White Sox select Nick Madrigal with 4th overall pick

[Dominikk85]

the good thing is that the power for madrigal is more of a bonus. obviously it is bad if he hits for zero power (say 5 homers a year)  but most scouts have him at 12-15 homers which is like 40 power, if he hits 290 with a 360 on base and 12 homers that is nice (essentially howie kendrick as I said before) and if it is 15-18 homers you get more than that.

[ptatc]

6 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Everyone get their concerns out right now because when you get to watch him play you will love him. You'll be saying so this is how a baseball player is supposed to play the game. The game may have devolved into behemoths saying "ugh, me swing hard, smash ball "but at it's core are guys like Madrigal who lead by example and do all the little things that make the game so enjoyable. No pun intended.

I agree. He will be a dynamic, refreshing player to watch.

[Dick Allen]

I like him because he is just a baseball player. Can he stick at SS? He will play wherever you need him and do a great job, like Yolmer in that respect.

[caulfield12]

The difference is that he can bunt a LOT better (great, I bet everyone’s saying to themselves, unless Renteria’s still around) than Yolmer, has much better flat out straight ahead speed for stealing bases. 

For OSU, he often calls pick-offs on the infield before the manager/coaches notices what is going on....he also calls a lot of the mound visits, pep talks for pitchers.  He’s like another coach on the field...and I think his enthusiasm/work ethic/seriousness about the game will rub off on other more physically gifted players like Moncada, Anderson and Luis Robert.   Throws to the right places, hits to the opposite side to advance runners  or dials up XB power, always is looking for just the slightest bobble so he can take the extra base when he reaches.

Like Omar Vizquel, he’ll make the entire infield better from a defensive standpoint.

I know we heard in 2008 that Gordon Beckham was going to be the Jeter of the White Sox and the face of the franchise, but Madrigal represents what it means to be a White Sox fan.

Always the underdog, always undersized, having to prove himself to doubters....blue collar work ethic.   The only thing those two have in common are uncertainties about their eventual defensive positions and being the best collegiate draft classes (although some argue that even as a HS senior, Madrigal was the best pure hitter but MLB teams were afraid to draft him too high because they hadn’t seen what guys like Betts and Altuve could do...how good they were going to eventually be.)

Between him, Anderson and Abreu (for now), you’ve gotta 3 different types of leaders...and Shields for the pitching staff, although he won’t be around too much longer.

He also noted for how his teammates have to drag him away from young fans clamoring for autographs because he’ll stay and sign for everyone if they let him.  That’s rare in this day of “what’s in it for me/me first” type of players.  A throwback, old school type like Nellie Fox or Bill Mazeroski.

Edited June 6, 2018 by caulfield12

[Flash]

Any concerns about his maturity and character should have been assuaged by the interview he did upon hearing his name called. Very poised and calm (unlike Bohm). He just seems like a veteren and leader. 

[ptatc]

30 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

I like him because he is just a baseball player. Can he stick at SS? He will play wherever you need him and do a great job, like Yolmer in that respect.

Yessssss.

[Panerista]

The Yolmer comparison is funny.  Almost as funny as the "Jose Altuve" comparison.

[caulfield12]

They both have “infectious” personalities?  Except Madrigal is always dead serious about winning, unlike, say, Melky Cabrera.

[Chicago White Sox]

3 hours ago, [email protected] said:

the good thing is that the power for madrigal is more of a bonus. obviously it is bad if he hits for zero power (say 5 homers a year)  but most scouts have him at 12-15 homers which is like 40 power, if he hits 290 with a 360 on base and 12 homers that is nice (essentially howie kendrick as I said before) and if it is 15-18 homers you get more than that.

Adam Eaton hit one HR in 2014 and still put up a wRC+ of 118 & an OPS of .763.  I think that’s the type of player you are looking at if the HR power never comes, which is still fantastic when you account for Madrigal’s defense & speed on the bases.  If he can ever get to double digit HRs (which should be realistic with time) then we truly have something special.

[SCCWS]

At one time, leadoff hitters didn't hit many HR's. If he is a .280+ hitter with good speed, takes walks and plays above  average D , then we have filled a need. Moncada hits 2nd and we have a nice top of the order in 3-4 years. 

[SoxBlanco]

50 minutes ago, SCCWS said:

At one time, leadoff hitters didn't hit many HR's. If he is a .280+ hitter with good speed, takes walks and plays above  average D , then we have filled a need. Moncada hits 2nd and we have a nice top of the order in 3-4 years. 

Agreed. Didn’t we win a World Series with a leadoff hitter who hit zero home runs in the regular season?

[steveno89]

54 minutes ago, SCCWS said:

At one time, leadoff hitters didn't hit many HR's. If he is a .280+ hitter with good speed, takes walks and plays above  average D , then we have filled a need. Moncada hits 2nd and we have a nice top of the order in 3-4 years. 

Scouts seems to feel the hit tool is good enough that he will likely be able to hit around 15 home runs per year due to barreling up so many balls. He's unlikely to ever have plus power, but he's not exactly a slap hitter either. His plus speed and plus defense will be a huge asset in the field and on the basepaths as well. 

[Dick Allen]

1 hour ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Adam Eaton hit one HR in 2014 and still put up a wRC+ of 118 & an OPS of .763.  I think that’s the type of player you are looking at if the HR power never comes, which is still fantastic when you account for Madrigal’s defense & speed on the bases.  If he can ever get to double digit HRs (which should be realistic with time) then we truly have something special.

This is what I think, although he seems too clever not to figure out how to hit homers. Look at Robin Ventura in the minors and his first year in the majors. About 1100 PA with 8 homers. I don't think he'll be a huge HR guy, but he's too baseball savvy to not at least be a threat to put one in the seats.

[southsider2k5]

Even more than a lead off hitter, Madrigal screams a historical 2 hole hitter to me.

[caulfield12]

He seems right now like the kind of hitter you’d predict 8-12 homers per year....and not be surprised five years from now when it’s closer to 15ish, especially playing 81 home games at Guaranteed Rate Field where a lot of his homers would just barely clear the fence (whereas in Minny, Det or KC, loud outs.)

[Jake]

12 hours ago, greg775 said:

I hate discussions of a player's weakness when it is shrugged off by saying other players make up for that. Other players IMO have nothing to do with Madrigal. Judge him on his own skill set. It's silly to say he has an absence of power (a negative) and shrug it off by saying we'll have other players supply the power. Who cares about that? Heaven forbid the other guys get injured or something. If Madrigal's lack of power is a problem it's a problem.

This is a good post. When you evaluate the player, you evaluate the player. We don't know what players will be on the White Sox when/if Madrigal is ready. There might be some wisdom in thinking about how the skillsets of players complement each other, but when you're drafting in the first round you just get who is best. Madrigal either is the best choice or not, it can't depend on how many homers Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson hit.

[Leonard Zelig]

Madrigal is still playing for OSU, right?  When would he start playing for a White Sox affiliate?

[Dick Allen]

Just now, Leonard Zelig said:

Madrigal is still playing for OSU, right?  When would he start playing for a White Sox affiliate?

Usually most of these guys get a break after they are done with the college season, but since he missed some time, maybe he signs quickly.

[bmags]

26 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Usually most of these guys get a break after they are done with the college season, but since he missed some time, maybe he signs quickly.

Yeah luckily he will not be as worn down as most college players when they join but if he signs quickly he could get a good half season plus playoffs if he's up for it.

[joejoedairy]

Oregon St plays Minnesota in the super regional this weekend. 

All games are on ESPN2. 

Friday 4PM, Saturday 8:30PM, Sunday 8PM (central time)

[Dam8610]

Let's say he has this line in 600 PAs:

600 PA 550 AB 165 H 50 BB 40 2B 5 3B 15 HR

That is a .300/.358/.455 slashline good for an OPS of .813.

Don't think he can hit that many HRs? Then let's say he does this in 600 PAs:

600 PA 550 AB 165 H 50 BB 45 2B 10 3B 5 HR

That is a .300/.358/.445 slashline good for an OPS of .803.

So if he's a .300 hitter, a .800 OPS won't be terribly difficult for him to achieve. That said, if the 70 hit tool develops and is paired with 70 speed, he could hit a lot better than .300, especially with how little he strikes out and how much good speed positively affects BABIP.

[soxfan49]

2 minutes ago, Dam8610 said:

Let's say he has this line in 600 PAs:

600 PA 550 AB 165 H 50 BB 40 2B 5 3B 15 HR

That is a .300/.358/.455 slashline good for an OPS of .813.

Don't think he can hit that many HRs? Then let's say he does this in 600 PAs:

600 PA 550 AB 165 H 50 BB 45 2B 10 3B 5 HR

That is a .300/.358/.445 slashline good for an OPS of .803.

So if he's a .300 hitter, a .800 OPS won't be terribly difficult for him to achieve. That said, if the 70 hit tool develops and is paired with 70 speed, he could hit a lot better than .300, especially with how little he strikes out and how much good speed positively affects BABIP.

The thing that has me most excited is his running ability. Between Anderson, Madrigal, Moncada and Robert- assuming all of them are good enough to play in the majors- this could be the fastest White Sox team of all-time in 2020-2021.

[tray]

Hostetler said it didn't matter what position Madrigal  plays and in any event that decision  will be up to Renteria and Hahn 3 or 4 years down the road.

3 or 4 years down the road? Not sure if he was serious about that timeline, but in any case, I do not think that view of the rebuild window is shared by most Sox fans.  I see most posters most often referring to next year or the year after for the Sox to compete, not 3-4 years from now.

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/video/nick-hostetler-nick-madrigal-can-play-gold-glove-level

[greg775]

1 minute ago, tray said:

Hostetler said it didn't matter what position Madrigal  plays and in any event that decision  will be up to Renteria and Hahn 3 or 4 years down the road.

3 or 4 years down the road? Not sure if he was serious about that timeline, but in any case, I do not think that view of the rebuild window is shared by most Sox fans.  I see most posters most often referring to next year or the year after for the Sox to compete, not 3-4 years from now.

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/video/nick-hostetler-nick-madrigal-can-play-gold-glove-level

I know he's an employee of the Sox now, but has he played ss all his life? Just asking. I know if I were Madrigal, and knew I was gonna be a top pick, in the interview process or before signing I'd let the team know I'm not moving from my position ... EVER. I know nothing about the guy; maybe he's played a lot of positions and it's no big deal to him.

[joejoedairy]

2 minutes ago, greg775 said:

I know he's an employee of the Sox now, but has he played ss all his life? Just asking. I know if I were Madrigal, and knew I was gonna be a top pick, in the interview process or before signing I'd let the team know I'm not moving from my position ... EVER. I know nothing about the guy; maybe he's played a lot of positions and it's no big deal to him.

Well, he's played 2nd base this entire season. His coach said that it would be tougher for their other SS to handle 2b so Madrigal made the switch, but that he certainly could play SS and probably anywhere on the diamond.