Chicago White Sox: Top 10 Rookie-Eligible Prospects for 2018
10. Gavin Sheets, 1B
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 4/23/1996 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: Arizona Rookie League White Sox, low-A Kannapolis Intimidators
2017 Stats: .279/.365/.397, 235 PA, 4 HR, 23/34 BB/K
Info: With major league bloodlines (his father is former Orioles power hitter Larry Sheets), Sheets had a monster season with Wake Forest in his draft year, smashing 21 home runs, nearly double his previous collegiate output. The White Sox were very pleased to nab Sheets in the second round.
Sheets did show some weakness to his powerful swing when he first hit pro ball, but that was in large part due to the fact that he was already four-plus months into baseball, having played an extended collegiate season as Wake Forest made the Super Regionals.
On top of his ideal launch-angle swing, Sheets also is able to play tremendous defense
Once he got his feet under him a bit, he showed off batting practice displays that truly allowed dreaming on his future potential, and his eye at the plate (nearly 10% BB rate with a sub-15% strikeout rate for a guy with a big power swing) portends very good things in his future.
Sheets has an idealized power swing that reminds me a ton of Carlos Delgado, and there is a ton to see as a comparison between the two in their swings and eyes at the plate. Obviously, Chicago White Sox fans would be overjoyed to have a guy who would threaten 500 career home runs with a career 138 OPS+.
On top of his ideal launch-angle swing, Sheets also is able to play tremendous defense around the first base bag with surprising range and very good hands at the position. For a guy who is 6’4″ and 225-240 pounds, that is very impressive.
Sheets will likely head to the Carolina League with high-A Winston-Salem in 2018, but if he is able to bring his power bat with him along with the strong eye, he will be in the upper minors quickly and could find his way to the South Side by the end of 2019.
9. Zack Collins, C
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 2/6/1995 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Winston-Salem Dash, AA Birmingham Barons
2017 Stats: .224/.370/.445, 471 PA, 19 HR, 87/129 BB/K
Info: Collins came out of college as one of the more divisive prospects in the 2016 draft, and he’s remained divisive as a pro prospect after the White Sox picked him 10th overall out of Miami.
Collins has two attributes that are nearly universally praised. He has above-average zone recognition and pitch recognition both, and he also possesses at least above-average power, if not plus power. It’s nearly everything else from there that gets hairy.
The biggest question on Collins was his ability behind the plate. To his credit, he’s put in significant time on that aspect of his game, allowing his plus raw arm to actually play up to plus in game at times, though it probably is more of an above-average arm when taking all games in consideration. His footwork is the significant area of need, both in his work in the running game, and in his work receiving and presenting pitches. He struggles with hard breaking stuff and top end velocity (and with multiple guys who can exceed triple digits in the system, that’s an issue) due to poor body positioning behind the plate.
At the plate, Collins generates significant power in his swing, and he has a great eye out of the hand with pitches along with the ability to hold up his swing if the ball tumbles out of the zone, but he also has some length to his swing, which brings concern that he might not be a guy who is able to hit for average.
As mentioned, Collins has already shown an excellent work ethic behind the plate, so it would be foolhardy to completely write him off with the talent he has. However, he will open again at AA Birmingham in 2018, and he will be 23, meaning it’s very feasible that he’s not making a significant push for MLB time until he’s 24-25, and that has to be considered in his overall prospect value.
Next: #7 and #8