SB Nation - Tyler Flowers

Chicago WhiteSox Top 20 Prospects for 2010

John Sickels — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:15:07 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

4 months ago: Chicago White Sox' Gordon Beckham dashes down the first base line on his two run home run in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox during their baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Monday Aug. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Browse more photos »

Chicago White Sox Top 20 Prospects for 2010.

All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get beyond the Top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you want to emphasize. Complete reports on these and over 1,000 other players will be in the2010 Baseball Prospect Book, now available for pre-order, shipping on February 2^nd!

1) Dan Hudson, RHP, Grade B+: A personal favorite, since I rated him as a big sleeper pre-season and he really broke through.

2) Jared Mitchell, OF, Grade B: Grade A tools, refinement is a Grade C/C+ right now.

3) Tyler Flowers, C, Grade B: Power and patience are plusses, defense has improved a great deal according to all reports.

4) Brent Morel, 3B, Grade B-: I think he's underrated. Only questions about power at higher levels keep him from a Grade B. Now blocked behind Mark Teahen, a long-term signing I don't understand.

5) Jordan Danks, OF, Grade C+: Borderline Grade B-, as I like the tools and think the bat may still come around.

6) Dayan Viciedo, 3B, Grade C+: Cutting him some slack since he was young for Double-A and was pushed fast, but this is a good example of why we need performance data rather than just hype and team propaganda/scouting reports when evaluating players.

7) David Holmberg, LHP, Grade C+: Will the fastball get faster? If it does his stock could go up quickly.

8) C.J. Retherford, 2B, Grade C+: He can hit despite unimpressive tools. Not sure how he fits into long-term plans.

9) Christian Marrero, 1B-OF, Grade C+: Looks underrated to me. Could be a good platoon player.

10) Santos Rodriguez, LHP, Grade C+: Gotta love the strikeouts, but a long way from being ready to help. High ceiling though.

11) Miguel Gonzalez, C, Grade C+: Interesting catcher with good hitting in the Appy League and good glove rep, could rise quickly up the list in '10.

12) Jhonny Nunez, RHP, Grade C+: Power relief arm could help sometime soon.

13) Josh Phegley, C, Grade C+: Borderline Grade C; defensive questions still present and he had trouble transitioning from metal to wood, but can't ignore Indiana numbers completely yet.

14) John Ely, RHP, Grade C: I know scouts hate him but he just keeps getting people out. Passed Double-A Finesse Pitcher Test with flying colors.

15) John Shelby, OF, Grade C: Good speed, good glove, some power, on-base skills still sketchy despite increase in walk rate.

16) Tracye Thompson, OF, Grade C: Great tools, horrible hitting skills at this point. High risk of bust, but physical potential is impressive.

17) Clevelan Santeliz, RHP, Grade C: I know he throws hard and has the pretty ERA in Double-A, but his walk rate remains too high for me to trust him at this point.

18) Lucas Harrell, RHP, Grade C: Another guy with a decent arm but unattractive component ratios.

19) Brandon Hynick, RHP, Grade C: Nice pickup from the Rockies, possible inning-eater type though stuff is marginal.

20) Carlos Torres, RHP, Grade C: Old for a prospect at 27, but pitched well in Triple-A and could be a useful staff asset.

Others of Note (all grade C): Kyle Bellamy, RHP; Ryan Buch, RHP; Nick Ciolli, OF; Justin Collop, RHP; Tyson Corley, RHP; Eduardo Escobar, SS; Stefan Gartrell, OF; Jon Gilmore, 3B; Nevin Griffith, RHP; Gregory Infante, RHP; Nathan Jones, RHP; Jon Link, RHP; Charlie Leesman, LHP; Dan Remenowsky, RHP; Sergio Santos, RHP; Joe Serafin, LHP; Brady Shoemaker, OF; Taylor Thompson, RHP.

This is a very thin farm system, thanks in part to frequent trades and major league graduations like Gordon Beckham. I like the four guys at the top: Hudson and Mitchell are both personal favorites, though both still have enough questions to keep them from getting B+ ratings. Flowers seems to have come around defensively and has a good bat. Morel is another guy I like quite a bit and he has breakout potential in '10.

After that things thin out fast. Danks, Viciedo, and Holmberg all have good potential but even bigger questionmarks than the top guys. Marrero strikes me as an underrated player. Rodriguez and Gonzalez are intriguing but we need to see them at higher levels. After that we have a bunch of potential role players, possible bullpen arms, or guys with big ceilings but gigantic holes in their game (Trayce Thompson).

If Mitchell begins to fulfill his potential he'll be the clear number one next year.

2010 Bill James Projections: White Sox Hitters

The Cheat — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:20:08 -0000

The good people at ACTA Sports provided me a sneak preview at the 2010 Bill James projections, which will be made available the public the the 2010 Bill James Handbook (available next week).

James tends to have the most optimistic projections of any of the major forecasters, specifically for young players (read: unestablished players, i.e. Flowers)

2010 Bill James' Projections

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
Gordon Beckham	155	567	93	166	44	1	21	96	59	89	10	5	.288	.360	.477
Jermaine Dye	152	571	85	149	30	1	30	92	57	123	2	1	.261	.333	.480
Tyler Flowers	67	243	40	75	17	1	12	32	32	85	2	1	.275	.353	.476
Chris Getz	99	364	49	98	16	2	4	33	36	55	20	6	.269	.340	.357
Paul Konerko	148	539	74	143	27	0	29	90	67	96	1	0	.265	.354	.477
Jayson Nix	90	247	33	60	13	0	8	27	21	49	9	3	.243	.307	.393
A.J. Pierzynski	140	527	61	149	28	1	14	62	24	64	1	1	.283	.323	.419
Scott Podsednik	110	324	45	89	17	2	3	26	29	50	17	8	.275	.340	.367
Carlos Quentin	146	542	92	147	36	2	30	97	59	77	5	2	.271	.356	.511
Alexei Ramirez	147	527	75	150	19	2	18	78	42	58	12	6	.285	.339	.431
Alex Rios	149	564	79	157	36	5	16	73	41	102	21	7	.278	.332	.445
Jim Thome	132	441	73	108	20	0	29	84	88	146	0	0	.245	.374	.488

The Sox will be in very good shape next year if they get that type of production from Quentin and Rios.

Talking Chop Round Table: Braves Catchers

gondeee — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:25:06 -0000

As part of season reviews for major league players and top prospect ranking for minor league players, we here at Talking Chop thought it would be a fun idea to get all of our bloggers together with the help of Google Docs and debate the various aspects of each position in the Braves organization.

The participants are, yours truly (gondeee, indicated by MG), yondaime4 (indicated by MF), royhobbs (indicated by DH), and cbwilk (indicated by CBW).

I thought we'd have a few quick questions with some short responses, but apparently I underestimated the verbosity of my fellow bloggers, and this thing turned into an opus. But while it is quite long, it is an interesting discussion about the Braves catching situation in both the majors and the minors. If you have anything to add please feel free to post a comment... but please, keep it short.

MG: My assertion is that Brian McCann is the team's MVP, is there any doubt about that?
CBW: Not to me. You made a great point in your writeup that guys like LaRoche, Prado, and Diaz just didn't have enough at bats to really qualify, though I do think LaRoche, even in half a year should get some consideration. I still can't understand the logic of him batting 7th every game. It's been remarked that the face of the team has transfered from Chipper to Mac, and I think after this year that's pretty obvious. He led the team in most of the important categories and really is the backbone. It's nice too that he's a lot like Chipper in his leadership style; he lets his play speak for him.
MF: Yeah I can't make an argument for anyone else. Not a solid one anyways. McCann led all qualified NL catchers in OPS (and that wasn't close) and was behind only Mauer in the MLB (not counting V-Mart who played about half his games at 1B). The only thing that detracts for me is his second half slide which I think can be attributed to Chipper not being as big a threat in front of him and not getting the pitches to hit. For me it really comes down to is Chipper as the first half MVP, Laroche as the 2nd half guy and then McCann for the long haul.
DH: As much as I love Brian McCann, he is certainly high up on the list, but I don't think I can really say he's the team's MVP. A particular trend I've visually observed the last few years, and that's towards the end of the years, he begins to fade. Whether it is fatigue caused by how much he plays or just his physical stamina overall, the amount of times he simply begins to get under baseballs and pop up and out seems much higher in Septembers and Octobers than it does in earlier months in a season. The only statistic that can support this claim is that his overall OPS seems to drop somewhat throughout all Septembers of his career (still a respectable .805). McCann is certainly the future of the franchise, and is no doubt an outstanding player and citizen, but his penchant for fading down the stretch is a bit of a concern for me. However, all this being said, I can still confidently claim that he's still the most talented catcher in the National League.

And it continues after the jump...

CBW: I've been of the opinion for a while that he's the best catcher in baseball. He's obviously got the National League wrapped up, Geovanny Soto came back to earth (who didn't see that coming?), Yadier Molina is an outstanding defensive catcher but that's about it, and Russell Martin fell off the edge of the earth, but I'm not so sure he isn't better than Mauer. Obviously Mauer's 2009 was insane, but if you look at last year, McCann had him beat all over. Looking at their careers, per 162 games Mauer averages a .327 avg, .891 OPS, with 17 HR and 92 RBI, compared to McCann averaging .293, .852 OPS, with 24 HR and 103 RBI. Since 2005 the AL's OPS averages about .013 points higher than the NL, so Mauer's .039 point career lead over McCann is still very impressive, but a little less so. Another thing to keep in mind with Mauer is the DH. Over his career, he's played about half a season's worth of games as a DH, compiling a .331 avg and .887 OPS in those games. A fifth of his plate appearances this season came as a DH. I don't think there's any way to quantify it, but there's no question that gives Mauer an advantage that McCann just doesn't have.
DH: "J" Russell Martin. Totally makes sense. I love McCann to death, and I'll argue tooth and nail that he's the best in the National League, but I have to give the nod to Mauer as the best in the Majors. He has plenty of advantages that work in his favor, mostly from playing in the AL, and unless he one day migrates over into the NL, we'll never have a true comparison. Due to the capability for him to DH every now and then, it saves some wear on his body while keeping his bat in the lineup, and also keeps his AB total from dipping below batting title qualifications, which is pretty much what kept McCann from getting his own in 2006. Whether or not this reprieve from catching duties saves that much toll, Mauer also has not demonstrated the aforementioned September slow down that McCann seems to suffer each year. McCann certainly has a fine swing, but there's a reason why some teams are beginning to employ the shift on him; he's beginning to peg himself as somewhat of a pull-hitter. Mauer is definitely better at utilizing the entire feels, and is indicative by the fact that he has more hits to the left side of the field than he does pulling the ball throughout his entire career. As I said, I don't mean to knock McCann by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't think it's necessarily fair to bring Mauer down because of the luxury of the silly rules of the league he plays in; I think he'd probably be just as successful if he were a National League catcher.
MF: I'll just throw my two cents worth in here. I was using my favorite tool on ESPN to check the statistical validity of these arguments: the three year splits. Right now their three years are only from 2006-2008 but that actually works well for this. Coming in the 2009 season McCann had a three year OPS of .873 and Mauer was at .874. Obviously it doesn't get much closer than that. What is interesting is how differently they were getting there. Mauer had the high AVG and lots of walks whereas Brian was doing it with twice as many homers and 30 more doubles in that span. In the past would I have argued hard that McCann was the best catcher in baseball and that Mauer (despite the batting titles) was still living off of his prospect status. This season is what sets this all off though as Mauer finally closed the gap on power (and then some, in less than a full season). And what eventually tips the scales further is that Mauer is probably a better defender. I think right now in their primes Mauer is the guy you have to take but when their careers are settled I wouldn't be surprised to see a narrower gap than most people thought existed.
CBW: I like that take on things. My only further argument would be that Mauer is a year older than McCann, so if this year is what's setting him apart, it'd be nice to see if McCann can close that gap next season.

MG: Is David Ross the best backup catcher the Braves have ever had, when one considers hitting, fielding, and throwing out baserunners?
CBW: I think it's easy to believe that after how bad it's been the last few years, but the Braves have actually had some outstanding backups in their recent history. You look at Charlie O'Brien in 94 and 95 and he was a great at Maddux's personal catcher, combining for a .766 OPS in those two years. His average was low, but he had a ton of pop and was one of the better defensive catchers around. With Maddux on the mound nearly every time out, it's going to be hard to throw somebody out, so it's not really fair to compare Ross to guys who mostly had this issue. For me, the best backup catcher in Braves history is going to be Eddie Perez. His 9 years in Atlanta weren't spectacular, he hit .251 with a .691 OPS, but he was, like O'Brien, a very good defensive catcher and he added a lot of intangibles to the team. As far as a comparison to Ross, well, Ross has only had one season. Take a look at Perez's 1998: 61 G, 149 AB, .336 AVG, .941 OPS. That's way better than what Ross put up this year.
MF: Ross certainly had the best season ever by a Braves backup catcher. At least in recent memory. When you think about it he and McCann combined for 44 2B, 28 HR and 114 RBI. Without running the numbers I am sure the only team whose catchers combined for anywhere close to that was Minnesota. Yeah Ross had a really good year. Its not like he came into this year and just exploded either, the guy posted a .932 OPS in 2006 on top of 21 HRs. I am ecstatic that we have him for one more season.
CBW: Ross certainly had an outstanding 2009, but come on, it wasn't better than Perez's 1998.
MF: The raw offensive statistics were better sure, but I would say Ross's season was more valuable considering the offensive context (the Braves hit 215 HRs that season). So I guess depending on what we are saying as the "Best" you could take either one. I think I'll take Ross's. Just barely.
CBW: Fair enough. I'm still with Perez, but I like your reasoning. So, as far as gondeee's question, would you take Perez as the best Braves' backup catcher all time?
MF: Yeah I'll take Perez. He was great in the clubhouse and he was solid offensively and great defensively for a long time. You can't ask for much more than that out of a backup catcher.
DH: Late to the party, but I cannot argue the rationale behind Perez being the best backup catcher. I think a good amount of people would be willing to christen Ross as the best backup ever, but consider the short term memory of people remembering Brayan Pena and Corky Miller, and they're going to think Ross is Jorge Posada with the stick.
CBW: I still think getting rid of Brayan Pena was a mistake. Sure, he was replaced by Norton, who was fantastic last year, but he had all the potential to be a solid extra bat off the bench. He was working on playing first base and third base, so he could have added some versatility. The guy's attitude and hustle are just things you can't have enough of.
DH: I don't know why Miller was given the nod over Pena as the backup, especially after the "heart-warming" story that SI did about Escobar and Pena growing up wishing to be Braves, but as ludicrous as it sounds, it almost felt like Pena was the odd man out for being better than Corky. Like a backup catcher has to be only so good enough to warrant a backup status.
MG: I'd like to see the Braves carry three catchers next year, with Clint Sammons, and use Ross more as a pinch hitter and a power bat off the bench -- he might be better than much of what we got off the bench this year.
CBW: I like that idea and you'd have to think it could only help Ross for the days he does play by getting more regular at bats. When you have a guy that good, finding ways to get him in the lineup can only lead to good stuff. He had a terrible year and should be a candidate in any way, but a guy like Robby Hammock, who could also be used at 1B, 3B, and LF if necessary, but is also a great catcher, would be, to me anyway, a little more desireable for something like this someone like Sammons, who can only catch.
MF: You have to think giving ABs to Ross instead of some of the guys we were running out there the first half of the season would have been a much better use of our resources.
DH: Just remembered another name - Todd Pratt. David Ross was way better than him, too. At this point, there's such a long list of names that were more deserving of ABs than Greg Norton, that it's almost a moot point given that hind-sight's a harsh mistress.
CBW: He was also much, much better than Henry Blanco and Paul Bako. I think we've covered all the backups for the last 15 years now, and with the exception of that one season by Perez, Ross is hands down better.

MG: Coming into the season I thought the Braves had some good, although low level, minor league catching depth, but I think this year proved it's not quite as good as many had thought. Guys like Schlehuber and Elorriaga-Matra, who I had high hopes for, took a real step backwards.
CBW: There really isn't anything at the upper levels to be excited about. Jose Camarena is a fine AA player, as a backup, but that's about it. And guys like Alvin Colina and JC Boscan are necessary, but they're not prospects. I'm still fairly excited about our lower level catching, because I have a ton of faith in Bethancourt and Kennelly, but yes, Schlehuber and Elorriaga-Matra kind of knocked themselves off the prospect radar. Elorriaga-Matra is an outstanding defensive catcher, but his OPS, in a starting role, was .394. That's not going to get you anywhere. He'll be 21 next year, so he'll already be a bit old for Rome, if he can even make their roster. Schlehuber was 21 this year at Rome, so he was a bit old, and he didn't fare much better, rocking a sturdy .596 OPS. He's also a good defensive catcher, but he's going to have to repeat the level, and even if he fares well, he'll be way too old for the league.
MF: I am still not giving up on Schlehuber. I can't really say why, but I just think he is going to rebound next season. I still think he might be the most physically gifted catcher we have in the minors right now and he would put those gifts on show about once a month and then they would disappear. I would also point out that he did have a better ISOP than Kennelly had at either MB or Rome (BS: .109 vs MK: .063) and he had a fairly normal LD% at 13% to go along with a crazy low BABIP of .227. That's not to say he is going to be great, but there are some good indicators there and a lot of times your first full season can be a throw away. Maybe he should have started in Danville? I don't know, but I do know if he had gotten 500 ABs he would have had 35 ish doubles and nearly double digit homers. What has happened to Daniel Matra? (Yeah I'm not spelling that) This guy was primed to have a bust out year after seeing his draft stock drop hard after his JR season of high school. But he is still only 20 years old (not 21 till the end of December) and has time to grow and learn. And lets not forget that Kennelly has yet to really blow anyone's socks off offensively at any level.
CBW: You point about Kennelly here is dead on, but I think taking into account the severe difference between the levels of amateur play in Australia and the US is important. Kennelly wasn't really playing anyone, while Elorriaga-Matra was good enough to make the 18 and under USA team. DEM is getting a little old and really hasn't shown any level of success. It's a shame, he's a likeable guy and I was amazed with his defensive ability. Maybe he'll be able to hit enough to stick around for a while and maybe eek out a backup job in the Majors in his late 20s. I'm kind of curious why you feel Schlehuber is so physically gifted. I didn't see much that made me think he was any more of an impressive athlete than Bethancourt or Kennelly or even DEM or Benji Johnson.
MF: I was going more off the fact that he was able to steal a few bases in college and even some in the pros and that he has flashed a bit of a power stroke. Maybe I was stretching a bit on the most physically gifted but I still think he has good tools. Obviously you have seen these guys and may have caught something that I can't being stuck in the mountains of WV, but I just think there is a kernel of talent buried deep, deep in his numbers. And you are right about Kennelly having only played in Aussie leagues, but I don't think Kennelly is that old. Still just 20 and he will be in his 21 season next year. Catchers don't have a normal growth curve because a lot of times one skill has to catch up with the other. I'm not going to put money on either Schlehuber or DEM, but I'm not quite sold out on them yet.
CBW: Did I say Kennelly was old at one point? If I did I didn't mean to; to me he's right on track. I've definitely got more hope for Schlehuber than DEM. Schlehuber is still going to be old for his league, and he just seems like he profiles as more of a backup to me, but you're right, there's something there to be hopeful about.
MF: No I don't think you did, I just got crossed up with the text in there.

MG: It seems like our non-drafted minor league catchers are really the best of the bunch, Bethancourt and Kennelly.
CBW: Just looking at the other lists, it's pretty rare that we're going to be uniamous on many selections, but we all had Bethancourt 1 and Kennelly 2. After finally getting to see Bethancourt this year in Spring Training, I became a believer and a huge fan. He's a big, solid kid, but isn't bulky like a guy like Tyler Flowers, so you can see him staying behind the plate. His defense is good and had a surprising season for a 17 year old. You have to believe if he has a good ST this year, he's in line to go to Rome as an 18 year old, and if he can put up another fine season, that's really going to be saying something. Kennelly's season was a little unfair, in that he played so well in ST that they decided to clear the logjam at Rome by rushing him up to Myrtle Beach. He wasn't ready for it and it showed. He rebounded a little after moving back to Rome, but at that point there are a lot of mental factors, a half season of failure, a demotion, that lead to a severe knock in confidence. But, I have a lot of faith in the kid, he's a great defensive catcher and his mental approach to the game is fantastic. Pitchers love working with him because he's so supportive and talkative. He'll be 21 in a return to Myrtle Beach, so that's about the right age and most Australians develop slowly anyway. Another undrafted guy, Jesus Sucre comes in at number 3 for us, and he's a guy worth keeping an eye on. He's also an outstanding defender and he's got a thick, wide body that makes for the kind of target pitchers love to throw to. He hit for a little power with Myrtle Beach, but I doubt he's ever going to really be much of a power threat. He'll be 22 early in next season, and he played well enought that it seems like he might start the year at Mississippi, though that might be a little more than he's ready to handle as a hitter. I'd say prospect-wise he's a good distance after Bethancourt and Kennelly, but he's also much closer to being a finished product, since he really projects as a backup catcher all the way.
MF: I really liked Kennelly a lot coming into this season and I think he will get looked over by many folks because of his performance at Myrtle Beach when he shouldn't have been there. In a perfect world Kennelly starts at Rome and Schlehuber at Myrtle Beach, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. Scouts praise his leadership skills and how quickly he can make adjustments and improve himself. He has a solid body and is expected to develop some power as he makes more adjustments. Remember, we signed this kid out of Australia at 16 years old and he is just now 20. Bethancourt has the potential to be a stud in a couple years, if he isn't already one. For a guy so young he already is showing an advanced feel at the plate and behind it. The problem with having both of these guys is we have the second best catcher in baseball blocking them both. Both guys are going to need at least 2 more, if not 3, years in the minors to really get developed, and while McCann's contract will be up its hard to imagine the Braves not doing everything they can to resign him. And then we are back where we were with Flowers and Salty.
CBW: Great points about Kennelly's leadership and ability to make adjustments. Those are definitely things you keep hearing about the guy. I don't know if I'm entirely worried about some kind of future logjam, if only because that's something I rarely worry about. Frankly, very few prospects actually pan out, so if it comes to a point where you've got both Bethancourt and Kennelly ready to go, and McCann still dominating in the Majors, that's a fantastic problem to have, especially since quality catching is so incredibly rare. Hey, we turned Salty into a great season's worth of Mark Teixera and Flowers into at least a great season's worth of Javy Vazquez, so depth is nothing to sneeze at. Anyway, I think it's still at least three and a half to four years before these guys are really ready to be Major Leaguers, assuming they develop well. By then, you're talking about McCann being a 30, 31 year old catcher. I've always seen him as a guy who might end up having to shift to first base, so who knows, by then, if say Bethancourt, who'll only be 22, is a stud prospect ready for a spot, it might be time to make that switch.

CBW: Since, he's the only guy on the list we haven't talked about, how do you guys feel about Benji Johnson? For me, he just sneaks onto the end of the list because I have more faith in his future than Elorriaga-Matra's. He's always been a little old for his league, but he's never really played all that well. One thing you can see is that he's always been a backup, so it's hard to even compare him to Clint Sammons, a guy who was always a little old, but was definitely being groomed as a backup.
MF: Hah, I was amazed it took us this long to bring up Johnson. I don't really know much about Johnson honestly, but out of the guys we have talked about not named Clint Sammons, I think Johnson's total package is the most advanced, but I think long term and short term there just isn't any room for him. It looks like he has a little pop in his bat, but he really just doesn't have anything going for him other than that, and even that isn't a +tool. I know we are talking backups here, but unless his defense is better than Clint Sammons (which is going to be difficult) I can't really justify ever using an MLB roster spot for anything other than emergency purposes.
CBW: Good call. I dont' think his defense is really close to Sammy's. Clint is one of the best defensive catchers I've ever seen in the minor leagues.

CBW: Speaking of Sammons, he probably could still qualify for a prospect list, since he doesn't even have 70 at bats in the bigs (I was shocked he only got in 6 games this season), but none of us thought of him. Martin suggests keeping him as an extreme backup in 2010, so, to that point, do we all kind of feel like that's about his ceiling, a mitt with legs?
MG: I always thought he had a decent bat, but it seems to have eroded as he's moved up the ladder. I was lobbying for him over Corky last year since with Clint at least we get the hope that the offense will improve, being that he is young and can still be molded, and the glove would not have suffered at all. It's hard to say why one becomes a cheerleader for certain players, but I think way more of Sammons than I probably should, and I'm not ashamed of that.
CBW: I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Personally, he's one of my favorite guys in the organization. I've seen him play at every level and he's one of the nicest, most down to earth guys you'd ever want to meet. And, it doesn't hurt that his defense is just spectacular. If nothing else, Sammons is a good example of how good catchers, despite their hitting ability, can stick around.

The Official SSS Top Ten White Sox Prospects

larry — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:00:44 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Browse more photos »

The White Sox did a pretty good job this year in terms of graduating homegrown talent to the big league level. Gordon Beckham, Chris Getz and Clayton Richard all played important roles. Per usual, the system also permitted Kenny Williams to acquire major league talent, as Aaron Poreda, Dexter Carter, RIchard, and Brandon Allen were traded away. Any system would be hurt by the "loss" of those six players; however, for a White Sox system that was only beginning to strengthen itself, both in terms of quality and depth, this has put the White Sox back in the position of having one of the worst farms in baseball. While the top five will probably be essentially a consensus amongst listmakers, after that, the depth drops off precipitously. It was a real struggle to complete the list. You could include any of about fifteen players in the next five and make a solid argument for all of them. The upper levels are full of fringe types and the lower levels, while having some interesting players, isn't all that inspiring to me at this point.

It is good for the club that they have a pretty well set starting five for next season because, outside of Daniel Hudson, there is an alarming lack of starting pitching prospects. Like every organization, there are a number of arms that could be relievers, some, like Jhonny Nunez, ready for opening day in 2010. Where the White Sox have improved is position player talent up the middle. Tyler Flowers looks like a legit catcher to me. And Jordan Danks and Jared Mitchell both look like they'll be able to handle centerfield defensively.

List after the jump.

1. Daniel Hudson: 2009 MiLB line: 147.1IP, 105 H, 34 BB, 166 K at Kannapolis, Winston-Salem, Birmingham and Charlotte. MLB: 18.2 IP, 16 H, 9 BB, 14 K. The Cheat covered him extensively here so I won't give yet another explication of his repertoire here. Suffice to say, his rise through the system last season was meteoric and well-deserved. Like any young pitcher, he still has things to work on but the talent is there. His ceiling is probably a #2 starter, depending upon how his offerings, particularly his slider, develop. I love the movement he generates on his pitches. ETA: Early 2010. The White Sox may want to play the service time game and start him in Charlotte. Barring injury or trade, there isn't a spot in the starting rotation for him. He could be a valuable arm out of the bullpen right away.

2. Tyler Flowers: 2009 MiLB line: .297/.423/.516 at Birmingham and Charlotte. Going into the season, his major question mark was whether he would stick at catcher, both because of his (in)abilities and injury history. He answered that question affirmatively by vastly improving his defense and staying healthy. And, oh yeah, he continued to hit the ball very well. While his strikeout rate is high (30%), he draws plenty of walks and hits for power. Don't expect his batting average to remain high, though, particularly since his BABIP was inflated. His ceiling is probably an average defensive catcher with an above average bat; in other words, a very valuable commodity. ETA: Mid-2010. With the White Sox continuing to implement their new policy of pushing players more quickly through the minors, he may be starting next season on the South Side. Though I think it would be a mistake to limit his repetitions at catcher by having him fill-in for A.J. Pierzynski once a week, it wouldn't surprise me if he found himself doing that along with playing some first and DH. On the other hand, Ozzie took a shot at Flowers' inability to "play small ball" and high K rate so shielding Flowers from such insanity for as long as possible would be prudent.

3. Jordan Danks: 2009 MiLB line: .266/.359/.405 at Winston-Salem and Birmingham. It was a tale of two halves for the left-handed hitting Danks. He tore up the Carolina League before a promotion to Birmingham where he continued to hit very well. Then he was sidelined by a wrist injury, followed by a finger injury and saw his offensive numbers diminish significantly. The question remains which is the true Danks. Was the slugging he initially showed a fluke or did injuries simply impede the awakening of his long projected power? The answer to that will dictate his future because, without some pop, that 26% K rate looks a whole lot scarier. ETA: 2011. Talked up as a possible September call-up in the summer, the poor second half took the sheen off his rapidly rising star. A return to Birmingham for a couple months and then a promotion to Charlotte will be his path next year.

4. Jared Mitchell: 2009 MiLB line: .296/.417/.435 at Kannapolis. His performance was exactly as expected: lots of walks, lots of strikeouts and lots of defense. Quite toolsy but also quite raw, it will be very interesting to watch his development over the coming seasons. Guys like Mitchell tend to either succeed spectacularly or fail spectacularly. The ceiling of a plus defensive CF with good power, plus contact and plus on base skills is certainly tantalizing. ETA: 2012. Will probably start at Winston-Salem and then move to Birmingham when Danks is promoted.

5. Dayan Viciedo: 2009 MiLB line: .280/.317/.391at Birmingham. I can sugarcoat ii as much as I like but there's no denying that Viciedo was not very good this year. Yes, at 20 he was young for the league. And, yes, he was acclimating to a new culture. But, no, his beisbol wasn't very good. First, his defense is terrible at third so he's going to need to find a new position. Second, while scouts will still tell you that he has quick hands and power potential, his pitch recognition is poor. Finally, questions about his fitness still linger. All that said, he gets a mulligan from me for last season, particularly since he showed some signs of life in the second half. But he's going to need to show improvement soon - starting in the Arizona Fall League next week - in order to justify his price tag. ETA: 2011. Back to Birmingham and then on to Charlotte.

6. Brent Morel: 2009 MiLB line: .281/.335/.453 at Winston-Salem. I'm a big fan of Morel. He doesn't strike out a lot, he's got gap power, his defense is fantastic, he's got good speed (25 for 34 in SBs) and his makeup is excellent. If you can get past the fact that his bat will be less than average for third base, you can see the makings of an average to solid player. The Joe Randa comparison still rings true to me. ETA: 2011. Will start in Birmingham and may spend the whole season there.

7. C.J. Retherford: 2009 MiLB line: .297/.340/.473 at Birmingham. The guy just puts up numbers. He was a doubles machine this year, racking up 46 in 128 games. There's nothing overwhelming in his tool box but average or so at a lot of things can get you to the majors and that appears to be the case with Retherford. Most scouts don't think he'll be more than a utility player - he played mostly 2B this year but has experience at multiple positions - but I could see him slotting in as a somewhat below average starter with the right team. ETA: Late 2010. Will start in Charlotte and could find himself as the first infield call-up when Chris Getz inevitably injures himself.

8. David Holmberg: 2009 MiLB line: 40 IP, 40 H, 18 BB, 37 K for Bristol. He's got good velocity for a lefty, hitting the low 90s, and a plus curve. He's a scouts' favorite with a clean delivery and makeup to boot. Development of a changeup is essential. Fresh out of high school, he's a long way away but his potential makes him an interesting prospect. ETA: 2013. Extended spring training and then a return to Rookie ball before moving up to Kannapolis.

9. Christian Marrero: 2009 MiLB line: .308/.348/.501 at Winston-Salem and Birmingham. The 23 year old lefty had a a very good season offensively and deservedly has begun to receive some attention as a prospect. He's got some issues to overcome, however, starting with his defense. He's essentially split time between RF and 1B in his career but, despite a plus arm, he probably isn't good enough to stick in the outfield. That means his bat is going to need to be good enough to merit consideration at 1B. The decline in walks from 11% at Kannapolis last year to about 6% this year suggests he may not quite have the bat. ETA: 2011. A return to Birmingham for a couple months and then a promotion to Charlotte.

10. Clevelan Santeliz: 2009 MiLB line: 56.1 IP, 43 H, 35 BB, 52 K at Birmingham. Santeliz improved his control markedly as the season wore on. In the first half, he walked 27 in 35 innings. In the second half, just 8 in 21.1. If that improvement is real, the 23 year old righty could find himself and his mid-90s fastball and plus slider in the bullpen role sooner rather than later. ETA: Mid-2010. Will be in Charlotte and probably will be the first choice for a reliever call-up.

This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball

larry — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:48:00 -0000

Jared Mitchell (via Sox Machine)

View full size photo »

This week:

The material for TWIWSMiLB is becoming more threadbare. September call-ups have taken the likes of Daniel Hudson, Tyler Flowers and Carlos Torres. Minor league rehab assignments appear to be over for the season. And, just to further deplete things, Jared Mitchell and Christian Marrero hit the DL.
The minor league playoffs begin next week. Great Falls begin on the 12th against a TBD opponent. Kannapolis start against Lakewood on the 9th. Winston-Salem also go on the 9th against a TBD opponent. Birmingham open on the 10th against Jacksonville.
Bristol completed their season and sent a good bit of their roster to Charlotte to replace call-ups and players competing in the World Cup. The results for most of these Rookie-leaguers has been predictable, including permitting Rays' top prospect Desmond Jennings to go 7-7. It does, however, provide a few more games for these guys so that's helpful. Two notables are Brady Shoemaker and Miguel Gonzalez. Shoemaker was named an Appalachian League surprise by Baseball America. As noted, this list is for guys who are old for the league but, nevertheless, deserve attention for putting up excellent numbers. The right-handed outfielder had a .351/.426/.585 line and hit a home run for Charlotte last night. Gonzalez, on the other hand, is a legitimate prospect. The catcher has been a favorite of mine since he put up good numbers in the Dominican Summer League last year and, at 18 years old, is very age approporiate for the Appy League. The Venezuelan hit .311/.385/.503 this season and, while he's described as having "a bit of a thick body", he's definitely one to watch. Expect to see him continue his season in the Venezuelan Winter League (VWL).
One Bristol player who didn't make the jump to AAA is 2009 second round pick Trayce Thompson who, instead, is getting a preview of his likely destination next season, Great Falls. His adjustment to pro ball has been difficult but, as a very raw high schooler, that isn't unexpected.
Brent Morel: .278/.333/.445.
When Clevelan Santeliz was added to the 40-man roster last year in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, I scratched my head. While he had good stuff, he had little control and his stint in the VWL hadn't been impressive, either. However, Santeliz has made good on the White Sox' confidence by improving his control markedly as this season wore on. In the first half, he walked 27 in 35 innings. So far in the second half, he's walked 8 in 20 innings while also improving his K rate. Assuming this isn't just a small sample size aberration, he's certainly put himself into the mix for a bullpen role for sometime next season.
Birmingham Roundup: Jordan Danks: .250/.344/.366; Dayan Viciedo: .280/.318/.393; C.J. Retherford: .302/.345/.476; Christian Marrero: .301/.340/.520; John Shelby: .243/.320/.395; John Ely: 150.1 IP, 137 H, 48 BB, 118 K, 1.44 GO/AO; Charlie Shirek: 90.1 IP, 97 H, 17 BB, 32 K, 1.43 GO/AO; Henry Mabee: 28.2 IP, 20 H, 10 BB, 21 K, 1.65 GO/AO.
Josh Phegley: .233/.288/.423.

As always, the Minor League Update fanpost on the right rail provides a place for daily updates and commentary and the opportunity to vote in the weekly poll.

Freddy Garcia Just Knows How to Pitch with a 10-run Lead

The Cheat — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 03:47:27 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y Huh - AP

Freddy Garcia enjoys a dozen runs of support

Browse more photos »

I almost forgot that watching baseball could be fun. After not seeing a victory for two solid weeks, I've seen back-to-back well pitched games that were highly entertaining for different reasons, and the first 3-game win streak in over a month. Thursday against the Cubs, it was fun to watch another team commit the type of errors that have plagued the Sox this year, and for the Sox to actually take advantage. Tonight, we got to see the major league debut of Daniel Hudson (more later), a bit of Tyler Flowers, the continued surprisingly effective Freddy Garcia and laugher in the White Sox favor.

Garcia is playing his way into earning himself a callback with the Sox next season. It's a bit ironic. Back when Garcia was reportedly fielding offers from multiple clubs, I had the feeling that he would be most effective in a White Sox uniform, that due to a number of factors (familiarity, comfort, coaching, etc. ) his performance would he sign with a non-White-Sox team would not be directly analogous to his performance were he on the Sox. Then he underwhelmed from the first pitch he threw in NY, earned his release, and eventually caught on with the Sox who threw him almost exclusively in their rookie leagues. By the time he got the call up to take a spot in the Sox rotation, I had abandoned my pre-season theory. So Garcia can just continue to prove me wrong, or right, I don't even know anymore.

Aside from the Sox offense teeing off on a pitcher they're supposed to tee off on, Daniel Hudson's major league debut was the highlight of the evening. Hudson didn't disappoint. He hit the first batter he faced after getting ahead 1-2, but went on to retire the next six batters he faced, though, admittedly, they represented the bulk of Boston's bench and their own September call-ups.

Despite the hit batter -- he just plain held onto the ball too long -- Hudson's control was good, and the scouting reports accurate. He worked down in the zone with his fastball, and when he missed he missed low. Even the hit batter was on the foot. He was sitting at about 93MPH with the fastball, which is a little faster than the reports from Charlotte, but not out of line with his mid-season readings. I was most impressed with his changeup, which looked like a plus pitch to me. And though his slider underwhelmed my eyes through the TV -- it looked more like a straight, back-up slider rather than the sweeper you'd expect from a guy with his delivery -- the hitters didn't seem as unimpressed.

As the Sox eventually fall out of the AL Central race, they'll have plenty of guys ready to stake their claim to the list of 5th starter candidates for next season. Jim highlighted Carlos Torres' strong effort yesterday, before Freddy cemented his place in the conversation today. Throw in DJ Carrasco, who is at least deserving of being in the conversation, and hard-charging Hudson, and the Sox suddenly seem like they might have some starting depth.

Introducing Your September White Sox Call-Ups

The Cheat — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:34:14 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Remember me?

Browse more photos »

This post was written by larry, but apparently he broke the site. I'm leaving his post below so the tech guys can figure out what went wrong, and reposting it again so you can comment and such.

Or, in most cases, re-introducing.

Tyler Flowers: The White Sox' top prospect receives a deserving call-up to serve as the 3rd catcher. One suspects, however, that he will see a bit more playing time than his predecessor ceremonial 3rd catchers have in the past. Jim Thome's departure may mean he will also see significant time at DH, although the team still has a logjam of hitters vying for plate appearances. Flowers is a hitter in the three true outcomes vein. His blended line between Birmingham and Charlotte was .297/.423/.516. I expect him to struggle initially with major league pitching but his addition certainly adds a bit of excitement to what will undoubtedly be a rather mundane run-in for the club. This stint should allow him to get familiar with many of the pitchers he'll be handling regularly, presumably beginning sometime next season.

Chris Getz: Chris has shown himself this season to be a fragile little egg. His absences have permitted Jayson Nix to solidify himself and you can probably expect a lefty-righty platoon next season at 2B. That certainly works to hide Nix' major shortcoming - an utter inability to hit right-handed pitching - and also may help to keep Getz healthy. Getz' .267/.325/.367 has been about as advertised although his glove has disappointed me so far.

Dewayne Wise: He stinks at most aspects of major league baseball. He does play good defense and he has some utility as a baserunner. However, he should not face live pitching. This year, he's batting .200/.240/.348. In other words, essentially his career line. Here's hoping this will be the last we see of him.

Carlos Torres: He relies on hitters being undisciplined at the plate. Unfortunately, most major leaguers are better than that. His future is probably in the bullpen and that's where I'd expect him next season. This month, however, he will pick up starts, particularly if Peavy does not return or return quickly.

Josh Fields: Well, unlike his boy BA, Fields didn't get the trade he requested. That's what happens when you are essentially an AAAA slugger without a defensive position. While he's not arbitration eligible next season, he will be without options. He also was not on the original list of September 1 call-ups but the Thome trade made another bat necessary. All of that adds up to us probably watching the end of Fields as a member of the organization.

Further call-ups will probably be arriving over the next week as the minor league season winds-down and I'll cover those as they happen. Considering the White Sox are in a cost-saving mode, however, not paying the approximately $66,000 major league salary each call-up will make over the rest of the season may serve to limit the total number of call-ups compared to prior years - not to mention the generally uninspiring nature of the remaining candidates. And, since I know this will come up, as I've said before, it doesn't make a great deal of sense to add Daniel Hudson to the 40 man roster and, therefore, compel the club to use an option on him in 2010 when there's no urgency to do so. Of course, the White Sox rarely take my unsolicited advice. At any rate, he'll certainly be making two final starts in AAA before any decision is made. [Oops]

Thome, Contreras Casualties of Underperforming Sox, Payroll Crunch

The Cheat — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:20:31 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

The damage... It's quite severe.

Browse more photos »

When the Sox acquired Jake Peavy and Alex Rios, I made an impassioned plea for increased attendance down the stretch, as they appeared to be over-extended in the payroll department (both present and future). This was assuming the Sox would stay in the race in the mediocre AL Central where nobody was going to run away from them. They've had only 6 home games since then, and for the most part the fans have responded with mid-30k attendance numbers. Unfortunately, the Sox haven't responded in kind, compiling a 3-3 record against the likes of the Royals and Orioles at home before embarking on their current 1-7 road trip of death. It's been 13 days since I've witnessed a Sox victory. They've taken themselves out of the AL Central race before the fans even got a shot to show their support.

With the Sox sinking out of the race, facing a September of disappointing turnstile numbers, and little to no hope of the significant influx of cash a playoff appearance provides, Kenny Williams' hand was forced. Well maybe not forced, but certainly coerced. Jerry Reinsdorf operates the White Sox as a business. He likes to say that he didn't get in this business to lose money, which has always made him an easy target for ill-informed talk-radio callers. The Sox were probably over their skis even if they made the playoffs, and certainly are now after the last two weeks of uninspired baseball. Thus, Kenny Williams, who is always looking to buy even when he's selling, was in full dump mode looking to shed payroll and send a message to his underachieving club.

Taking a look at the two trades, the Sox didn't get too much in the way of salary relief as they appear to have included undisclosed amounts of cash in each exchange, and didn't receive any impact players in return. Justin Fuller is a 25 year old who hasn't been able to escape the clutches of A-ball, and Brandon Hynick is a command-and-control type who needs a little more of both to have hopes of finding his way into the back end of a major league rotation. Nevertheless, he's still better than Jeff Marquez.

The Contreras trade netted the better return, which seems odd until you think about the motivation for moving Thome. This wasn't a baseball move to make the Sox better. This was Kenny Williams moving Jim Thome to an team that has a very good shot at making a World Series run, the only thing missing from the big fella's Hall of Fame career.

At first, I was quite sad to hear about Thome's departure. It would seem to make the Brandon Allen trade that I didn't bash nearly enough -- I overcompensated in an attempt to appear objective in discussing one of my favorite prospects -- look silly and short-sighted. But I suspect Thome is leaving on very good graces and will be very likely to sign back on with the Sox next year for a significant pay cut. Or at least I hope so.

We'll have to wait until we hear from the man in charge himself to try and guess his future plans for the organization. But one thing that needs no explanation is Tyler Flowers impending call-up, which just got a heckuvalot more interesting.

This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball

larry — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:42:18 -0000

Cole Armstrong asks his manager whether he'll be the ceremonial third catcher next month. (via Sox Machine)

View full size photo »

This week:

Daniel Hudson looks like he won't be making the majors this season, which is the correct move. He certainly does not look out of place in AAA, though: 4 GS, 21 IP, 21 H, 8 BB, 19 K. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more meteoric single season rise, particularly from a non-highly-touted prospect.
Rosters for the Arizona Fall League were announced. This year, White Sox prospects will be playing for the Peoria Javelinas. The pitchers are uninspiring - Henry Mabee, Jacob Rasner, Justin Cassel and Johnnie Lowe. The position players, however, include two of the system's best, Dayan Viciedo and Jordan Danks, and Hawk's (and larry's) favorite C.J. Retherford. The AFL begins play on October 13.
Danks returned to game action this week and went 5-20 with 5 BB. In addition to the K rate concerns which never left, the concerns about his power have returned. .249/.347/.358 for Birmingham.
Kannapolis roundup: Jared Mitchell: .296/.417/.435; Jon Gilmore: .270/.314/.343 (and finally hitting this month); Josh Phegley: .222/.278/.432; Nevin Griffith: 54.2 IP, 62 H, 23 BB, 29 K; Dan Remenowsky: 57.1 IP, 35 H, 13 BB, 100 K; Charlie Leesman: 149 IP, 150 H, 57 BB, 111 K; Stephen Sauer: 129 IP, 153 H, 19 BB, 112 K, 2.77 GO/AO.
On September 1, major league active rosters can expand to any player on the 40-man roster. While this usually brings to mind teams calling up prospects to make debuts, for the White Sox, the most prominent players will be guys coming off the disabled list: Chris Getz, Dewayne Wise and, most notably, Jake Peavy. Because the minor league season does not end on September 1, players will trickle in over the next week or so. However, a few others who may make an immediate appearance upon eligibility are Josh Fields, Wes Whisler (Ozzie can't have enough lefties), Carlos Torres and Cole Armstrong.
The Charlotte Rehabilitation Group last week: Getz 0-7, BB; Wise 5-10, 2B, 3B, BB; Peavy 5 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K. Peavy gets the start tonight in what will likely be his final rehab appearance.
Viciedo: .278/.313/.383. He's cooled off significantly after a very good July.
Winston-Salem reliever Nathan Jones received some favorable press this week. Jones has always had nice stuff (especially his mid-90s fastball) but - you guessed it - control was a problem. This season, though, he's limited the walks while keeping the strikeout rate high, which is the surest way to be successful. Jones is still a reliever in A ball so there's a long way to go but the progress he's made this season makes him one to watch.
Playoff Update: Kannapolis have a 5 game lead with 10 games remaining and look certain to join Birmingham, Winston-Salem and Great Falls as a playoff team.
Tyler Flowers: .277/.360/.426 for the Knights; full season blended line of .295/.422/.513.

This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball

larry — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:57:43 -0000

Daniel Hudson via Sox Machine.

View full size photo »

This week:

Daniel Hudson had a decent, though inefficient, outing: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 WP while also permitting four stolen bases. Ben Badler has an extensive scouting report on this outing (Jon Link report, too). The Tribune profiled Hudson and Kevin Goldstein declared Hudson his minor league breakout pitcher of the year - though don't expect to see him on the South Side until mid-2010.
Jordan Danks has not played since August 14. While not officially placed on the DL, presumably to keep him eligible for the Arizona Fall League, it has been reported that he is indeed injured. Here's some video of him from Sox Machine. (Update: Danks will be back tonight.)
Jake Peavy dampened expectations for his big league return with both a mediocre outing and his own words: 4 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HBP. He threw 67 pitches, 44 for strikes. His next start is ~~Sunday~~ Monday, again for Charlotte.
Brent Morel has continued his late season surge and was voted best defensive 3B in the Carolina League. .285/.343/.470.
Wrapping up the draft, the White Sox did not sign anyone else. The team will receive a compensatory third round pick in next year's draft for failing to sign Bryan Morgado. The Sox signed ten of their twelve picks in the first ten rounds and spent $3,892,100 on them, which is about middle of the road.
The "18"year old Juan Silverio continues to rake in the DSL: .321/.366/.547. Others putting up good numbers include Daurys Mercedes (.319/.410/.473), Julio Alcala (.295/.392/.454), and Darwin Matos (69 IP, 59 H, 34 BB, 82 K). The DSL's season ended on Friday.
Tyler Flowers took a foul ball off his hand and missed most of the week. .278/.337/.430 in Charlotte.
You can expect that the rosters for the Arizona Fall League will be announced next week. Last year saw the likes of Gordon Beckham, Jordan Danks, Aaron Poreda and Carlos Torres participate. The eligibility rules are straightforward. If I were assigning for the organization, and without regard to the position constraints and so on which inevitably arise during the "draft" process, the players I would send are: Tyler Flowers; Jordan Danks; Dayan Viciedo (foreign); C.J. Retherford; Daniel Hudson; Jon Link; and John Ely. The White Sox have usually sent four pitchers but the depth in position talent is greater and I don't really see a more deserving pitcher, though Charlie Shirek may get the opportunity based upon the numbers game.
Jared Mitchell: .304/.427/.461. 18% BB rate, 34.1% K rate.
Bristol roundup: Trayce Thompson: .216/.255/.255; Leighton Pangilinan: .304/.322/.411; Miguel Gonzalez: .273/.353/.463; David Holmberg: 30 IP, 31 H, 17 BB, 29 K; Matt Heidenreich: 17 IP, 10 H, 11 BB, 9 K.

As always, check the White Sox Minor League Update fanpost on the right sidebar for daily updates and commentary, and to participate in the weekly poll. If you're interested in White Sox minor league updates, follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SouthSidelarry.