, 9 XBH, 138 wRC+

White Sox No. 16 prospect Wes Kath logged a standout 138 wRC+ to earn the nod at third base for the second time this season (May). The 2021 second-round pick collected nine extra-base hits throughout the month and homered in back-to-back games (Aug. 7-9) for the second time in his professional career. Kath, 20, earned a promotion to Double-A on Aug. 23 as part of the White Sox “Project Birmingham.” He recorded four multi-hit efforts in his final seven games in August.

Shortstop — Lenyn Sosa (AAA)
.380 AVG, 1.206 OPS, 213 wRC+

White Sox No. 4 prospect Lenyn Sosa absolutely terrorized Triple-A pitching throughout the month. The 22-year-old middle infielder, who also spent a brief period of time with the big-league club in August, delivered an eye-popping .380/.446/.760 slash line with Charlotte, as well as a 213 wRC+. Sosa homered in back-to-back games twice during the month and has reached base safely in 17 of his past 18 Triple-A games dating back to the start of August. This marks his second Team of the Month honor this season (May).

Outfield — Mark Payton (AAA)
1.052 OPS, 13 XBH, 172 wRC+

Veteran outfielder Mark Payton continued to crush the ball at Triple-A Charlotte to earn his second Team of the Month recognition (May) this season. The Orland Park, Illinois, native posted a dynamic 1.052 OPS throughout the month on the strength of 13 extra-base hits. He also recorded more walks (13) than strikeouts (11). Payton, 30, appeared in one game, drew a walk and scored in his lone appearance with the big-league club after his contract was selected by the White Sox on Sept. 2. He reached base safely in 15 straight games to close the month.

Outfield — Oscar Colás (AA)
6 HR, 15 RBI, 116 wRC+

Oscar Colás continued to drill Double-A pitching to the tune of six homers and a 116 wRC+ in August. The White Sox No. 2 prospect earned an entry in the Team of the Month lineup for the fourth time this season (May, June, July). Colás, a 23-year-old outfielder, recorded back-to-back games with home runs twice in August (four times in total this season). He hit safely in nine of his final 10 games and logged an impressive .341/.370/.477 slash line in that span. The Cuban native eclipsed both the 20-homer and 70-RBI marks just a few days later in September.

Outfield — Micker Adolfo (AAA)
.333 AVG, .990 OPS, 162 wRC+

Unranked outfielder Micker Adolfo showed again why he has the potential to make an impact at the next level. Perhaps in part due to a new, more open stance at the plate, the 25-year-old delivered a standout .990 OPS throughout August and reached base safely in all but one start. He closed the month on a 12-game hit streak, during which he slashed .357/.438/.643. This marks Adolfo’s first appearance in the Team of the Month lineup this season.

Starting Pitcher — Sean Burke (AA)
21.0 IP, 0.95 WHIP, 16.29 K/9

White Sox No. 9 prospect Sean Burke strung together a few solid starts in August to earn the Starting Pitcher of the Month honor. The 2021 third-round selection struck out at least six batters in all five outings and maintained an absurd 16.29 K/9 rate throughout the month. Burke, 22, fired five scoreless frames with nine punchouts and zero walks in a win for the Barons on Aug. 23. He surrendered just 0.86 HR/9 in August, as well.

This isn’t Burke’s only monthly honor, by the way.

Relief Pitcher — Andrew Perez (AAA)
11 G, 0.92 WHIP, 14.54 K/9

Unranked left-hander Andrew Perez provided a steady presence out of the bullpen at Triple-A Charlotte to earn Reliever of the Month Recognition. The 6-foot-2 southpaw racked up 14 punchouts in 8.2 innings of work and recorded an impressive 0.92 WHIP in August. Perez, 25, held a scoreless streak which spanned 13 appearances between June 27 – Aug. 25. He tallied three holds and limited opponents to a .133 clip at the plate throughout the month. The White Sox selected Perez in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of South Florida.

Honorable mentions