https://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/top-...pfgzrHUro9iD.97

 

The Sox with only five top 100 prospects:

 

4. Jimenez

11. Kopech

57. Hansen

58. Robert

82. Dunning

 

I'm actually shocked by how low Robert is ranked and somewhat surprised about Hansen.

 

Outside of Robert, I am actually really respectful of this ranking group. I think it recognizes what Hansen has done, and it recognizes what Cease hasn't done. With Robert I can accept the excuse that he hasn't played here yet, but once he does we'll see what happens.

 

Regardless, for the White Sox future, it isn't these guys we need to worry about most. It is the group of prospects on our own #10-40 type rankings we need to make some noise to get the Sox to the playoffs again.

ISOs above .200 at every level, wOBA above .367 at every level, wRC+ above 130 at every level, BB% above 17.8% at every level. Dude rakes.

 

Yeah, he rakes in a ton of K's in A ball.. He didn't do anything close to deserving of top 100

Yeah, he rakes in a ton of K's in A ball.. He didn't do anything close to deserving of top 100

 

I didn't expect Collins to be top 100 but you defaulting to strikeouts after someone gave you evidence of the kind of hitter he is says everything needed. You don't need to be taken seriously in this regard.

I didn't expect Collins to be top 100 but you defaulting to strikeouts after someone gave you evidence of the kind of hitter he is says everything needed. You don't need to be taken seriously in this regard.

 

lol

When I heard the prospect people talk about collins, the good news is he's the only catcher aside from Mejia scouts really see with a nice offensive profile.

 

The bad news is almost none of them really picture him at catcher, so all of the others with meh profiles but proper defense are ahead of him.

 

So he just has to be a catcher.

When I heard the prospect people talk about collins, the good news is he's the only catcher aside from Mejia scouts really see with a nice offensive profile.

 

The bad news is almost none of them really picture him at catcher, so all of the others with meh profiles but proper defense are ahead of him.

 

So he just has to be a catcher.

 

agreed. Which is another reason why I don't get the hype. His defensive questions. I hope he kicks butt this year

Good perspective here:

Lewis (America): How many of these guys could conceivably be a No. 1 overall in some years? I get the sense that anyone from 1-4 could be. Do Tatis, Robles, and Senzel have No. 1 overall tools?

 

J.J. Cooper: Great question. I’d prefer Eloy (No. 4) to Benintendi (No. 1) on last year’s list. Robles (No. 5) vs. Benitendi would be a great debate. So I’d say five. Torres (No. 6) or Senzel (No. 7) or even Bichette (No. 8) could have a case, but I would say any of those three being No. 1 would mean it was a weaker year for the Top 100.

 

 

Read more at https://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2018...QFgJ5TyEo8by.99

Unrelated to the Sox, but seeing Senzel at #7 makes me happy. After watching him play his first weekend series of college baseball as a freshman, I hopped on the Nick Senzel bandwagon (probably accompanied only by his family). I didn't see him being this good, but I had a feeling.

 

As for the Sox, no issues with the ones who were left out of the Top 100. We need a few guys to have some good seasons and force their way on there.

Edited January 22, 20188 yr by dasox24

Law didn't like the Robert signing- not his kind of player.

But the concern is the ongoing struggle the Sox have in drafting and developing their own players. Sure they can get a few top guys for trading Sale and Quintana, but this rebuild won't happen if they don't do better on the drafting front.

Edited January 22, 20188 yr by GreenSox

Well, the 2016 draft got raves. That's without even taking Burdi into consideration now due to his injury.

 

Last year, not so much. Of course, bringing in Robert was like having an additional Top 4-5 pick in the first round.

Edited January 23, 20188 yr by caulfield12

I will say this: I wouldn't even think of trading Kopech for Whitley, or say Hansen for Keller.

 

I also feel pretty good about a lot of the guys in our system that could potentially become top 100 prospects, even guys like Adolfo or Basabe could quickly find themselves on a list if they start to produce given their tools.

 

In addition guys like Spencer Adams or Jordan Stephens will never see a top 100 list, but I feel pretty good about both of those guys being MLB starters. Having several internal cost controlled back-end starting pitcher options is probably worth more than a top 100 prospect. Over the rebuild if we don't have to spend a single penny on the rotation I'll feel pretty good about our chances to compete.

How many players on these lists are ranked that were drafted after Collins and Burger? I haven't really looked. Just curious.

I was curious too so I looked it up.

 

From the 2016 draft after Collins:

 

Bo Bichette (#8)

Forrest Whitley (#10)

Austin Hays (#21)

Taylor Trammell (#48)

Alec Hansen (#57)

Kyle Lewis (#67)

Mitchell White (#69)

Jon Duplantier (#73)

Corbin Burnes (#74)

Dane Dunning (#82)

Jason Groome (#83)

Tyler O'Neill (#86)

 

 

From the 2017 draft after Burger:

 

Alex Faedo (#50)

J.B. Bukauskas (#76)

Heliot Ramos (#79)

Nate Pearson (#91)

Brent Rooker (#92)

 

I was curious too so I looked it up.

 

From the 2016 draft after Collins:

 

Bo Bichette (#8)

Forrest Whitley (#10)

Austin Hays (#21)

Taylor Trammell (#48)

Alec Hansen (#57)

Kyle Lewis (#67)

Mitchell White (#69)

Jon Duplantier (#73)

Corbin Burnes (#74)

Dane Dunning (#82)

Jason Groome (#83)

Tyler O'Neill (#86)

 

 

From the 2017 draft after Burger:

 

Alex Faedo (#50)

J.B. Bukauskas (#76)

Heliot Ramos (#79)

Nate Pearson (#91)

Brent Rooker (#92)

 

That actually makes me feel better.

 

Ideal draft obviously in 2016 is probably Whitley / Hansen / Bichette instead of Collins / Burdi / Hansen, but the main problem there was tryign to use a draft pick to get better that year. Hopefully they are done with that stuff.

 

2017, I am not an expert, but as soon as I saw Ramos highlights I was on his bandwagon. The rest, I wouldn't want Rooker over Burger. And the board was against college pitching but I think the Faedo stuff sucks to miss on. I would feel better about system with Faedo instead of him.

Er, woops, 3rd round you'd definitely want Austin Hays or Jesus Luzardo over Call.

Outside of Robert, I am actually really respectful of this ranking group. I think it recognizes what Hansen has done, and it recognizes what Cease hasn't done. With Robert I can accept the excuse that he hasn't played here yet, but once he does we'll see what happens.

 

Regardless, for the White Sox future, it isn't these guys we need to worry about most. It is the group of prospects on our own #10-40 type rankings we need to make some noise to get the Sox to the playoffs again.

 

I'd love to see good production from our second tier of prospects, but I'd be pretty happy just getting success out of our top 10. The Cubs won a World Series on the back of a handful of their top prospects.

I'd love to see good production from our second tier of prospects, but I'd be pretty happy just getting success out of our top 10. The Cubs won a World Series on the back of a handful of their top prospects.

 

And about half a billion in free agent spending...

And about half a billion in free agent spending...

With the number of guys coming up from the minors, that's basically what the White Sox will have to play with 2018-2021 if all they do is push their payroll back to the $130 million level that they were at during the wonderfully successful 2015 campaign.

When I heard the prospect people talk about collins, the good news is he's the only catcher aside from Mejia scouts really see with a nice offensive profile.

 

The bad news is almost none of them really picture him at catcher, so all of the others with meh profiles but proper defense are ahead of him.

 

So he just has to be a catcher.

 

I am curious, why do no scouts think he can stick at catcher? I agree 100% with you that he needs to focus on being a catcher. His offensive production will come together on its own.

Good perspective here:

Lewis (America): How many of these guys could conceivably be a No. 1 overall in some years? I get the sense that anyone from 1-4 could be. Do Tatis, Robles, and Senzel have No. 1 overall tools?

 

J.J. Cooper: Great question. I’d prefer Eloy (No. 4) to Benintendi (No. 1) on last year’s list. Robles (No. 5) vs. Benitendi would be a great debate. So I’d say five. Torres (No. 6) or Senzel (No. 7) or even Bichette (No. 8) could have a case, but I would say any of those three being No. 1 would mean it was a weaker year for the Top 100.

 

 

Read more at https://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2018...QFgJ5TyEo8by.99

 

To be fair benintendi's calling card have never been tools but that he has such a well rounded profile with good contact, plate discipline and decent but not great power. He never had the upside of other top prospects that were first overall but the floor is really high (higher than moncada and Acuna) because he was such an advanced and we'll rounded bat.

I am curious, why do no scouts think he can stick at catcher? I agree 100% with you that he needs to focus on being a catcher. His offensive production will come together on its own.

 

I'm not up on scouty terms, but the way I read what they write is he's not good at anything currently but he's also not very athletic so they don't think he will improve enough to become major league level quality.

Luzardo was paid well above slot if memory serves.

 

Yeah this is a totally unfair exercise, just running through what was available. Though I suppose that could highlight how we didn't really maximize that much of our extra budget with the comp pick.

 

 

The BA podcast on sox players was up on Tuesday and interesting.

 

Another mention of Roberts tools at Moncada level.

 

Interesting stuff on instruct changes by Collins and Burger that we know of, but just validation that they appeared meaningful.

 

Interesting enough they said Zevala was behind Collins in defense.