Thus far BA does not think all that much of the sox farm system. The Sox have very few players in their top 20's. I know most of the talent is at Birmingham but even so I am surprised at what I have seen so far. Since we know Charlotte won't have more than one player in the top 20, even a good showing in the Southern League won't make up for this poor showing. And I think Birmingham will have only 3 in the top 20.

Thus far BA does not think all that much of the sox farm system. The Sox have very few players in their top 20's. I know most of the talent is at Birmingham but even so I am surprised at what I have seen so far. Since we know Charlotte won't have more than one player in the top 20, even a good showing in the Southern League won't make up for this poor showing. And I think Birmingham will have only 3 in the top 20.

 

WTF are you talking about?

 

Sox had one guy in the Appy League (Cunningham @ #9), 2 guys in the Pioneer League (Hernandez @ #5 and Allen @ #19) and one from Kannapolis (Gio #12). They have yet to even do the leagues where the Sox are the strongest (W-S and Birmingham)...

 

The Sox have 5 out of 160 prospects ranked so far. With 30 MLB teams, that's about average, and like I said, the 2 levels the Sox are strongest and deepest at are not even covered yet...

 

 

Sheeesh, what a load of crap...

I'm surprised they are still so high on Hernandez. This seemed like something of a lost season for him this year.

I'm surprised they are still so high on Hernandez. This seemed like something of a lost season for him this year.

 

I don't know, the guy is still only 19 yrs old. He looked pretty good when he was backed up to the Rookie League. Next year, I would assume at Kanny, hopefully he can progress. At 19, I would say he's still a pretty highly regarded prospect.

Some White Sox Q & A's

 

  Bob Fett from BMB asks:

Brandon Allen started out the year on a good note thru the first 37 games he hit .282, 9 doubles and 8 home runs but then seemed to hit a wall finishing only hitting .264 with 11 doubles and 11 home runs. Which Mr. Allen can we look forward to seeing next year? Thanks!

 

A:

Smart money says more of the same, actually. Allen is very raw. He was a two-sport star in high school and never dedicated time exclusively to baseball. That's part of why he made the cut this year. His upside is appealing, but he will require at least another 800-1,200 minor league at-bats before the White Sox will really know what they have.

 

Sammy from Glendale Heights asks:

How much progress do you think Francisco Hernandez made this year for Great Falls. What's his upside potential.

 

A:

It was refreshing to see Hernandez gain some confidence after a rough start in low Class A this season. He came back to the PL where he showed better poise and learned not to press so much. He's going to have to improve his plate discipline as advanced pitchers are going to set him up easily if he continues to swing at pitches out of the zone with regularity. He has nice upside, and good tools behind the plate.

 

Richard Smiley from Chicago, IL asks:

Matt -- Thanks for the excellent write-up and for doing the chat. Did Bristol's Chris Carter come close to making the list and what is your evaluation of him?

 

A: I had Carter ranked in the 30-35 range because he had trouble in his debut with defense at third. He’s just 18, though, and one manager I spoke with really liked his swing and thought his power was projectible. He even liked him a bit more than Cunningham. In the end, Carter’s going to have a tougher road to the bigs if he’s moved from third to first base.

 

    Tom from Seattle asks:

Which is the real Aaron Cunningham: The guy who hit .315 with a .838 OPS in Bristol, or the guy who hit .115 and .322 OPS in two weeks at Kannapolis? What can we expect from him?

 

A: I think Cunningham will hit, though not everyone I spoke with shares that opinion. It’s important to note that his OBP with Bristol was buoyed by a league-leading 14 HBPs. The best-case scenario for Cunningham is as a right fielder with average tools across the board.

The Sox two biggest upper end prospects are here now, in McCarthy and Anderson. After that I think you severely underestimate some really good talent both at AA, and in the lower levels of the Sox system, Rudy.

Carolina League Possibles

Liotta

Gio

Broadway

Valido -- He'll definitely make it.

 

Southern League Possibles

Young - Top 5

Sweeney - Top 10, maybe higher BA love him.

Fields - High draft pick - They usually get some love

Rogo

Tracey

Haigwood

 

International League Possibles

McCarthy - 2nd best pitching prospect, behind Liriano

Anderson

Edited September 27, 200520 yr by Gene Honda Civic

I don't know, the guy is still only 19 yrs old. He looked pretty good when he was backed up to the Rookie League. Next year, I would assume at Kanny, hopefully he can progress. At 19, I would say he's still a pretty highly regarded prospect.

 

He made a lot of progress at Kanny aftert struggling mightily early. Bristol -> Kanny is a HUGE jump for someone as young and raw as Hernandez. If you look at his numbers at the plate, he was turning it around his last 3-4 weeks there before heading back to Great Falls when Lucy came off the DL.

 

Invaluable experience for a kid his age, and he reportedly handled himself very well behind the dish... Was good to get him back to Great Falls and have such a positive conclusion to his season that he can take and build on...

Southern League Possibles

Young - Top 5

Sweeney - Top 10, maybe higher BA love him.

Fields - High draft pick - They usually get some love

Rogo

Tracey

Haigwood

 

You're going to see Owens possibly accounted for there, too. You don't produce like that after a jump from Low A to Double A and not catch quite a few eyes doing so...

 

Fields will not be rated. Rogo likely bypassed as well. Young, Sweeney, Owens with either Haig (if not in the Carolina League list) or Tracey as your best bets to have a pitcher listed, although I think none will be...

3 Gio mentions in today's chat-wrap...

 

Q:  Matt from Sacramento, California asks:

Higher ceiling: Gio Gonzalez or Mark Rogers? Are either of them projected top-of-the-rotation guys?

 

A:  John Manuel: I'd say Rogers has the higher ceiling, but those guys almost could not be more different. That's really a subjective call, but I'll take the guy who can throw 100 mph and is really raw but has great makeup.

 

Q:  Joe from USA asks:

If Gio Gonzalez didn't have a history of injury problems would he rank as the #1 pitcher on this list? Thanks

 

A:  John Manuel: If Gio Gonzalez and Philip Hughes were healthy, they probably both would have ranked near the top. Hughes with no injury questions is pretty impossible to argue against. Gonzalez has a slight frame to go with injury questions, two negatives to Hughes' one, hence the lower ranking. That's the logic behind those rankings. Stuff-wise, they were every bit as good as Elbert and Patton, who ranked up there too. Hughes might have the best combo with his size and feel and command. BUT, he hasn't stayed healthy yet. It's like he's the high school draftee version of Anthony Reyes.

 

Q:  Begbie from Edinburgh asks:

John, what does Edgardo Baez need to fix to fully utilize his 5-tool potential (or at least 4-tool potential)? I saw him play this past year and he did look foolish fishing for a few curveballs in the dirt (they were, however, Gio Gonzalez hooks), but I loved his raw tools, especially his batarm combo.

 

A:  John Manuel: It's all pitch recognition, knowing when to swing and when to let breaking balls go by. According to Nats man Aaron Fitt, Baez lacks the most important tool, the bat. He just doesn't make enough contact to put his excellent raw power to use. He's also not a plus runner, so maybe he'll be a 4-tool guy if it all comes together.

Thus far BA does not think all that much of the sox farm system. The Sox have very few players in their top 20's. I know most of the talent is at Birmingham but even so I am surprised at what I have seen so far. Since we know Charlotte won't have more than one player in the top 20, even a good showing in the Southern League won't make up for this poor showing. And I think Birmingham will have only 3 in the top 20.

this is the third bulls*** thread you have started today. What is your deal?

this is the third bulls*** thread you have started today.  What is your deal?

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Rock, he is retired, and a lifelong fan of 60+ years at least. Some slack is probably in order.

Rock, he is retired, and a lifelong fan of 60+ years at least.  Some slack is probably in order.

 

I guess that absolves him from using logic or reasoned thought?

I guess that absolves him from using logic or reasoned thought?

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What's your issue lately? You've been prickly with everyone you disagree with.

 

Take a deep breath maybe?

 

Your definition of logic and reasoned thought doesn't necessarily have to be everyone else's.

What's your issue lately?  You've been prickly with everyone you disagree with.

 

Take a deep breath maybe?

 

Your definition of logic and reasoned thought doesn't necessarily have to be everyone else's.

 

Please show me where either of logic or reasoned thought were used in the original post.

 

1) He totally glossed over one of the deepest levels in the organization, High-A.

2) He neglected to put 2-and-2 together to see that 5/160 is almost right-on league average...

3) He made a grand conclusion about how BA rates or views our organization based on incomplete and poorly interpreted data

 

I'm still waiting for logic or reason to show itself...

Please show me where either of logic or reasoned thought were used in the original post.

 

1) He totally glossed over one of the deepest levels in the organization, High-A.

2) He neglected to put 2-and-2 together to see that 5/160 is almost right-on league average...

3) He made a grand conclusion about how BA rates or views our organization based on incomplete and poorly interpreted data

 

I'm still waiting for logic or reason to show itself...

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I don't need to show you anything. All of your three points listed above are entirely your opinion, nothing more. He's entitled to his opinion too. If that doesn't fit with your definition of logic and reasoning, that's fine. Every time someone makes a statement about the minor leagues you don't agree with, it's "WTF are you talking about" or "What are you smoking". It's a little over the top.

I don't need to show you anything.  All of your three points listed above are entirely your opinion, nothing more.  He's entitled to his opinion too.  If that doesn't fit with your definition of logic and reasoning, that's fine.  Every time someone makes a statement about the minor leagues you don't agree with, it's "WTF are you talking about" or "What are you smoking".  It's a little over the top.

Jimbo, this is the third thread he had started in one day that had no thought out argument, or any basis of truth. I dont agree with Randar very often, infact, I dont think we ever have, but in this situation it was pretty much cut and dry. If we dont give any slack to younger posters, then older ones shouldnt count as well.

Either way, im sorry to snap. But I just have been sick of these knee jerk threads lately, and this may have caught me at a bad time.

But I just have been sick of these knee jerk threads lately

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Totally agree with you on this

From Jim Calis's chat on ESPN today

 

Adam (IL): Mr. Callis, how would you rank the ChiSox OF prospect 4-some (Brian Anderson, Ryan Sweeney, Jerry Owens, Chris Young) in terms of potential? Which one(s) do they keep and which should they trade for a real bat next year?

 

SportsNation Jim Callis: (2:42 PM ET ) Anderson, Young, Sweeney, Owens. Young is pretty close to Anderson and could pass him. Sweeney has been rushed but I still like his potential. Nice surge forward by Owens this year. My guess is they hang on to either Anderson or Young and use the other guy in a major deal. Sounds like Young could have gone to Florida (Burnett) or Cincy (Griffey) if those deals had been pulled off.

You're going to see Owens possibly accounted for there, too.  You don't produce like that after a jump from Low A to Double A and not catch quite a few eyes doing so...

 

Fields will not be rated.  Rogo likely bypassed as well.  Young, Sweeney, Owens with either Haig (if not in the Carolina League list) or Tracey as your best bets to have a pitcher listed, although I think none will be...

 

 

I would think Jenks gets some votes.

I would think Jenks gets some votes.

 

 

Great point, forgot about that one. More likely for him to make it than any of the other guys...

Great point, forgot about that one.  More likely for him to make it than any of the other guys...

Is it totally wrong for me to not want to get rid of any of our Of'ers. I would love to have a fully homegrown young core of starters on my team.

Is it totally wrong for me to not want to get rid of any of our Of'ers.  I would love to have a fully homegrown young core of starters on my team.

 

Not wrong at all... I'd love to see it come to fruition as well. However, can we sacrifice winning with the current rotation we have now? If we're borderline competitive with the current offense and can make us a legit World Series threat by trading someone, I would welcome that as well...

 

You don't have a rotation like we do right now very often in my experience... the window is small...

I'm going to just say one short thing in here. Sox are a top 8 organization, imo. Problem is a lot of it is at lower levels and they may not receieve that grade for another year. However, they got a lot on the horizon.