Chicago White Sox: Top 10 Rookie-Eligible Prospects for 2018

We have reached the point of the offseason where prospect lists abound. We continue our top 10 prospects for every team with the Chicago White Sox!

Our team top 10 prospect lists at Call to the Pen are spearheaded by Benjamin Chase. Today, he gives us the top ten prospects for the Chicago White Sox.

This season, we will be going through teams by division, in order of 2017 record. The AL East will be first, followed by the AL Central and AL West. Then the focus will shift to the National League in the same order.

The format will be as it was last season for the same lists, with a system review, which will include last season’s list. The top 10 will follow in reverse order, two players per page in order to give adequate space to each player. Major trades or international signings will lead to an updated top 10!

Finally, don’t go away after #1 is revealed as each list will also contain a player either signed in the 2017 international free agent class or drafted in 2017 that isn’t part of the top 10 and should be tracked. Last season’s mentions in that area made over half of the top 10s this season, so this is a great way to get to know a player who could be making a big splash in the organization.

System overview

Last year’s list

The Chicago White Sox were the news of the 2016-2017 offseason in the way tat the Miami Marlins are the news of this year’s offseason, though many will say that the White Sox were able to get peak value for each of their trades. It took their farm system from a bottom 10 system to a top 5 system.

Before mid-season the team was in a good debate for the #1 overall farm system, but as players graduated to the major leagues in Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, and Reynaldo Lopez, the system’s depth (or lack thereof) was notable in their deals that they made over the summer, not quite getting the same level of talent back that graduated, leaving the Sox as a very, very talented organization, but also as a system that is very top-heavy.

That said, the guys below the top 4 in the system are a mix of high-risk, high-ceiling types or low-risk, high-floor types, and there could certainly be major league value still to pull out of that group as well. It’s a fun system for sure.

Let’s take a look at that system….

Next: #9 and #10

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

6. Dane Dunning, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/20/1994 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Kannapolis Intimidators, high-A Winston-Salem Dash
2017 Stats: 26 GS, 144 IP, 2.94 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 6.3% BB, 27.8% K

Info: Dunning was a tremendous selection by the Washington Nationals with their pair of top 30 draft picks in the 2016 draft after a career at the University of Florida that was overshadowed by being on one of the deepest college rotations in recent memory.

After a pro debut that saw him impress heavily, Dunning was part of the deal that sent Adam Eaton to Washington, though many saw him as the third piece of the deal. In many eyes, however, he’s the one guy who has the best shot to start long-term.

Dunning isn’t a guy that will work into triple digits, but he still can reach 96 with his heavy sinker, working in the low-90s frequently and generating a ton of ground balls with the pitch. Dunning’s slider seemed to move from plus to “just” above-average in 2017, but when it’s at its best, he gets a good amount of swing and miss with the late movement on the pitch.

Dunning also works with a change that works well with his sinker. He did see some inconsistency in the change this season that was based in some struggles in keeping himself on top of his pitches and tall throughout his delivery. His fastball’s actions worked well enough, even without the best of deliveries, but the slider and change both lost some of their crisp-ness, and certainly they were driven more.

Dunning’s top end control and pitch offerings have him evaluated as a mid-rotation guy. I think he’s got a top-end possibility of a Brad Radke type of a career, where he could front a rotation due to his ability to provide a consistent start every five days. He’ll be at AA Birmingham in 2018, and he could push for what should be a young, talented rotation in 2019 for the White Sox.

5. Blake Rutherford, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 5/2/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Charleston RiverDogs (Yankees), low-A Kannapolis Intimidators
2017 Stats: .260/.326/.348, 440 PA, 2 HR, 10 SB, 38/76 BB/K

Info: Rutherford’s pretty left-handed swing caught the eye of scouts heading into the 2016 draft, and he was considered one of the top high school prospects for most of the pre-draft process, though concerns about the power potential in his swing along with his advanced age for his class (19 when he was drafted) allowed Rutherford to fall to the Yankees at the 18th overall selection of the first round.

After a .351/.415/.570 line between two levels in his draft year, many felt the Yankees had pulled off a steal, and when he opened 2017 with 8 hits in the first 4 games of the season, he was being pumped up as a possible top 25 prospect by the end of the season. However, he never really had the power show up in 2017.

When watching Rutherford this season, it was obvious that he was working a process, not worrying tremendously about his raw numbers

Though Anderson has some different footwork stuff going on ahead of his swing, from the point where their feet are on the ground and swing is moving forward, Rutherford has a very similar swing to Garrett Anderson, and most people would be overjoyed to have an Anderson result out of Rutherford (one 30-HR season, four 40-2B seasons, career .293 hitter).

When watching Rutherford this season, it was obvious that he was working a process, not worrying tremendously about his raw numbers. This was most obvious after he was moved to the White Sox, as he struggled to a .205/.287/.244 line in August, but he wasn’t expanding his zone and was really working at attacking what he could attack (10.2% walk rate, 14.8% strikeout rate on the month). Impressively, his strikeout rate went from 20.7% in the first half of the season to 12.8% in the second half.

Rutherford may not be a centerfielder in the long run, which may put more pressure on some power developing, but his gap power has been evident to this point, and he is an obvious student of hitting, which should serve him well as he opens in high-A Winston-Salem in 2018 with a good chance to move to AA midseason if he can continue his underlying progress.

Next: #3 and #4

4. Luis Robert, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 8/3/1997 (20)
2017 teams/levels played for: Dominican Summer League White Sox
2017 Stats: .310/.491/.536, 114 PA, 3 HR, 12 SB, 22/23 BB/K

Info: One of the most dynamic players to come out of Cuba (many evaluators compared Robert very favorably to Yoan Moncada when both came over from Cuba), Robert was signed with a significant $26 million signing bonus this past May. Robert was able to put up impressive performances in multiple international competitions that got him on the radar of big league teams.

Due to some tax reasons, Robert did not come state side this season, which makes evaluating him a bit more difficult. He was older than most of the players he faced in the DSL, though he certainly showed an advanced approach at the plate, which is what led to his .491 on base.

Robert has tremendous talent, and could legitimately be argued to have the most upside of any player in the White Sox system

Robert in scouting terms has plus raw power with plus raw speed that he’s learned how to utilize better on the bases and in the field. His arm is above-average and his contact ability is also viewed as above-average as well, giving him a true five-tool talent base.

One of the questions that was not addressed during his DSL stint this year was how Robert will handle premium velocity and premium breaking stuff. While he’s shown good zone judgement on all pitches, he’s struggled in contact with premium velocity and hard breakers in international competition. He did not see enough of either in the DSL to truly get a view on how that could translate.

Robert has tremendous talent, and could legitimately be argued to have the most upside of any player in the White Sox system. Certainly, within the system, he’s part of a definite top 4 of the system that could be ordered in multiple ways. He’ll likely be pushed all the way to full-season ball, and possibly even to high-A Winston-Salem, which would be a comfortable hitting environment for him to make a pro debut.

I’d wager that if he opens with Winston-Salem, he’ll spend most, if not all, of the season there in 2018. He could have a midseason move if he opens the year with low-A Kannapolis.

3. Alec Hansen, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 10/10/1994 (23)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Kannapolis Intimidators, high-A Winston-Salem Dash, AA Birmingham Barons
2017 Stats: 26 GS, 141 1/3 IP, 2.80 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 8.6% BB, 32.4% K

Info: At 6’7″ and 240ish pounds, Hansen cut an imposing figure on the mound as a collegian. There was no question why he was one of the top 2-3 arms considered for the 2016 draft before the 2016 collegiate season kicked off. Then he simply lost the ability to locate any of his pitches.

Hansen got hold of things by the end of the college season, but the damage had been done already, and he fell to the 2nd round where the White Sox took a chance on him. Hansen then simply blew away everyone last season, striking out nearly 40% of hitters across three levels and keeping his walk rate under 10%.

He built on that success in 2017 with a full season of performance. He flashed excellent command on the season, even when he did tally up some walks this season.

Hansen works with an impressive mix of a fastball that can reach the upper 90s in velocity and gets excellent plane and late movement low in the zone. He works with a hard curve that is absolutely brutal to both sides of the plate, and his change has really come a long way, with excellent sink on the pitch as well. He’s worked with some grips of a cutter or slider this year as well, which would really give him four velocity points that hitters would have to be ready for.

While Kopech is viewed as the elite arm in the system, the distance between Kopech and Hansen is really not as much as many would think based on national hype. Hansen will likely spend at least the first half of the season with Birmingham, but he could be a big factor in the 2019 rotation.

Next: #1 and #2

2. Michael Kopech, RHP

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 4/30/1996 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: AA Birmingham Barons, AAA Charlotte Knights
2017 Stats: 25 GS, 134 1/3 IP, 2.88 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 11.8% BB, 31.3% K

Info: Kopech is known for his fastball, an incredible heater that can range into the triple digits deep into a start was part of the return for Chris Sale from Boston, where he had a pair of issues that led to some claiming he was an off-field issue (suspension for amphetamines and a broken hand due to a clubhouse fight).

The Chicago White Sox (and many spoken to since the trade) have lauded Kopech’s attitude and work ethic, and with his elite velocity, that gives him an upside that nearly no one else in baseball can match. However, his issues with control of his slider and his four-seam fastball have kept him from ascending to the point of one of the 3-5 best prospects in the entire game.

Don Cooper and his minions within the Chicago White Sox organization worked diligently with Kopech over 2017 on two things – first on his pitch repertoire, and second on his inconsistent delivery.

On his repertoire, the slider and four-seamer remain, of course, but the team added in a two-seam fastball to generate sink on the ball and create ground balls. This also worked in some adjustment in his change up to have it pair off of the sinking fastball more, which would allow for a fourth pitch that could at least generate weak contact, if not swing and miss.

In the delivery, work still remains, but one positive was that the team saw the inconsistency in his arm slot iron out throughout the year, and that allowed him to have a more consistent idea of where the break on his pitches would occur, but lack of control at times in his delivery still led to control issues.

Kopech has the type of repertoire that would be akin with Noah Syndergaard‘s, though he doesn’t have Thor’s size or locks, but he will have to get the control in line or he will end up in the middle to back of a rotation due to his inconsistency rather than an ace like he could be.

Kopech should open 2018 in AAA and will likely spend the majority of the season there.

1. Eloy Jimenez, OF

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 11/27/1996 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: high-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs), high-A Winston-Salem Dash, AA Birmingham Barons
2017 Stats: .312/.379/.568, 369 PA, 19 HR, 1 SB, 35/72 BB/K

Info: Quite simply one of the premier talents in all of baseball, acquiring Eloy is a big reason that the Chicago White Sox system will remain in the top 5 after graduating 3 top 25-30 prospects during the season. Jimenez has one of the elite power bats in baseball.

It is impressive to consider that the Cubs in one July 2nd period signed both Gleyber Torres and Eloy Jimenez, both of whom will be top 20 prospects this season. Both were utilized in playoff runs rather than playing at the major league level, but they were certainly used to acquire valuable pieces.

Jimenez simply did what have begun to be known as “Eloy things” this season

Jimenez simply did what have begun to be known as “Eloy things” this season. He knocked out lights in a light stand during a home run derby, made ridiculous catches, and all the time seemed to be having an incredible amount of fun while doing it all.

Many have compared the 6’4″, 205 pound Eloy to Manny Ramirez for his personality and his tremendous ability to contact the ball from the right hand side. While he doesn’t have Manny’s contact ability, the power and the demeanor around the game, including what has become legendary work ethic before games.

Eloy will begin 2018 in AA again, but it would not surprise if he not only worked his way up to AAA, but also earned some big league at bats at the end of the season.

Next: Newcomer to watch

2017 Acquisition: Evan Skoug, C

Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 10/21/1995 (22)
2017 teams/levels played for: Arizona Rookie League White Sox, low-A Kannapolis Intimidators
2017 Stats: .232/.333/.427, 96 PA, 3 HR, 11/36 BB/K

Info: Skoug was the emotional anchor of TCU’s team the last couple of years, and after a long season at the collegiate level, he didn’t get a ton of exposure to pro ball in his debut, but that surely doesn’t reduce the impact that Skoug could have in the near future for the White Sox.

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The Chicago White Sox signed Skoug to an above-slot bonus after selecting him in the 7th round of June’s draft. Skoug was considered one of the top 50 draft prospects by most, and was considered a legit 2nd/3rd round option, so to get him 207th overall was considered a coup by many around the draft prospecting community.

Skoug didn’t have a lot of pro time to show different, but his big calling card will be his power bat to all fields from the left side. Skoug is a catcher that does the little things well, but isn’t in an elite defensive class by any means, but he could stick there as a pro.

The bat and his contact ability along with his ability to handle a pitching staff well in spite of not having a perfect defensive reputation will get him far before any issues arise with his long-term position. If he would have to move, some have thought he could end up in left field if not at catcher, but he is the type of guy who could adapt well to pro coaching and be able to at least be an offensive-minded backup.

Next: White Sox sued by Fowler

So that is the Chicago White Sox top 10 prospects for 2018. Who is too high? Too low? Missing entirely from the list? Comment below!!