It’s been an eventful year in the minor league system of the White Sox, as a lot has gone right. Two of the system’s top performers, pitcher Addison Reed and outfielder Brady Shoemaker, were promoted this week, and that means it’s a good time to look at what they’ve accomplished in 2011.
A third-round selection in last year’s draft, Reed was just promoted to Triple-A, his third promotion of 2011, which tells you all you need to know about how excellent he’s been.
Between last year and this year, here are Reed’s career stats: 89 innings, 53 hits, 19 runs (15 earned), 17 walks, 131 strikeouts. In Double-A, he had a 33/6 K/BB in 20 2/3 innings with just 10 hits and two runs allowed.
With a deadly fastball/slider combination, Reed looks like he can be an impact relief pitcher in the bigs in very short order. The only question is whether the White Sox will ever elect to try him as a starter.
Shoemaker isn’t considered a top prospect by any stretch, especially since he’s a 24-year-old who just got promoted to High-A. But that promotion was long overdue, as he’s raked in the Sally League for the better part of two seasons. In 195 games with Low-A Kannapolis, Shoemaker has hit .307/.390/.484. This season, he hit .319/.399/.493 at the level, with 11 home runs and 28 doubles in 99 games. He also controlled the strike zone well with a 78/43 K/BB.
Shomaker is limited to the outfield corners, but has some athleticism and is a solid defender in left. Obviously, his age works against him, but the former 19th-round pick has a solid track record with the bat, and if some of those doubles turn into homers, he could become a Matt Diaz sort of player. As it is, he’s already outperformed expectations for his low draft slot. The White Sox don’t have the best outfield depth in the minors, so he’ll get noticed if he keeps hitting.
We’ll see what these two players can do in the last few weeks of the season at their new levels.
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