Chicago White Sox top 10 prospects for 2019
The Chicago White Sox are beginning to see their farm system reach the major leagues to hit the final stage of their rebuild. Which players could impact in 2019?
We are in our third offseason at Call to the Pen of putting together top 10 prospect lists for every organization in baseball. Today’s list is the Chicago White Sox.
The Process
Our team prospect lists are compiled by Benjamin Chase, who has spent time doing plenty of watching via MiLB.tv of every organization in baseball along with talking to a very wide array of scouts who have seen players in person to hone his own opinion on players. That allows for a wide coverage on players from the Dominican Summer League all the way to the major leagues.
These lists are the opinion of Ben, and his process is heavily weighted on his own view, but also on trusted views of others. Typically, each system’s list of 10 is peeled down from a consideration list of 50-75 players. There will be some weight given to a player who is closer to the major leagues, but often these opinions will be different than some of the “major” lists out there. Feel free to comment at the end of the list with any questions you may have!
With that out of the way, let’s dig into today’s list:
Chicago White Sox system review
White Sox list for 2017
White Sox list for 2018
White Sox 2018 minors all-stars
After the 2016 season, the Chicago White Sox made some big moves that brought in a number of top prospects to overhaul what was at best an average farm system. A very good 2017 draft and more acquisitions during the season added to the group of new prospects to give the White Sox one of the top farm systems in the league.
The system had a rough season of injuries and performance in 2018, and multiple players also worked their way to the major leagues. The system saw a number of players take a step back as well, and while they may not be in competition for the #1 overall system in the game, the Chicago White Sox still have one of the top farm systems in the game.
Let’s start with the countdown, starting with a player that fell outside of the top 10, but was picked up in 2018 via the draft or international signing and is worthy of extra attention going into 2019…
9. Micker Adolfo, OF
Birthday: 9/11/1996 (22)
Acquired: International free agent, July 2013
Level(s): high-A Winston-Salem
Statistics: .282/.369/.464, 79 G, 336 PA, 18 2B, 11 HR, 10.1% BB, 27.4% K
Taking things step by step since he signed, Micker Adolfo finally had the breakout season the Chicago White Sox have been waiting for in 2018, but he ended up injured in season and missed over 1/3 of the season with Tommy John surgery. He should be ready for opening day 2019.
A 6’3″, 200-ish pound player, Adolfo’s body has always projected big plus power, but his 2018 was the first season he produced on the field. Adolfo wasn’t just hitting balls out of the park, though. He lowered his strikeout rate and was walking over 10% as well.
Defensively, how the elbow heals will be intriguing as Adolfo’s biggest defensive asset was his arm, as even with above-average speed, he is more of an average outfielder, needing work on his reads still to improve that grade. If the bat is what he showed in 2018, the defense will work wherever he falls, though.
Most likely Adolfo will ease back onto the field as a DH with high-A in 2019 and then work his way to AA, but if the power continues, he could threaten for some MLB time by the end of the season.
8. Zack Collins, C
Birthday: 2/6/1995 (23)
Acquired: Draft, 1st round, 2016
Level(s): AA Birmingham
Statistics: .234/.382/.404, 122 G, 531 PA, 24 2B, 15 HR, 18.8% BB, 29.8% K
Zack Collins was drafted by the Chicago White Sox with the #10 overall pick in 2016 with knowledge of his bat coming out of the University of Miami, but there were significant concerns on his catching ability. The catching was definitely raw in his first full season in 2017, but his power was solid, so many let that slide.
In 2018, the White Sox did well by Collins by leaving him at AA all season as a host of pitchers that he opened the year with moved up, and he had to work with all new pitchers in the second half. Collins was instructed to work hard at presenting for his pitchers, and base runners knew it, so while the stolen base numbers look bad, it was primarily because opposing managers knew that Collins was focusing on other things and took advantage of that in games, so it’s not something to play against Collins. In fact, his arm is one of the few areas where Collins came into pro ball without questions.
The offensive profile is going to be annoying for a fantasy player, as Collins has some big holes in his swing, but he has tremendous zone recognition. If he could get his pitch recognition to the same level, he’d be an elite hitter because when he does recognize a pitch out of hand, he gets the barrel on the ball well, and he can generate big power with his swing.
Interestingly, he has a near-30% strikeout rate, but his zone recognition and bat speed actually keep that rate significantly lower than what his raw swing would be. He has big power, but his swing has a hitch and a hole in it as he comes through the zone that is exploited.
Collins has been played well by the Chicago White Sox, and he’ll be in AAA for all of 2019, and he should get a shot at the starting job in 2020.
7. Dane Dunning, RHP
Birthday: 12/20/1994 (23)
Acquired: Trade with the Washington Nationals, December 2016
Level(s): high-A Winston-Salem, AA Birmingham
Statistics: 6-3, 15 GS, 86 1/3 IP, 2.71 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 7.2% BB, 27.8% K
With a ton of attention on the 2016 Florida Gators pitching staff, Dane Dunning slipped under the rader for many, but the Washington Nationals tagged Dunning in the first round. After a very impressive pro debut, the Nationals traded him to the Chicago White Sox as part of the Adam Eaton deal.
After one season with the White Sox that was incredibly impressive, Dunning struggled through a season ravaged by injuries in 2018. He still produced excellent numbers when on the mound.
While Dunning likely doesn’t project as a front of the rotation starter, he has the pitch mix to be very valuable in the middle of a rotation. He works his heavy fastball in the low-90s with hard sink and late movement. He pairs that with a slider that had been a bit slurvy in college, but he’s sharpened it up as a pro.
Dunning also has a spike curve and a very solid change that has some arm side run and sink. His injury did slow down his chance to end up in AAA in 2018. He’ll likely find his way to AAA in 2019 and could get some big league time by the end of the year.
6. Luis Alexander Basabe, OF
Birthday: 8/26/1996 (22)
Acquired: Trade with the Boston Red Sox, December 2016
Level(s): high-A Winston-Salem, AA Birmingham
Statistics: .258/.354/.445, 119 G, 515 PA, 21 2B, 8 3B, 15 HR, 16 SB, 12.4% BB, 27.2% K
Basabe was signed by the Red Sox out of Venezuela, and he was more of a forgotten man in the trade that sent Chris Sale to Boston. I’ll probably be high on him compared to many other places here, but his improvements in 2018 absolutely merit that movement.
Coming into the 2018 season, Basabe put on very positive build, adding thickness to his lower half that served him well with the Dash, as he was driving the ball with authority in the Carolina League. He did appear tired as the season wore on, and some of that could be carrying likely 15-20 more pounds of weight than he has previously.
While he hasn’t lost any top-end speed with his added strength, Basabe did seem to drop a tick of quickness off the line, which might move him to a corner outfield spot, but he has a smooth swing and the arm to work in that role.
While he may not hit 30 home runs anytime, Basabe has excellent gap power that should be a 20 home run guy with 30 doubles and double-digit steals as well, which is an impressive overall combination.
Basabe did fall off some in AA, so he’ll likely open the season there in 2019, but it would not surprise if he spends most of 2019 in AAA with a chance to spend some time in the major leagues.
5. Nick Madrigal, IF
Birthday: 3/5/1997 (21)
Acquired: Draft, 1st round, 2018
Level(s): AZL White Sox, low-A Kannapolis, high-A Winston-Salem
Statistics: .303/.353/.348, 43 G, 173 PA, 7 2B, 8 SB, 4% BB, 2.9% K
One of the most gifted players with a bat in his hand that many scouts report seeing since Tony Gwynn, Nick Madrigal was one of the most intriguing players in the 2018 draft. The Chicago White Sox answered plenty of questions by taking him 4th overall.
Madrigal’s biggest concern coming out of college was his position. He’s got the natural range and hands to handle short, but he would be elite defensively at second base, where he played alongside one of the elite shortstops in college baseball in 2018.
Offensively, Madrigal will not ever hit for big power, but he has incredible control of his bat, so to see that he hit .300+ in his pro debut, in spite of moving all the way up to high-A, was no surprise. What was incredibly impressive was his strikeout rate. That number above is not a misprint. Madrigal struck out in less than 3% of his plate appearances in his pro debut. While that number is not to be expected going forward, he does have some of the best bat control I’ve watched of any minor league player.
While other players may be able to hit the ball with more authority with their contact, Madrigal is the type of guy who will have 7-12 home runs max while spraying the ball throughout the field and using high-level instincts to move around the bases on hits – a perfect guy at the top of the lineup.
Most likely, the White Sox will open Madrigal in high-A, but a good showing in spring ball could open him in the upper minors in his first full professional season.
4. Luis Robert, OF
Birthday: 8/3/1997 (21)
Acquired: International free agent, May 2017
Level(s): AZL White Sox, low-A Kannapolis, high-A Winston-Salem
Statistics: .269/.333/.360, 50 G, 208 PA, 11 2B, 3 3B, 15 SB, 5.8% BB, 25% K
One of the most-hyped players to come out of Cuba since Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert was a big signing for the Chicago White Sox. He showed plenty to dream on in his first full season, though there’s still plenty to work on as well.
The positives were plenty. Defensively, Robert impressed with his ability to track down balls with a huge burst, even if he misplayed his initial step in the outfield. Robert works in center field at an above-average level, but he could even be elite in a corner, using his above-average arm.
The raw plus speed was undersold, showing up as double-plus throughout the season. He was a blazer on the basepaths, with one Carolina League catcher telling me that he was the fastest baserunner in the league in 2018.
What didn’t show up in his profile was the power that was supposed to also be part of Robert’s overall makeup. He put on a show in BP, but in games, he showed more gap power, and his swing leveled through most of the zone, with a “sweet spot” that he could use in batting practice, but that pitchers quickly learned to avoid in games.
Robert’s already shown development in his time in the Fall League, but he still will have work to do. Most likely the White Sox will either leave him in AA for the entirety of 2019 or have him open in high-A and work up to AA. If he continues to take coaching, he’s got a chance to be a good one with the raw skills, but there’s definitely a floor here as well.
3. Michael Kopech, RHP
Birthday: 4/30/1996 (22)
Acquired: Trade with Boston Red Sox, December 2016
Level(s): AAA Charlotte, MLB Chicago White Sox
Statistics: Minors: 7-7, 24 GS, 126 1/3 IP, 3.70 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 11% BB, 31.3% K; Majors: 1-1, 4 GS, 14 1/3 IP, 5.02 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 2.9% BB, 22.1% K
The Boston Red Sox used a 1st round pick in 2014 to select Michael Kopech, and the Texan has represented the hard-throwing Texas righty profile well through his journey in the minors, lighting up radar guns but often not knowing where the pitches were going.
The Chicago White Sox got Kopech in their trade of Chris Sale, and he’s really continued that same path with the White Sox. He struggled with control, but his overpowering stuff had him as one of the top 20 prospects in the entire game after the 2017 season, ranked as high as #10 overall (MLB Pipeline).
The issue for Kopech will be that a blazing fastball in the major leagues is simply not as rare as it once was, and impressively, he had excellent control in the big leagues, but his command wavered heavily, and big league hitters punished him, pounding out 4 home runs in just 14 1/3 innings.
Kopech’s 2019 season is lost to Tommy John surgery, and what he will be when he returns is still unknown, so having him higher than this right now is going to be tough on my list, but his rehab should be known some by the end of 2019, so he could actually move up for next year’s list without tossing a competitive pitch outside of instructs.
2. Dylan Cease, RHP
Birthday: 12/28/1995 (22)
Acquired: Trade with Cubs, July 2017
Level(s): high-A Winston-Salem, AA Birmingham
Statistics: 12-2, 23 GS, 2.40 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 10.2% BB, 32.5% K
The Chicago Cubs used a college focus in the 2014 draft to pick a number of hard-throwing high school pitchers in the 2nd day of the draft. Dylan Cease has been the guy who has come the farthest by far, though he’s now part of the Chicago White Sox organization after being part of the trade of Jose Quintana.
Coming into 2018, the talent was well-known for Cease, but he had gone through Tommy John surgery after being drafted and had never pitched a full season’s worth of innings. Slowly adding in deeper and deeper outings as the year went on, Cease showed he was ready for AA, and he performed even better at that level.
Cease has a very similar pitch mix to Kopech, with a blazing fastball that doesn’t have the same exact velocity, but can still reach triple digits. He has an easy delivery to produce that velocity, and he found as the season went on that he could really spin the ball up in the zone, and the high fastball became more and more a weapon for him.
To complement his big fastball, Cease has a pretty looping curve that leads to his higher than desired walk rate, as he doesn’t always get the pitch in the zone, but it is a pitch that generates a ton of weak contact and swing and miss. His change and slider both showed impressive development on the season, but they’re still both behind the fastball and curve.
Cease profiles as a dominant closer or a top-tier mid-rotation starter with his current profile, but further refinement of his command and control of his offspeed stuff could shift that profile to the elite, frontline starter level. He’ll likely open back in AA in 2019.
1. Eloy Jimenez, OF
Birthday: 11/27/1996 (21)
Acquired: Trade with Cubs, July 2017
Level(s): AA Birmingham, AAA Charlotte
Statistics: .337/.384/.577, 108 G, 456 PA, 28 2B, 3 3B, 22 HR, 7% BB, 15.1% K
By the end of the 2018 season, the anthem from Chicago White Sox fans was how badly they wanted to see Eloy Jimenez in the major leagues. After being the top prospect in the 2013 international signing class, he’s produced at every level, and the major leagues is all he has left to conquer.
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Eloy draws plenty of comparisons to Manny Ramirez for his pure ability to hit and to hit for power. Even after missing a chunk to open the season, Jimenez still managed 53 extra base hits.
While some point to Eloy’s walk rate as a possible flag for his major league future, the truth of the matter is that Jimenez knows the strike zone so well that he rarely takes a walk, taking excellent swings at a strike during an at bat, and he also strikes out at an incredibly low rate for a power hitter, also similar to Manny.
Of course, the other part of the Manny profile that Eloy picks up is the defensive struggles. While Jimenez is a good athlete, he just does not have great hands in the outfield, and he’s seen balls roll under his legs or glance off his glove more often than one would like. However, with the bat he has, he more than makes up for defensive gaffes at the plate.
There’s no reason at this point to hold Eloy back outside of service time manipulation, so if he’s not up for Opening Day, outside of injury, it’s pretty clear what the Chicago White Sox are doing.
Next. 2018 Minors All-Star team. dark
With some financial space and the players getting close to the major leagues, the Chicago White Sox could speed up their rebuild with a few free agent signings this offseason, which could put more pressure on their farm system to produce. Luckily, there is plenty of talent in the upper minors ready to take a step forward.