With the 45th overall pick, the White Sox decided on a high school arm from Texas. 

He possesses a fastball that sits low-to-mid 90's with a sharp slider. James Fox provides an in-depth look at the pick along with a plethora of video highlights. Read it HERE. 

Edited June 7, 20196 yr by Rankin

If his FB is in the low 90s, that isn't good.

I don’t think he’s 24 in high school...

I didn't like this pick, but how I eventually feel about it will depend a lot on how things turn out over the next days and when signing numbers are reported.

Think he was BPA on the Sox board?

23 minutes ago, Jerksticks said:

Think he was BPA on the Sox board?

The fangraphs board has him 86 and mlb.com at 69 (nice) so it seems like he is slightly worse than draft position.

Ot course internal assesments might vary from the prospect guys but at least he probably is not an overslot talent. Maybe they can get an overslot talent at 3 or 4 round but I would have hoped they could have moved a 25-35th talent to 45. But with arizona having 100 picks that was probably not really possible.

4 hours ago, Cashman said:

If his FB is in the low 90s, that isn't good.

He's 18.

 

Just based on a few videos, his delivery looks pretty low effort. Maybe he can reach back when needed. 

Where will he rank among the Top 30?

Don't love the pick, but don't dislike it...like the idea of a HS arm, just don't love the talent

Lots of good players available at 81 today

1 hour ago, dominik-keul@gmx.de said:

The fangraphs board has him 86 and mlb.com at 69 (nice) so it seems like he is slightly worse than draft position.

Ot course internal assesments might vary from the prospect guys but at least he probably is not an overslot talent. Maybe they can get an overslot talent at 3 or 4 round but I would have hoped they could have moved a 25-35th talent to 45. But with arizona having 100 picks that was probably not really possible.

Sox likely had him ranked much higher than #69. He's the classic athletic frame, good mechanics, likely to add velocity over time selection. Guys like this are high risk, high reward.

He's essentially a lottery ticket at this stage. 

12 minutes ago, ChiSoxJon said:

Where will he rank among the Top 30?

Don't love the pick, but don't dislike it...like the idea of a HS arm, just don't love the talent

Lots of good players available at 81 today

I'd say he will rank between 15-20 in our top 30 prospects? 

Thompson was 49 on BA.

He's a scouts pick for sure, but there are a lot of durability reasons to like him vs a traditional HS pick. He's been throwing easy 90s for years, not a sudden uptick. He has good size and great athleticism, and has good feel though inconsistent results with spin.

So, a guy that needs development. But with the 2nd round I'll take it. That's a package that doesn't exist in this system.

He's a typical projectable high school right hander.  Hopefully he develops better than Spencer Adams.  

48 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

He's a typical projectable high school right hander.  Hopefully he develops better than Spencer Adams.  

I loved that pick at the time. I truly expected him to add more velocity.

1 minute ago, DirtySox said:

I loved that pick at the time. I truly expected him to add more velocity.

Spencer Adams had the strangest development path ever. When he first got to the system he was a strikeout machine with raw athleticism. Then...I have no clue.

2 minutes ago, Quin said:

Spencer Adams had the strangest development path ever. When he first got to the system he was a strikeout machine with raw athleticism. Then...I have no clue.

Adams plateaued and stuff never developed to the point where he had a true out pitch. At the higher levels he couldn't strike batters out. 

6 minutes ago, steveno89 said:

Adams plateaued and stuff never developed to the point where he had a true out pitch. At the higher levels he couldn't strike batters out. 

Well, it's like he became a completely different pitcher. I thought @NorthSideSox72 wrote an article about it, but I can't find it so I might be going crazy, but it was something along the lines of him losing velocity.

2 minutes ago, Quin said:

Well, it's like he became a completely different pitcher. I thought @NorthSideSox72 wrote an article about it, but I can't find it so I might be going crazy, but it was something along the lines of him losing velocity.

HS pitchers may lose velocity in the s 2nd or 3rd year in the minors but usually regain and improve upon it. Velocity didn't ever increase for him.

56 minutes ago, DirtySox said:

I loved that pick at the time. I truly expected him to add more velocity.

I would make it again tbh. Though, you'd wish to get Mitch Keller instead.

I'm fine with the pick.  Sox need to add some HS arms that might arrive in 2023+.  At that point hopefully we'll be talking about how to extend the window and Thompson will be a part of that.

Quote

Thompson should begin the season with the rookie level AZL White Sox and will almost assuredly sign instead of attending Texas A&M.

I haven't had much time this spring to follow our high school baseball, my golf team kept me busier than normal.

I spoke with one of the coaches here who watched him pitch last year. He remembers thinking this kid will get drafted high and turn pro instead of playing college ball. I'm not certain how to factor this in but our Texas players typically are playing year round and have more experience than a player from the frozen tundra north of the Mason-Dixon line. 

I read and heard he has thrown up to 96 but his velocity varies wildly.  Delivery issues?

12 minutes ago, Moan4Yoan said:

I read and heard he has thrown up to 96 but his velocity varies wildly.  Delivery issues?

Don't think so...Think people were turned off by his stats as a HS senior I believe

35 minutes ago, ChiSoxJon said:

Don't think so...Think people were turned off by his stats as a HS senior I believe

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/white-sox-use-second-round-pick-high-school-pitcher-matthew-thompson

"Thompson announced his presence by reaching 95 mph as a rising junior at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in 2017 and remains one of the hardest throwers in this year's prep class, though he has lacked consistency this spring.

"Thompson has an ultra-quick arm and an athletic delivery that produces low-90s fastballs with a maximum velocity of 96 mph when he's at his best, though he also has worked at 89-90 at times this year.

16 hours ago, Moan4Yoan said:

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/white-sox-use-second-round-pick-high-school-pitcher-matthew-thompson

"Thompson announced his presence by reaching 95 mph as a rising junior at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in 2017 and remains one of the hardest throwers in this year's prep class, though he has lacked consistency this spring.

"Thompson has an ultra-quick arm and an athletic delivery that produces low-90s fastballs with a maximum velocity of 96 mph when he's at his best, though he also has worked at 89-90 at times this year.

Thompson had a 0.87 ERA and struck out 124 in 72.1 innings, giving up only 23 hits, but did walk 41

He was extremely dominant

So, admittedly, I don't know a lot about this player, but I have to say, I think I would prefer the hypothetical player( or players) they could have acquired for Kimbrel at the deadline.  I kept being told that this pick was the reason they couldn't sign and trade Kimbrel.  

Again, not that I don't like him, I don't know really anything about him, and I really like the idea of the Sox taking a high ceiling HS pitcher.  I just think they could have probably gotten a top 30 type prospect for Kimbrel.  Oh well.  They should still sign him and trade him!