New BA White Sox Top Ten

[NorthSideSox72]

I honestly think he just named every black, toolsy prospect he could think of.

Micah wasn't even all that "toolsy". He had 70-grade speed and a potentially-playable hit tool (call it 45 maybe), with the rest of the tools below average.

 

If you want the toolsy outfielder set, go Mitchell, Walker, Hawkins, Engel. That's a cadre that fits what I think, maybe, the narrative being discussed. Johnson is unrelated (other than race), and Thompson actually succeeded materially (and Engel still might).

 

[caulfield12]

It was the KW multi-sport star athlete (especially football players) way.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Jacobs_(baseball)

Here's yet another player who just happens to be African American and has ties to Auburn football (that we traded for.)

 

I suppose I could have included Borchard, Brian Anderson and Engel as part of the same strategy...but, other than perhaps Engel, they don't fit that mold of the past 5-7 years, which also includes Tim Anderson.

 

So...going back to Brian Anderson, what other toolsy white players did we draft? (Josh Fields, by the way, was never close to this definition despite having played football.)

 

 

[ptatc]

It was the KW multi-sport star athlete (especially football players) way.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Jacobs_(baseball)

Here's yet another player who just happens to be African American and has ties to Auburn football (that we traded for.)

 

I suppose I could have included Borchard, Brian Anderson and Engel as part of the same strategy...but, other than perhaps Engel, they don't fit that mold of the past 5-7 years, which also includes Tim Anderson.

 

So...going back to Brian Anderson, what other toolsy white players did we draft? (Josh Fields, by the way, was never close to this definition despite having played football.)

No it wasn't. For year's he drafted safe college players who never had a high ceiling ie, Broadway, McCullough. After these didn't work the sox shifted draft strategies and went with the "toolsy" athlete but not baseball player.

 

Borchard definitely was not the "toolsy" athlete. He was a power hitter only. Anderson was not the "toolsy" athlete he was considered a fairly polished college OF.

 

KW has had many different types of draft philosphies during his tenure at GM becuase it was the organization philosophy at the time. You are just looking at the latest one before this last draft where they switched again to the OBP guys.

[caulfield12]

No it wasn't. For year's he drafted safe college players who never had a high ceiling ie, Broadway, McCullough. After these didn't work the sox shifted draft strategies and went with the "toolsy" athlete but not baseball player.

 

Borchard definitely was not the "toolsy" athlete. He was a power hitter only. Anderson was not the "toolsy" athlete he was considered a fairly polished college OF.

 

KW has had many different types of draft philosphies during his tenure at GM becuase it was the organization philosophy at the time. You are just looking at the latest one before this last draft where they switched again to the OBP guys.

 

The Broadway, McCulloch, Ring and Poreda picks will go down as the most questionable...it felt like at that time, because we needed "immediate impact/developed" collegiate players, we almost always went in this direction. And part of it was about saving money, or at least having almost all of the revenues redirected to the major league roster.

 

I guess the Anderson one is arguable. Compared to Kinsler, he was considered the "toolbox" guy, and was drafted accordingly. Torii Hunter Lite, etc. Brian was "polished" from a standpoint that he was able to put up good numbers in the PAC-10, but not at all in the sense that he relied on physical tools and didn't have a refined/professional approach, never mastered the psychological side of dealing with failure, etc.

[fathom]

Common belief was they drafted safe college pitchers so they could use them as trade bait

[ptatc]

The Broadway, McCulloch, Ring and Poreda picks will go down as the most questionable...it felt like at that time, because we needed "immediate impact/developed" collegiate players, we almost always went in this direction. And part of it was about saving money, or at least having almost all of the revenues redirected to the major league roster.

 

I guess the Anderson one is arguable. Compared to Kinsler, he was considered the "toolbox" guy, and was drafted accordingly. Torii Hunter Lite, etc. Brian was "polished" from a standpoint that he was able to put up good numbers in the PAC-10, but not at all in the sense that he relied on physical tools and didn't have a refined/professional approach, never mastered the psychological side of dealing with failure, etc.

He was just more concerned about chasing the "honies" than improving his game.

[ptatc]

Common belief was they drafted safe college pitchers so they could use them as trade bait

Yeah, poor draft philosophy.

[BlackSox13]

With the Sox rebuilding is there a chance they give Burdi a chance as a starter in the minors?

[Jerksticks]

With the Sox rebuilding is there a chance they give Burdi a chance as a starter in the minors?

Not sure man. Maybe "if it ain't broke..." is the way they will approach this guy. Plus the Sox have quite a bit of quality SP depth to groom Burdi to be Andrew Miller on steroids. I'd kinda like to see that- could quickly become a fan favorite if that materializes.

[ptatc]

With the Sox rebuilding is there a chance they give Burdi a chance as a starter in the minors?

They may do it but just to get more reps and work on pitches.

[BlackSox13]

Not sure man. Maybe "if it ain't broke..." is the way they will approach this guy. Plus the Sox have quite a bit of quality SP depth to groom Burdi to be Andrew Miller on steroids. I'd kinda like to see that- could quickly become a fan favorite if that materializes.

 

 

They may do it but just to get more reps and work on pitches.

Just curious because the idea was out there when he was first drafted.

[Con te Giolito]

It's been specifically said that Burdi will remain in the pen.

[Two-Gun Pete]

Have at me!

OK, since you asked...

 

 

1 Yoan Moncada...

...11 Dane Dunning

I think most would have the top 10 or 11 somewhat similar, albeit with some variances in order. What I think is more open to discussion is the rest of a Top 30, given an overall lack of depth in quality prospects. That said, I’ll focus on a few names that I would call into question:

 

 

13 Trey Michalczewski

18 Micker Adolfo

I suppose that right off the bat, I’d get into the “tools vs. numbers” discussion. For me, “tools” can get a player drafted or signed. They can give a player more of the “benefit of the doubt” if/when a player has a disappointing season or half-season. But, once a player has been in an organization for awhile, to me, the NUMBERS rule, and “tools” can lie to you.

 

With these two players, I’d say that Michalczewski is still a prospect, but just barely in a Top 30, whereas Adolfo is [currently] not a prospect until his numbers show any signs of life.

 

They both have obese K-rates that generally lead to a prospect busting, but with Michalczewski, he’s shown something of a pulse at the dish, and actually after the “big jump” from A+ to AA. OTOH, Adolfo has divided his time between being injured, and striking out in the low minors. For now, he’s not a prospect, and I don’t give a rat’s ass about his supposed “tools” or however much the team squandered on his signing bonus. That said, Adolfo is young enough to where his prospect status could conceivably recover, but a 33% K rate in low A in a player’s 3rd professional season does NOT scream “prospect” to me.

 

 

24 Seby Zavala

25 Corey Zangari

With these two, I don’t know why they get paired together on a lot of lists, other than they came into the org in the same draft, and their surnames both begin with “Z.” One showed an average wRC+ at a primarily DEFENSIVE position in low A. The other is a strikeout commando with a grotesque ~43% K rate in low A, and what’s worse, at a prime OFFENSIVE position. To me, this means that one of these is not like the other, in that Zavala may have a chance to advance, whereas Zangari has to cut his K rate in half to have a snowball’s chance in hell. [Haven't we heard this before with Sox "prospects?"]

 

Here again, I’d perhaps keep Zavala in the mid-to-low 20s in a list, but drop Zangari into the “Just missed” category; His youth, tools, and inexperience in the professional game being the only things that prevents Zangari from dropping into the Keon Barnum Zone® for busted prosepcts.

 

 

19 Rymer Liriano

20 Adam Engel

28 Jacob May

Just missed: Charlie Tilson

I have a hard time making heads or tails out of these four OFers comparable rankings on a lot of lists. Two out of the four have made The Show, but they appear on opposite ends of this foursome.

 

From my view, Tilson’s got a SIGNIFICANTLY better chance to provide positive WAR at the MLB level than the other 3 OF here, even though he may be just a 4th OF @ his ceiling. [because he looks like he can actually get on base.]

 

With Liriano, I’ll grant that he’s got better "overall tools” than Tilson, but Tilson’s got the better tool in the most important part of a player’s game: HITTING.

 

For Engel and May, they likewise have the better overall tools than Tilson, but May hasn’t been the same player since his injury. Nor has May shown the same sort of results in the high minors as he did from Rookie through A+ ball. By contrast, Engel hasn’t been allergic to walks, and his bat has shown some life in the high minors. Neither one has shown contact skills that are near to what Tilson looks to have, which is why I regard these two as lesser prospects than Tilson.

 

Overall, I’d probably put Tilson ahead of the other 3, and all should climb in a Top 30, given that neither Zangari, nor Adolfo, nor Adams belong in a Top 30, and Michalczewski would slide down towards the bottom of a Top 30.

 

 

17 Spencer Adams

Just missed: Tyler Danish

 

I don’t know why both of these two wouldn't be in the “Just missed” category on a list, given their relatively pedestrian K/9 rates. I do know that whoever decided to bring up Danish last year did the young man a terrible disservice. I also don’t know why a youngster like Adams has not been allowed the courtesy of having an entire year at one level since 2014. Both of these look like Nick Capra Specials™, in that they’ve been perhaps pushed too quickly.

 

With the recent additions of all the highly-rated pitching prospects in the Sale/Eaton trades, I don’t see the harm in letting them learn in Birmingham for all of 2017, and perhaps salvage whatever value they still have.

 

On balance, this looks a LOT healthier list overall, although this is an org that still lacks depth among the hitters. Here’s hoping that some more are on the way in trade, AND that Hostetler continues to place a premium on OBP at the draft.