2019 Minor League Rotations

[Chicago White Sox]

Given the questions surrounding our major league rotation as well as the rash of injuries that have hit some of our pitching prospects, I thought it would be a fun exercise to project out our minor league rotations and discuss the overall strengths & weaknesses of the system.

Here are my current projections.  I’m sure I’ve got many of these wrong but wanted to put a baseline out there so we can debate what’s right or wrong.

Charlotte:

1. Dylan Cease
2. Jordan Stephens
3. Jordan Guerrero*
4. Spencer Adams
5. Donn Roach

Birmingham:

1. Kodi Medeiros*
2. Jimmy Lambert
3. Bernardo Flores*
4. Luis Martinez
5. Tanner Banks*

Winston-Salem:

1. Alec Hansen
2. Lincoln Henzman
3. Blake Battenfield
4. John Parke*
5. Kade McClure

Kannapolis:

1. Konner Pilkington*
2. Jonathan Stiever
3. Codi Heuer
4. Taylor Varnell*
5. Jason Bilous

Edited March 18, 2019 by Chicago White Sox

[NorthSideSox72]

Charlotte:

1. Dylan Cease
2. Jordan Stephens
3. Jordan Guerrero*
4. Spencer Adams
5. Ervin Santana or Manny Banuelos*

Birmingham:

1. Kodi Medeiros*
2. Jimmy Lambert
3. Bernardo Flores*
4. Matt Tomshaw*
5. Tanner Banks*

Winston-Salem:

1. Alec Hansen
2. Lincoln Henzman
3. Blake Battenfield
4. John Parke*
5. Kade McClure

Kannapolis:

1. Konnor Pilkington*
2. Jonathan Stiever
3. Codi Heuer
4. Taylor Varnell*
5. Jason Bilous

(FYI Luis Martinez was released)

I agreed on almost all of yours, except Charlotte #5 and BHAM #4.

 

[Jose Abreu]

Is Kade McClure good to go or still recovering? 

[SoxAce]

Man that Birmingham rotation would look so much better with Dunning anchoring it. Such a shame.

[NorthSideSox72]

OK I could be wrong about Martinez being released. I thought he was, but I see now he is active. Weird.

That said he probably moves to the pen this year.

 

[Chicago White Sox]

2 hours ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

(FYI Luis Martinez was released)

I agreed on almost all of yours, except Charlotte #5 and BHAM #4.

 

Thanks for sharing.  Thought Tomshaw was gone and didn’t realize Martinez had been released.  Also, good call on the Charlotte #5 spot as there’s a good chance it’s Santana.

[Chicago White Sox]

1 hour ago, Jose Abreu said:

Is Kade McClure good to go or still recovering? 

I did a quick check before I made my initial post and it sounded like he should be ready for the start of the season, but it’s possible that information is dated.

[Chicago White Sox]

Birmingham will definitely be the most interesting rotation once Hansen is promoted.  I’m a huge Lambert fan and really think Flores has a chance to make it as a major league starter despite his low K rate.  Even Medeiros should be a fun guy to follow.

Winston-Salem to me is far and away the most boring, although I’m excited to see how McClure looks this year.  He is way more interesting to me than Henzman, but I may be in the minority there.

I do feel that Kannapolis rotation could be a bit of a sleeper.  Really high on Stiever and am banking that the Sox’s optimism in Pilkington is warranted.  We really need one of those guys to step up and cement themselves as a top 10 system guy.

[ChiSoxJon]

4 hours ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

Charlotte:

1. Dylan Cease
2. Jordan Stephens
3. Jordan Guerrero*
4. Spencer Adams
5. Ervin Santana or Manny Banuelos*

Birmingham:

1. Kodi Medeiros*
2. Jimmy Lambert
3. Bernardo Flores*
4. Matt Tomshaw*
5. Tanner Banks*

Winston-Salem:

1. Alec Hansen
2. Lincoln Henzman
3. Blake Battenfield
4. John Parke*
5. Kade McClure

Kannapolis:

1. Konnor Pilkington*
2. Jonathan Stiever
3. Codi Heuer
4. Taylor Varnell*
5. Jason Bilous

(FYI Luis Martinez was released)

I agreed on almost all of yours, except Charlotte #5 and BHAM #4.

 

When was this? Shame, believe he was Paddy's first sign

[ChiSoxJon]

Can't wait too see KAN, don't forget about Martin and Carranza

[Chicago White Sox]

26 minutes ago, ChiSoxJon said:

Can't wait too see KAN, don't forget about Martin and Carranza

Didn’t Carranza have TJS?

[MnSoxFan]

3 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Thanks for sharing.  Thought Tomshaw was gone and didn’t realize Martinez had been released.  Also, good call on the Charlotte #5 spot as there’s a good chance it’s Santana.

Tomshaw was gone but he was brought back again just recently.

[ChiSoxJon]

2 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Didn’t Carranza have TJS?

That's right,,, Did Shilling as well?

[NorthSideSox72]

12 hours ago, ChiSoxJon said:

That's right,,, Did Shilling as well?

Shilling had a torn lat (a la Peavy). Should be back now, I'd think, or pretty soon.

 

[NorthSideSox72]

15 hours ago, ChiSoxJon said:

When was this? Shame, believe he was Paddy's first sign

I can't find it now, so probably I was just plain wrong. Somehow that release existed in my head, yet I can't find it anywhere else, haha.

 

[OneDog847]

21 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Given the questions surrounding our major league rotation as well as the rash of injuries that have hit some of our pitching prospects, I thought it would be a fun exercise to project out our minor league rotations and discuss the overall strengths & weaknesses of the system.

Here are my current projections.  I’m sure I’ve got many of these wrong but wanted to put a baseline out there so we can debate what’s right or wrong.

Charlotte:

1. Dylan Cease
2. Jordan Stephens
3. Jordan Guerrero*
4. Spencer Adams
5. Donn Roach

Birmingham:

1. Kodi Medeiros*
2. Jimmy Lambert
3. Bernardo Flores*
4. Luis Martinez
5. Tanner Banks*

Winston-Salem:

1. Alec Hansen
2. Lincoln Henzman
3. Blake Battenfield
4. John Parke*
5. Kade McClure

Kannapolis:

1. Konner Pilkington*
2. Jonathan Stiever
3. Codi Heuer
4. Taylor Varnell*
5. Jason Bilous

Outside of Dylan Cease, this list leaves a ton to be desired. It is not very deep and extremely lacking in high upside arms.

I suspect the Sox will be looking to buy a TOR arm or two in FA over the next few years.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Any idea when the minor league teams set their rotation order? In order for me to see Cease pitch when I am down in Indy in April, I need him to be their #3 or #4 starter. I'm hoping they let Adams and Stephens take those top 2 spots? I don't know how much minor league teams "reward" their returning starters over the pitchers who are newly added to their roster.

[ChiSoxJon]

6 hours ago, ChiliIrishHammock24 said:

Any idea when the minor league teams set their rotation order? In order for me to see Cease pitch when I am down in Indy in April, I need him to be their #3 or #4 starter. I'm hoping they let Adams and Stephens take those top 2 spots? I don't know how much minor league teams "reward" their returning starters over the pitchers who are newly added to their roster.

In the minors it's not uncommon for the team's most prospective pitchers to be #3 (at least at the lower levels), not sure why that is, but frankly way too early to predict

[ChiSoxJon]

After last year with Kopech, Adolfo, Hansen's struggles, Dunning's injury, Robert's injury, Moncada's struggles, Burger's injury, Basabe's injury (I have to be missing a few), we really need some good luck this year....That would really be great if Hansen can return to 2017 form and Cease dominated...There are plenty of other interesting/talented arms in this system, but none with ceilings like theirs

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

14 hours ago, ChiSoxJon said:

After last year with Kopech, Adolfo, Hansen's struggles, Dunning's injury, Robert's injury, Moncada's struggles, Burger's injury, Basabe's injury (I have to be missing a few), we really need some good luck this year....That would really be great if Hansen can return to 2017 form and Cease dominated...There are plenty of other interesting/talented arms in this system, but none with ceilings like theirs

I'm hoping all this internal smoke around Jimmy Lambert plays out and he can sort of fill in for the "Solid but not TOR" Dane Dunning role. In the 1 time I saw Lambert pitch, and it was this ST, he reminded of Jon Garland. Hopefully he can play that type of role.

[ChiSoxJon]

10 hours ago, ChiliIrishHammock24 said:

I'm hoping all this internal smoke around Jimmy Lambert plays out and he can sort of fill in for the "Solid but not TOR" Dane Dunning role. In the 1 time I saw Lambert pitch, and it was this ST, he reminded of Jon Garland. Hopefully he can play that type of role.

Don't see him being as highly thought of as Dunning but Garland 2.0 would be major

Edited March 24, 2019 by ChiSoxJon

[Chicago White Sox]

10 hours ago, ChiliIrishHammock24 said:

I'm hoping all this internal smoke around Jimmy Lambert plays out and he can sort of fill in for the "Solid but not TOR" Dane Dunning role. In the 1 time I saw Lambert pitch, and it was this ST, he reminded of Jon Garland. Hopefully he can play that type of role.

100% agree, we really need Lambert to have a big year and able to be a depth piece heading into 2020.  I fully expect the 2020 rotation to be Rodon, Lopez, Kopech, Cease along with a veteran via free agency.  If Lambert can be the #6 guy down in AAA, that would help offset the loss of Dunning, who will still need development / recovery time.

[KnightsOnMintSt]

On 3/23/2019 at 2:01 AM, ChiliIrishHammock24 said:

Any idea when the minor league teams set their rotation order? In order for me to see Cease pitch when I am down in Indy in April, I need him to be their #3 or #4 starter. I'm hoping they let Adams and Stephens take those top 2 spots? I don't know how much minor league teams "reward" their returning starters over the pitchers who are newly added to their roster.

I was a told by a White Sox prospect a couple years ago that the Minor League rotations are not set like the Major Leagues. A lot of it just has to do with how they finish Spring Training games. So Cease could be the #1 or he could be #5.