PaleAleSox Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Baseball America did a round table about who will be the number 1 prospect in 2027 and listed both Roch and Caleb. Uh. Yes please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtySox Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 (edited) Not a fantasy guy by any means, but both Oppor and Jeral Perez made breakout dynasty fantasy lists for BA. Quote Christian Oppor, LHP, White Sox nStuff+ Arsenal Score: 120 Strike Rate: 63.1% Oppor just qualifies on our sliding scale of stuff and strikes, with a strike rate that is a hair above the average. His arsenal, on the other hand, blows up the Stuff+ model with a score of 120. It’s one of the highest scores of any starter in the minors, while his strike rates are a little stronger than his 11.5% walk rate might suggest. Oppor’s fastball and secondaries are defined by a heavy east-west movement profile, something that can be harder to control at times than pitchers more focused on a north-south plan of attack. Oppor sits 94-96 mph on his four-seam fastball, which touches 100 mph at peak. The pitch doesn’t have much ride, and he gets below-average extension, but his arm slot still creates good angles. While his fastball can light up radar guns, it’s Oppor’s secondaries with book-end movement that drive his profile. His primary secondary is the changeup, a pitch for which he shows plus command. Oppor’s offspeed sits 79-81 mph with 13-15 inches of armside run. The pitch also features significant vertical and velocity separation off his fastball. His slider is a sweeper in the 79-81 mph range with around a foot of horizontal break. Oppor is still a year away from impact in the majors. Improved command and a harder secondary in the mid 80s could be the finishing touches he needs to develop into a midrotation starter with strikeout upside in fantasy. Quote Jeral Perez, 2B, White Sox Perez broke out as a Dodgers prospect in 2023, hitting .255/.391/.485 with 11 home runs in 60 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A. After a solid return to Low-A Rancho to begin 2024, Perez was traded to the White Sox in the three-team deal that sent Michael Kopech and Tommy Edman to the Dodgers. In his first full season with the White Sox, Perez hit .244/.315/.448 with 22 home runs. Seven prospects aged 20 or younger hit 20 or more home runs in 2025, and six of them are Top 100 Prospects. Perez is the one outlier. Perez shows a nice foundational blend of skills, as he posts average exit velocities, above-average contact rates and excellent angles upon contact. His ability to make lots of contact at good angles bodes well for his future production as he grows into more strength in the coming years. Edited January 29 by DirtySox 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago White Sox Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, DirtySox said: Not a fantasy guy by any means, but both Oppor and Jeral Perez made breakout dynasty fantasy lists for BA. Love that write up on Perez. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxBlanco Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 2 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said: Love that write up on Perez. Agreed. Crazy that he was the only player not ranked as a top 100 prospect to hit 20+ home runs at age 20 or younger. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldsox Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 8 hours ago, SoxBlanco said: Agreed. Crazy that he was the only player not ranked as a top 100 prospect to hit 20+ home runs at age 20 or younger. How can he be in the Top 100 when he is #19 on the Sox? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lukakke Appling Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 1 hour ago, oldsox said: How can he be in the Top 100 when he is #19 on the Sox? I didn’t read that as a suggestion he should be. It’s just an impressive tidbit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtySox Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 (edited) Hagen Smith on BA's 15 Prospects Who Could Bounce Back in 2026 article. Quote Hagen Smith, LHP, White Sox Smith has the potential to be a real bright spot in a growing White Sox system and a key reason for optimism going forward. But Smith’s 2026 season hinges on which version of him shows up after an uneven 2025. He opened the year by running high strikeout rates but also walked 20 batters over his first 29.2 innings, and the White Sox pulled him off the mound in May to address elbow soreness and work on some mechanical tweaks to stabilize his delivery. He finished the year by striking out nearly 34% of hitters, but also a 17.6% walk rate. When he’s right, his fastball plays up thanks to extension, a low three-quarters slot and a flat approach angle, making it difficult to square when he’s around the zone. His 81 mph slider remains a legitimate plus pitch with depth and swing-and-miss. While Smith’s command wavered in 2025, and his split-changeup still lags as a third offering, improved mechanics late in the season smoothed his rhythm and put his arm path back on track—key indicators that his bounce back is built on tangible progress rather than a short-term blip. Link Edited January 30 by DirtySox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autumn Dreamin Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 Charlotte remains brutal for pitchers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaDoc Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 Anyone hear of any talk to try and make changes to Charlotte to make it more neutral for pitchers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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