#8 Trayce Thompson

 

Team: high Class A Winston Salem (Carolina)

Age: 21

Why He's Here: .346/.433/.885 (9-for-26) 10 R, 4 HR, 10 RBIs, 4 BB, 5 SO, 1 SB

The Scoop: Long known as a toolsy athlete with contact issues, Thompson entered the week having struck out in 14 straight games, nine of which were multi-strikeout affairs. But he struck out in just two games this week and that increased contact rate showcased his plus power. The 6-foot-4 Thompson hit four home runs, including longballs in three straight and a game-winning grand slam Thursday. More than half of Thompson's hits have gone for extra bases this season, giving him the second-highest isolated slugging percentage (.239) and home run total (21) in the South Atlantic League. His defense has improved this season and according to one scout, "That guy can play a big league center field right now."Trayce Thompson Player Card

 

From BaseballAmerica.com (Prospect Hot Sheet)

 

 

So we have Mitchell starting off well for Charlotte, Walker picking up his game, and Thompson getting raves now as well.

 

It's all good.

 

Castro, Molina and Axelrod are being pressured by those 3 guys excelling and will likely fall in the offseason ratings.

 

 

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=23376191

HR VIDEO

 

April 30 K's/103 PA=29.1% (14 BB's)

May 38 K's/112 PA=33.9% (12 BB's)

June 29 K's/109 PA=26.6% (7 BB's)

July 34 K's/122 PA=27.9% (8 BB's)

 

Walks are down, by strikeouts and power numbers have improved appreciably from first two months to June/July.

 

741 OPS/April

703 OPS/May

888 OPS/June

854 OPS/July

 

There's going to be a good argument he's your #2 prospect after Hawkins, especially if he finishes strong in August and then carries it over to the AFL.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 28, 201213 yr by caulfield12

If Thompson can play a legit CF, it totally changes the complexion of him as a prospect.

 

Also, it's always great seeing a young, toolsy prospect show significant improvement with the bat in the second half of a season.

#8 Trayce Thompson

 

Team: high Class A Winston Salem (Carolina)

Age: 21

Why He's Here: .346/.433/.885 (9-for-26) 10 R, 4 HR, 10 RBIs, 4 BB, 5 SO, 1 SB

The Scoop: Long known as a toolsy athlete with contact issues, Thompson entered the week having struck out in 14 straight games, nine of which were multi-strikeout affairs. But he struck out in just two games this week and that increased contact rate showcased his plus power. The 6-foot-4 Thompson hit four home runs, including longballs in three straight and a game-winning grand slam Thursday. More than half of Thompson's hits have gone for extra bases this season, giving him the second-highest isolated slugging percentage (.239) and home run total (21) in the South Atlantic League. His defense has improved this season and according to one scout, "That guy can play a big league center field right now."Trayce Thompson Player Card

 

From BaseballAmerica.com (Prospect Hot Sheet)

 

 

So we have Mitchell starting off well for Charlotte, Walker picking up his game, and Thompson getting raves now as well.

 

It's all good.

 

Castro, Molina and Axelrod are being pressured by those 3 guys excelling and will likely fall in the offseason ratings.

 

 

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=23376191

HR VIDEO

 

April 30 K's/103 PA=29.1% (14 BB's)

May 38 K's/112 PA=33.9% (12 BB's)

June 29 K's/109 PA=26.6% (7 BB's)

July 34 K's/122 PA=27.9% (8 BB's)

 

Walks are down, by strikeouts and power numbers have improved appreciably from first two months to June/July.

 

741 OPS/April

703 OPS/May

888 OPS/June

854 OPS/July

 

There's going to be a good argument he's your #2 prospect after Hawkins, especially if he finishes strong in August and then carries it over to the AFL.

Lol

Lol

 

 

Axelrod had a great start against the Red Sox that Monday game, but there's a 50/50 chance that's his last start in a White Sox uniform.

 

One would think he'll fall back into the 11-15 range of prospects in the offseason. Maybe 9 or 10.

 

And that's a good thing that somewhat marginal prospects are getting passed and pushed out of the Top 10.

Trading Thompson would be a huge mistake. His value isn't what his upside is. I'll be pissed if he's dealt at the deadline. He's got all kinds of upside and has made big strides each year. I know people are waiting for him to just explode, but he's steadily improved. Next year he'll get to play in AA at a pretty young age still and athletically he's silky smooth.

If Thompson could improve his walk/contact rate a little, I could see him giving the Sox some Grad Sizemore like seasons. I wouldn't sell on him yet.

 

Id trade Walker/Mitchell before I'd trade Trayce.

If Thompson could improve his walk/contact rate a little, I could see him giving the Sox some Grad Sizemore like seasons. I wouldn't sell on him yet.

 

Id trade Walker/Mitchell before I'd trade Trayce.

 

Without ever having seen Thompson, I get a BJ Upton impression of him, based soley on the numbers and the scout descriptions.

Without ever having seen Thompson, I get a BJ Upton impression of him, based soley on the numbers and the scout descriptions.

 

I have never seen him in person either. Hopefully, Thompson's power translates though. Upton hasn't had the power that people thought he would. At least, lately.He hit 24 HR in 2007 and 23 HR last year. He has 9 this year. Upton is not a bad player but I still think of him as a disappointment because of what he was supposed to be.

I have never seen him in person either. Hopefully, Thompson's power translates though. Upton hasn't had the power that people thought he would. At least, lately.He hit 24 HR in 2007 and 23 HR last year. He has 9 this year. Upton is not a bad player but I still think of him as a disappointment because of what he was supposed to be.

Did people really expect Upton to be a 40+ HR guy? I feel like they expected his best could look a lot like Ellsbury's last year, and the thing that's been in the way of that is the strikeouts. AT least that's what I thought of him.

Without ever having seen Thompson, I get a BJ Upton impression of him, based soley on the numbers and the scout descriptions.

 

That's not a bad comparison...keeping in mind that BJ was much more highly regarded when entering the draft, Trayce projects to have a bit more power and less speed. Trayce is much better of a defender, from what I hear.

Thompson is taller, he's more like a Strawberry/Rios/Winfield build.

 

Not as explosive, but more graceful.

 

 

Thompson is taller, he's more like a Strawberry/Rios/Winfield build.

 

Not as explosive, but more graceful.

Those are three very, very different players. Winfield was also a monster physically, 4 inches taller than Trayce and built like a brick s***house. Daryl was also much taller than Trayce, but skinnier.

 

On the BA Prospect Hot Sheet yet again this week.

 

No. 8 TRAYCE THOMPSON, CF

WHITE SOX

Team: Double-A Birmingham (Southern)

Age: 22

Why He's Here: .476/.593/.810 (10-for-21), 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 6 BB, 4 SO, 2-for-2 SB.

The Scoop: Some teams like to treat prospects like an index fund. Buy the stocks, check up on them every now and then, but in general, be patient and watch them slowly mature into a big league ballplayer. The White Sox aren't ones to buy an index fund, they prefer day trading. They draft a prospect and then push him up the ladder as quickly as possible. When it works, like it has with Chris Sale, it pays off very handsomely. In other cases, we end up wondering what happened to Gordon Beckham.

 

Thompson is another player climbing the minor league ladder as if he's on an express elevator. Not long after center fielder Jared Mitchell was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte, the White Sox bumped Thompson up to Birmingham to replace him, despite a .252 batting average, a .321 on-base percentage and strikeouts in 32 percent of his at-bats. (The promotion to Double-A also qualified him to play in the Arizona Fall League.) It's not been long, but Thompson has handled the jump with no problems up to now. He's hitting .382/.475/.647 in 10 games since his promotion, including an excellent showing this week.

On the BA Prospect Hot Sheet yet again this week.

 

No. 8 TRAYCE THOMPSON, CF

WHITE SOX

Team: Double-A Birmingham (Southern)

Age: 22

Why He's Here: .476/.593/.810 (10-for-21), 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 6 BB, 4 SO, 2-for-2 SB.

The Scoop: Some teams like to treat prospects like an index fund. Buy the stocks, check up on them every now and then, but in general, be patient and watch them slowly mature into a big league ballplayer. The White Sox aren't ones to buy an index fund, they prefer day trading. They draft a prospect and then push him up the ladder as quickly as possible. When it works, like it has with Chris Sale, it pays off very handsomely. In other cases, we end up wondering what happened to Gordon Beckham.

 

Thompson is another player climbing the minor league ladder as if he's on an express elevator. Not long after center fielder Jared Mitchell was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte, the White Sox bumped Thompson up to Birmingham to replace him, despite a .252 batting average, a .321 on-base percentage and strikeouts in 32 percent of his at-bats. (The promotion to Double-A also qualified him to play in the Arizona Fall League.) It's not been long, but Thompson has handled the jump with no problems up to now. He's hitting .382/.475/.647 in 10 games since his promotion, including an excellent showing this week.

 

Weird way to look at it. Thompson, up until this year, was a year per level, and in fact repeated A- (and played 2 years in Rookie leagues). So I wouldn't exactly call promoting him to AA 1.5 months earlier that standard to be "day trading".

 

Weird way to look at it. Thompson, up until this year, was a year per level, and in fact repeated A- (and played 2 years in Rookie leagues). So I wouldn't exactly call promoting him to AA 1.5 months earlier that standard to be "day trading".

Yeah I was fully expecting them to say it's been the opposite with Thompson after that build up.

I guess this whole "rush" thing comes from Hudson, McCarthy, Sale, Addison Reed, Boone Logan, Quintana and MOSTLY Beckham. Maybe Morel, to a lesser extent.

 

It's certainly not like we rushed Viciedo, Jordan Danks, Jared Mitchell, etc.

 

Maybe they're noticing all those recently-promoted guys like Saladino, Walker, Thompson, Sanchez, Mitchell....et al that were being pushed up a level at the end of the year.

 

It's not like they are going to have Barnum and Hawkins in the Carolina League to start 2013.

 

We do push our relievers pretty quickly up the ladder, but that's not a problem if you have the stuff to merit it.

 

 

A Mitchell, Thompson, Hawkins outfield in 2014 would be very solid.

A Mitchell, Thompson, Hawkins outfield in 2014 would be very solid.

 

In the majors? If one of them is in the majors starting, I'll be happy. IMO, Mitchell is not even close to having the potential that Thompson and Hawkins are.

In the majors? If one of them is in the majors starting, I'll be happy. IMO, Mitchell is not even close to having the potential that Thompson and Hawkins are.

If one of those guys EVER pans out to their hype we would be doing very well, to expect all 3 to even make it to the majors is a big stretch at this point, especially in 2014.

Walker looks like he might have a better shot than Mitchell at this point.

 

But there's always possibility the light just goes on like it seemingly has with Thompson in the 2nd half this year.

 

The problem with Keenyn is that you can only have one guy like that on your roster...need power to win games at USCF. Even DeAza has a lot of pop for a leadoff guy, Wise, too.

 

 

A Mitchell, Thompson, Hawkins outfield in 2014 would be very solid.

 

 

Hawkins/Barnum are probably late 2014/2015 if they follow the trend of most raw high school toolsy kids who have to progress through each level of the minors.

 

With Keon, that's perfect timing to replace Konerko. Maybe Paulie ends his career as a DH after Dunn is gone in 2 more years.

It's not like they are going to have Barnum and Hawkins in the Carolina League to start 2013.

I said it before, but I think Hawkins will start for Winston-Salem. The way he's handling Kannapolis, the Sox history, the fact that Winston-Salem's park should help Hawkins all point to it not being crazy. Ryan Sweeney started his first full season in Winston-Salem after being drafted out of high school.

Walker looks like he might have a better shot than Mitchell at this point.

 

But there's always possibility the light just goes on like it seemingly has with Thompson in the 2nd half this year.

 

The problem with Keenyn is that you can only have one guy like that on your roster...need power to win games at USCF. Even DeAza has a lot of pop for a leadoff guy, Wise, too.

Dare to dream, after tonight's game, dare to dream. Great point on Walker, replace Walker with Mitchell. Remember our Birmingham outfield of the future in 2005, Owens, Sweeney, and Young.

A Mitchell, Thompson, Hawkins outfield in 2014 would be very solid.

 

Well, did Dayan die?

Well, did Dayan die?

Traded for a reliever