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Another needle in Adam Engle's Leury Garcia voodoo doll.

He started the at-bat 0-2, worked a full count, and then crushed the 9th pitch for a HR. This kid is a fucking stud.

Basabomb

Below are the top 11 hitters in the Carolina League based on wRC+. Five of these guys are on the older side (+23 years old). Two of the remaining guys are Keston Hiura & Carter Kieboom, both top 100 prospects. Three of the others are Sox outfielders: Luis Gonzalez, Micker Adolfo, & Luis Basabe. Out of these hitters, Basabe has the 2nd highest ISO at .237. He has the second highest BB % at 13.9%. He doesn't steal a ton of bases, but he does have plus speed. He's also a legit CF with a plus arm capable of playing all three OF positions. Outside of the K rate (which is a concern), there to like here for a 21 year old. I'm super high on this kid.

Continue to disagree on this. A month ago, right after the all star break, was when things really clicked with him and he started this roll. For example - From June 1 up to the All Star break, he pitched 31 innings. In those 31 innings he had 31 walks, gave up 21 earned runs, had an ERA over 6 in that stretch. His last start before the all star break, he walked 4 in 3 innings, gave up 4 runs. Since the All Star break, he has averaged 6.1 innings per start, pitched 44 innings, and walked 4. Read that again. His ERA in this stretch is 1.84. You could tell me he should have been called up a week ago, but not mid-July, this stretch is where he actually earned it.

I'm late to this thread but I just want to say I'm honestly baffled as to how some folks posting here are upset about this callup. If he's ready, he's ready. I am extremely excited.

An extra year of control is not worth losing out on a month + of experience that he needs. If we are banking on having an extra year of control of both Eloy and Kopech to be good then we are doing something wrong. Pay them. That's all this crap about service time is. If they both are ready, and it appears like they are, then they both need to be in the majors to learn and get used to facing better players. You can't learn against the best until you are allowed to play the best

BUSH BOMB!

LOL. I am shocked to be honest, but that was a damn impressive 2 innings. I am sorry but it's much more fun with the Sox are winning games.

I was just about to type this. LOL

Minaya actually looking like a legit MLB pitcher.

Since Yoan's debut from last year for me

Amen, after all it's only a game.

I am excited to see him and to see him achieve. For my two cents is that we can all ruminate over the business of baseball, but if you let it fuck up your enjoyment of the game of baseball, you are doing it wrong.

Probably, but next step is send him to the dominican winter league and see how he does. If he can handle the craftier pitchers there he's really turned a corner and may indeed be closer to the majors than we realized.

I think AA is all but a certainty, but I don’t expect him to stay there long.

It never sucks to be the Yankees or a Yankee fan. They deserve shit like this because they had such a financial advantage for so many years. Maybe it will knock their fanbase off their high horse a bit. The baseball gods are punishing them for their years of gaming the system. I will never feel one bit of sympathy for that team or their fanbase. They can go eat a bag of dicks. They're all a bunch of spoiled children.

Too many walks again for Giolito

Abreu wants his hundo

Rainout tonight = Kopech Wednesday? *edit - bit late. Just need a reason for Kopech to move to Wed as I can't make tomorrow

Heard on radio couple thousand sold already since announcement and expectation is mid 20s

No. It's your same arguement and I don't expect you to understand but I'm going to say it again anyway. MLB hitters are better than minor league hitters. He needs to learn to pitch to them. Even the hitters of the lowly twins and Baltimore are better than most minor league hitters, plus with the advanced scouting in the MLB hitters are more prepared to face him. He also needs to build up his innings this year to pitch a full season next year. Also just because he may struggle doesn't mean he wasn't ready. Making the jump to the MLB is a big jump. He needs to learn how to do that at the MLB level. He can't learn that at AAA.

This should also be for Eloy. They both need to be up here and get a taste to learn what they need to improve on in the offseason. Destroying minor league pitching will not help him learn his where his weaknesses are. Both Kopech and Eloy need this time to learn what they need to improve on in the offseason. They can only get that from the major leagues That's why he is coming up imo. He needs to start learning how to attack stars vs prospects and scrubs.

I have to say, I don't understand why it seems so many are still down-ish on Rutherford. He is just 21 (and will be until May) he has really risen to the challenge this year. He has been in WS all year and is hitting .297/.347/.416. Yeah, it would be nice to see more power, but he is still young and has hit 22 2B and 8 3B this season. Gonzalez has probably out played him this season, but Blake is a year and a half younger and they are now at the same level. I don't want to seem like I am tearing down Gonzalez, I am not. I am on the bandwagon. I just feel they are pretty darn similar in terms of their status, while it seems most have Rutherford as an afterthought. I guess I just think that year is a big deal. If Rutherford started next season in Kanny, that would be similar to where Gonzalez was this season. I would love a lineup that had Rutherford Robert and Gonzalez in the OF, with Adolfo and Eloy alternating at 1B and DH (or however that works out). Though I wouldn't be surprised if Call, Basabe, Walker, Booker or someone else made their way in either.

We also have series against the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs and the Indians twice. So he's likely to face at least a couple legit major league lineups that sill have something to play for. And even the crappy royals/tigers/orioles lineups have guys that will pose more of a challenge than his potential triple a opponents.

What if doing this is one of the reasons he’s good? Experience is not nothing. Most guys need a lot of time to acclimate to the majors.

100%

If Kopech is as good as many people think he will be, I think we will end up wishing they hadn't done this in a few years.

I don't either. However, I'm still concerned that the Sox aren't here once JR isn't here. For some horrible reason, I think he's the only one keeping them in Chicago. It wouldn't shock me if they moved to Charlotte after he passes. On topic, I'm no longer on the Kopech=Closer train. His last 7 starts or so have answered all of the concerns I've had about him. I think he could be the ace that we're looking for. If he's an ace, the Sale trade is already a win and whatever they get from Moncada/Basabe is gravy.

What's ironic are those who say don't worry about service time, it's a ways off, yet complain the Sox don't spend like crazy on 15 and 16 year olds from other countries. The argument here is, this is a month and a half, where he mostly will be facing AAA line ups. We know they aren't doing anything this year, so why not roll the dice and have him wait? I do see some posts about innings. Does anyone really think Kopech is going to pitch 180 innings in 2019 at the major league level? He would have to make almost all of his starts, and average more innings per start than he ever has averaged. IMO, his innings, if he was shut down at the end of the AAA season would have been plenty to push what he is more realistic in pitching next year. Whatever. It will be interesting seeing what he can do. I just hope this month and a half doesn't haunt them in the future. We have seen pitchers get this late season look, including a White Sox Cy Young award winner, and it doesn't translate into taking off the next year.

GMAB. Which is the correct way to rebuild - to go for service time or to bring people up when they're ready even if it costs a year? I don't think there's an obvious answer that must be the case, where "if you pick this answer clearly you weren't ready for a rebuild"?

This is nice that they've stabilized, I see it as more regression to the mean than anything else. This team was bad, but if we ran this season 100 times I think this season would be in the bottom quartile. It honestly blows my mind that the team could win 30 straight games and only get to .500. The end of injuries has helped. The outfield in june was truly embarrassing, and the bullpen has felt refreshingly average as our SPs have turned in fewer 3-4 inning bombs.

Shows how desperate we Sox fans have become when a heated debate rages over one player being called up from the minors.

I think the Sox have a better team record during Giolito starts than the Mets do when DeGrom starts, and his ERA is 1.71. Giolito's ERA in July was 5.28 and August 5.50. That won't get it done. The White Sox winning percentage is going to increase because the vast majority of teams they are playing aren't fighting for their playoff lives. It's teams playing out the string. They beat KC, who cares. They beat Det, who cares? They probably will be Minnesota, who cares? This 16-16 is all because they beat Tampa 3 times. Again, who cares? They play good teams, motivated, they lose. What matters are the guys that are going to be here. If the Sox win games because of guys who aren't, how does that make the rebuild closer to working?

They won 3 in Tampa, and took 2 out of 3 vs. KC and Det, 2 horrible teams. Other than that, they have continued to suck. But they should be a little better as they play teams playing out the string or pretty much having their playoff fates sealed when they play them. They always have a chance when Rodon is pitching, and Covey is either really good or really bad, but the other starters haven't really stepped it up. The bullpen, for the most part with what's there, who cares? Abreu came out of his slump, Narvaez is hitting, but is he really an answer behind the plate? Other than that, and an occassional Palka HR, I don't see what has changed.

Team is improving and with the second wave of prospects coming I expect to see it continue. Having a few guys to solidify the rotation makes all the difference in the world. If Kopech can come in and give 6 innings and 2-3 runs per start on average, that’s another guy in the rotation that gives you a chance to win each time he takes the ball (much like Rodon). With Eloy close to a promotion, there’s another guy that I would expect to have a profound impact on the lineup. He’s the kind of guy that makes everyone around him in the lineup better. It’s starting to come together and I still think they are on track for the division crown in 2020, especially with a few key free agent signings the next two winters. Exciting times on the south side!

Lame ending I guess but man I love Lesnar matches. So intense right off the bat all the time. Theres nothing else like them.

Quoting it because I could only give it one trophy

I do think calling up Kopech now means the Sox plan to be fairly active in free agency & makes it incredibly unlikely they consider moving Rodon.

Ready isn't the question. The only question is what is control worth versus moving the rebuild along. Could a hot finish make the Sox have some free agent buzz?

Maybe this is just them panicking after a nun outpitched their staff...

This. bringing kopech up makes sense because of his development. We want this kid to become a 200ip pitcher

These guys need to come up when they ready. If they reach their potential they’ll either be resigned or traded for a haul. There is no loss here.

This will never hold, but... 8-21 vs Min 8-26 at Det 8-31 vs Bos 9-5 vs Det 9-11 at KC 9-18 at Cle 9-23 vs Cubs 9-29 at Min 4 home, one start each at AL Central parks

It only makes sense if they plan on being competitive in 2019 and that’s seems like a stretch given how most of the young guys have played this year.

Also, Shields was scheduled Tuesday so I think there is something to Shields being dealt.

Biked up Mt. Rainier yesterday with some friends. Damn, that was grueling.

Loved Fisk for that. I am old school and don't mind pitching inside at all. In fact, I believe you have to to be effective. I understand moving a guy off the plate and yea even intentionally hitting a guy. However, you should hit him where Kopech did (ass by accounts) but I don't believe in 99mph. 90 mph , (for Kopech might be a change up LOL) is plenty and you actually have to throw it hard enough to control it. Forever it has been part of the game up until the last 25 years or so. If you homered, you expected/prepared to get buzzed the next time. Some guys would buzz you twice so you knew the first wasn't a mistake. Look at this quote in a story from Callum Hughson of Dusty Baker being warned about Bob Gibson by Hank Aaron “(Hank Aaron told me) ‘Don’t dig in against Bob Gibson, he’ll knock you down. He’d knock down his own grandmother if she dared to challenge him. Don’t stare at him, don’t smile at him, don’t talk to him. He doesn’t like it. If you happen to hit a home run, don’t run too slow, don’t run too fast. If you happen to want to celebrate, get in the tunnel first. And if he hits you, don’t charge the mound, because he’s a Gold Glove boxer.’ I’m like, ‘Damn, what about my 17-game hitting streak?’ That was the night it ended.” —Dusty Baker

DSL is 13-11 since bottoming out at 5-35.