However, from talking to Paul Janish, White Sox director of player development, the organization is even more impressed with the overall makeup Carlson is displaying at just 19 years old.
“He’s a very inquisitive kid,” Janish said. “He’s a very smart kid. It’s very evident that he wants to be really good. He asks very good questions. It seems from the get-go, he’s going to be a guy who is interested in the ‘why.’ He’s not just going to nod and smile all the time, which I appreciate. I think that’s a character trait in guys who are going to be successful.”
Looking beyond Carlson, Jaden Fauske, Chicago’s second-round pick out of Nazareth Academy (Illinois), has shown he can connect with the barrel through his first couple of bridge league games. Janish also highlighted Fauske as a player with great makeup who has already established himself as a leader among the new draftees.
However, don’t expect to see Carlson, Fauske or any other freshly-drafted White Sox high school player or pitcher make their debut this season, as Janish said the team intends to keep all those players down at the complex this year.
Third-rounder Kyle Lodise impressed, as well, collecting two hits in the bridge league opener. He’s been promoted to High-A Winston-Salem to get his feet wet in pro ball.