MLB Debut: Chicago White Sox quartet leads debuts
A quartet of Chicago White Sox arms headline the MLB debut list for the past couple weeks
With plenty of players to make their MLB debut each week from now until the end of the season, we at Call To The Pen will start a weekly piece to review those players who debuted in the past week.
After missing one week, we have two weeks worth of players that made their debuts to be highlighted, led by a quartet of arms that debuted on the South Side for the Chicago White Sox.
MLB debut: Four Chicago White Sox
In his first season in the Chicago White Sox system, righty Ryan Burr has put up impressive bullpen numbers. Burr made his MLB debut on August 23 and has made 3 appearances, tossing 3 2/3 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits and no walks, striking out 2.
Originally drafted out of high school in Montana, lefty Caleb Frare lost two full seasons to injury before getting back on the mound in 2015. He came over to the Chicago White Sox from the Yankees this summer for international slot money. He made his debut on Sunday against the Red Sox, tossing a perfect inning, striking out a pair.
Not a big guy, Ian Hamilton was taken as an 11th round pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2016 out of Washington State and been an impressive reliever ever since. After saving 22 games between AA and AAA this year, he got the call to the big leagues. Hamilton got his first work on Friday against the Red Sox, tossing a perfect inning of relief.
One of the top 20 prospects in the entire game coming into the season, Michael Kopech has only ever struggled with getting his incredible stuff into the zone consistently. The Chicago White Sox have worked with him on varying his pitch selection and simplifying his delivery since getting him from Boston in the Chris Sale deal.
Kopech debuted against the Twins on August 21st, but he was rained out in the 2nd inning. He was given a chance for his first “real” start five days later as the Chicago White Sox traveled to Detroit. He’s made three starts now, and to his credit, his control has been great, but the weather has interfered twice now, as he has thrown 11 innings, allowing just 1 run on 11 hits and a walk, striking out 9.
The next group is a trio of top 100 prospects:
MLB debut: Top 100 trio
While many are pining for certain top prospects that are not going to be called up, there are a number of top 100 prospects that were called up in the last two weeks on top of Kopech.
Tall and lanky, 6’5″ lefty Stephen Gonsalves was drafted by the Minnesota Twins out of high school in California in 2013. He was ranked as high as the #78 overall prospect. One downfall of long and lanky is that so much of the delivery is arms and legs, which means consistency in the delivery can get off quickly.
Gonsalves found that issue in his first start as he lasted just 1 1/3 innings, getting hit hard by the Chicago White Sox on August 20th. He’s made two more starts since, and while he’s shown flashes of why he was a top 100 guy, the walks have been biting him. Overall, he’s tossed 10 innings, allowing 14 runs, 11 of them earned, on 19 hits and 10 walks, striking out 5.
The highest-ranked position player likely to get a late call-up for an MLB debut, Luis Urias is arguably the best contact hitter in the minor leagues at just 21 years old. He’s hit .306 for his minor league career since being signed out of Mexico.
This season could actually be viewed as one of his toughest years, as Urias has hit below .300, though he’s shown a ton of gap power ability. Urias reached base in his first 4 major league games after debuting on August 28th. He currently carries a 5/23 line, but he’s already collected a double and home run.
In an Atlanta Braves system loaded with pitching, Bryse Wilson was often overlooked and really first got his top 100 notice in midseason lists this year. He jumped up the Braves farm system this year, starting in high-A and making it all the way to the major leagues at 20.
Wilson made his MLB debut on August 20th against Pittsburgh as a starter, going 5 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 5. He has worked out of the bullpen in the minors since to prepare to possibly work as a reliever down the stretch for the Braves.
For those who weren’t elite prospects, we’ll look at those who also made their MLB debut, including a foursome of catchers:
MLB debut: Catchers
The grind of a long season typically leads to a third catcher being one of the call-ups for a major league club in September, so having multiple catchers make their MLB debut is no surprise.
Considered a polished catcher entering the season, Aramis Garcia has had the unfortunate role of being behind arguably the best catcher in the game with Buster Posey ahead of him in San Francisco. With Posey’s surgery leading to a cloudy future behind the plate, this next month could be an audition for Garcia.
If that’s the case, he nailed the first audition on Friday against the Mets, catching a shutout game behind the plate and going 2-4 at the plate with a home run and 2 RBI at the plate.
The Indians have relied heavily on their two catchers, so bringing up Eric Haase should allow them to get both guys rest as they prepare for the postseason. He got into his first game action on Sunday, picking up one at-bat against the Rays and finishing out the game behind the plate.
Beau Taylor has jokingly been called “Jake” by teammates in the minor leagues, a reference to the aged catcher character in the movie Major League, though perhaps Bull Durham might be a better reference for the 8-year minor league veteran who finally made his MLB debut on September 1 against Seattle as a defensive replacement in the 9th inning. He’s still waiting on his first plate appearance.
With a few options in the upper minors, a number of Royals insiders were surprised to see Meibrys Viloria get the call for September jumping all the way from high-A ball, but he made his mark already. He made his debut Sunday, going 1-3 with a double and a walk, driving in 2 runs and scoring one as well.
MLB debut: Other hitters
The Tigers acquired Dawel Lugo as part of the return when they sent away slugger J.D. Martinez last summer to Arizona. Lugo’s glovework has left his future position and role in question, as he’s not exactly a guy with a lot of power or speed to add to his bat, which often leads to a pretty empty average.
The Tigers wanted to get a good look at Lugo to help determine his possible role for 2019, so after his MLB debut on August 30, he got three more starts over the weekend against the Yankees. Overall, he collected 7 hits over 17 plate appearances, including a double, in an impressive first weekend showing.
A projected bench piece with the ability to play around the infield and outfield both, Pablo Reyes made his MLB debut on Sunday against the Braves, flying out to left as a pinch hitter in his first plate appearance. He’s got speed and power with good bat control that should play well off of the bench.
Big slugger Chris Shaw was originally a 1st round pick by the Giants out of Boston College in 2015, and they’ve been working to have him pick up the outfield with Brandon Belt already in San Francisco and signed long-term. Shaw made his debut against the Mets on August 31, and in 3 games, he’s yet to pick up his first hit, striking out 5 times in 7 plate appearances.
While he’s technically made his MLB debut, Andrew Velazquez has really not done anything yet as a big leaguer, with no plate appearances and no chances as an outfielder in his two innings of work there during his debut on Sunday against the Indians. Velazquez is a utility man with the ability to play up the middle at second, short, or center, with a bit of power and very good speed.
With two weeks to cover, enough pitchers debuted to split them into the starters and relievers, we’ll start with the guys who made their MLB debut as a starting pitcher…
MLB debut: Starting pitchers
Originally drafted by the Dodgers, Jeff Brigham was moved in the 3-team deal with the Dodgers, Braves, and Marlins in 2015 to the Miami organization. He’s not a guy with overwhelming stuff, working more with precision in his pitching. He did not have that precision in his start against the Blue Jays September 2, allowing 3 runs over 3 innings on 4 hits and 4 walks, striking out twice.
Power righty Josh James has had mixed results coming up the system, often not having the strikeout results to match his impressive stuff, leaving him a guy who often is off of prospect lists but definitely on scouting radars. James showed exactly why he was on those radars in his first start by tossing a pitch at 101 MPH, the second-fastest pitch thrown by a starting pitcher on the season. His MLB debut against the Angels was solid, going 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 9.
Part of the deal that sent Zach Britton to the Yankees, Josh Rogers was knocking on the door of the majors when he was acquired and finally made his debut for the Orioles on August 28th against Toronto. He got the win, tossing 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and a walk, striking out 2.
Slowly working up the Houston Astros system, lefty Framber Valdez has worked as both a starter and a reliever, but with injuries in the rotation, he was called on to make extended appearances each time out. He debuted on August 21st against the Mariners, throwing 4 1/3 innings in relief. He’s made two more starts in the meantime. Overall, in the two weeks, he’s thrown 14 1/3 innings, allowing 3 runs, 2 of them earned, on 6 hits and 7 walks, striking out 10.
With the starters covered, now we can check out the relievers who made their MLB debut over the last two weeks…
MLB debut: Relief pitchers
A familiar name on the mound, the Jays lefty from the Dominican version of Jose Fernandez finally worked his way to the majors this year at 25 years old. Fernandez made his debut against the Marlins, interestingly enough, tossing a perfect inning.
Once a top prospect in the Rays system, the Blue Jays got Taylor Guerrieri off of waivers over the offseason after a few injury-riddled seasons. He was moved to a swing role and took to the bullpen part of that role. He made his MLB debut on September 1, tossing a pair of scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out one.
A slow-developing righty in the Royals farm system, Jake Newberry really found his niche the last two seasons, with a 1.63 ERA over 49 2/3 minor league innings this season. Newberry made a bunch of appearances, already climbing the mound 5 times for the Royals since his August 20th debut. Overall, he’s tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, striking out 4.
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A big, thick 6’7″ righty from Howard College in Texas, the Rangers saw Connor Sadzeck struggle with injury and consistency before moving him to the bullpen this season and getting very good results. He made his debut on Saturday against the Twins, striking out the only batter he saw on 4 pitches.
Long-time minor leaguer Murphy Smith finally got his big league call at 31 years old after a decade in the minor leagues. He made his debut on August 27th, and he made three appearances before being designated for assignment to bring up the September call-ups. In his three appearances, he tossed 3 1/3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk.
Originally drafted by Baltimore, Stephen Tarpley was on his third organization when he landed with the Yankees in 2016, and they immediately moved him to the bullpen, and it’s been smooth sailing ever since. Tarpley got the final inning of a rough one against the Tigers on Sunday, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1 in his inning of the Yankees Sunday loss.
We mentioned Andrew Vasquez and his ability to generate impressive numbers in an earlier article, but he is one to watch for sure from the left side for the Minnesota Twins. He made his debut on September 1, tossing 2/3 of an inning, allowing an unearned run on one hit.
Picked up off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals, Rowan Wick has been a very good reliever in the minors for the San Diego Padres, earning a late-season call. He made his debut on August 31st and has made two scoreless appearances, tossing two innings, allowing a pair of hits and a walk, while also striking one out.
In his first year as a reliever, Austen Williams has drawn plenty of notice for his tremendous pitching out of the bullpen in the Washington Nationals. He made his debut Sunday against Milwaukee, pitching two scoreless innings, allowing 2 walks and striking out 2.
Next: Midseason top 150 prospects
That’s this week’s players to make their MLB debut. Check back each week for our next set of MLB debut players!