SB Nation - Jared Mitchell

Season Review: 2012 Birmingham Barons

larry — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 11:00:05 -0000

The Barons played host to the most disappointing performances of any White Sox affiliate in 2012, which is probably as it should be considering the jump to Double-A is often considered to be the biggest in the minors. Still, quite a few prospects passed the test and improved their standing at the expense of those who didn't.

Birmingham began the season with probably the two top pitching prospects in the organization, RHP Nestor Molina and RHP Simon Castro, both newly acquired. Molina was a total disappointment, assisted in large measure by right elbow issues Buddy Bell attributed to mechanical changes imposed by the White Sox. Any way you slice it, 122.2 IP, 156 H, 26 BB, 84 K is just bad. While he continued to throw strikes, that 11.4 H/9 showed he wasn't fooling anyone. Other than, perhaps, Kenny Williams.

Castro's season was more mixed. He also dealt with injuries, which helped to keep him in Double-A for most of the season for the third year in a row - not something you want to see from anyone, let alone a 24 year old. In that light, his 90 IP, 89 H, 21 BB, 72 K line just looks like a guy beating up on hitters who aren't at his level.

RHP Jake Petricka was another disappointment. He began the year with Winston-Salem and he got promoted to Double-A not out of merit than but because he was 24 years old repeating High-A. His line for the Barons - 57.2 IP, 63 H, 35 BB, 27 K - showed a dearth of anything positive. The 2010 second round pick has shown nothing above Low-A and it's probably time for him to move to the bullpen, as it seems unlikely he will develop his secondary pitches enough to sufficiently complement his fastball.

RHP Andre Rienzo disappointed with his 50-game PED suspension but his performance was stellar. After serving his time, he got promoted to Birmingham where he showed that maybe he does have a chance as a starter. While walks are still a problem, the 24 year old showed his starting repertoire could get more advanced hitters out: 71.2 IP, 56 H, 33 BB, 72 K. The Brazilian got a late start to baseball so, practically speaking, he's not quite so old for the league.

LHP Santos Rodriguez kind of, sort of kept his (reliever) prospect status. While he, too, still continues to have control issues, his stuff is good enough to miss enough bats with strikes and to induce weaker contact that you're probably going to be seeing him in the left field bullpen soon enough. For the Barons: 64 IP, 33 H, 33 BB, 60 K.

The position player prospects were perhaps even more disappointing. Or at the least the ones who spent more than a month with the club. OF Jared Mitchell was a bit of a surprise to start the season at Double-A. But he initially put to rest any concerns when he sped out of the gate to a .341/.471/.561 April. After the first week of May, though, he was pretty blah the rest of the season, finishing up with a .240/.368/.440 line in his time with the Barons. The strikeouts continue to be totally excessive at 31%, although it was good to see his walk rate get back to a very respectable 15%. His defense and first round pedigree will get the 23 year old to the majors, almost certainly next season, but his offensive game simply hasn't progressed enough to project him as much more than a platoon or fourth outfielder.

INF Tyler Saladino shot up prospect lists after a very good 2011 season. His 2012 season, on the other hand, was bizarre. His power disappeared, even more than one would have expected in his transition to the offense suppressing Regions Park, and that skill was what made him most intriguing to me as a middle infield prospect. His plate discipline, though, actually improved. He upped his walk rate to almost 15% and cut his strikeout rate, which was another concern of mine, to 18%. And he was let loose on the basepaths to the tune of 38 for 46 in stolen bases. His defense at shortstop wasn't all that impressive, however, and it seems like second, or perhaps third, base will be his eventual home. The 23 year old's overall line for Birmingham was .237/.359/.321 - and his brief call-up to Charlotte suggests this wasn't some Regions Park aberration.

1B Andy Wilkins was the other prospect of note to start the year with Birmingham, a place that is a tough assignment for a guy whose main skill is power. First base prospects need to hit, and hit consistently, at every level or they find themselves as a 25 year old star of a High-A team. He did show a rather marked home/away split, putting up a weak .621 OPS at home compared to .885 on the road. The 23 year old still can't hit lefties and his minor league career doesn't show a guy who has the prodigious power one needs to have to be a major league first baseman. He'll certainly welcome an assignment to the far more hitter-friendly Charlotte where he will absolutely need to add about a couple hundred points to his final line for the Barons: .239/.335/.425.

The only position prospects who can count their Double-A time as successes, INF Carlos Sanchez (.370/.424/.462) and CF Trayce Thompson (.280/.379/.520), made small sample size pit stops with Birmingham before moving on to Triple-A.

Chicago White Sox Top 20 2012 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 12:00:07 -0000

Chicago White Sox Top 20 2012 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

Moving forward with our mid-season reviews of our pre-season Top 20 prospect lists, we switch back to the American League with an examination of the Chicago White Sox. Remember, this is the pre-season list. It is not a new list.

This list was originally published January 19, 2012.

The next three teams on the list for review are the St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, and Chicago Cubs.

1) Addison Reed, RHP, Grade B+: 4.24 ERA with 34/12 K/BB in 34 major league innings, 30 hits, 15 saves. 2.87 FIP. Has what it takes to be a successful closer for a long time.

2) Nestor Molina, RHP, Grade B+: 4.90 ERA with 64/20 K/BB in 90 innings between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte, 121 hits. I went out o a limb with this one, giving him a very aggressive grade and ranking, and right now it looks like that limb is being sawed off behind me. Went on the DL in late June with a sore elbow.

3) Tyler Saladino, SS, Grade C+: Hitting .258/.389/.362 with 33 steals, 65 walks, 68 strikeouts in 326 at-bats for Birmingham. Hasn't brought his power forward to Double-A, but draws plenty of walks and is a threat on the bases.

4) Simon Castro, RHP, Grade C+: Change of scenery is helping this former Padres prospect, 3.43 ERA with 81/20 K/BB in 105 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, 103 hits. Much better command this year.

5) Trayce Thompson, OF, Grade C+: Hitting .232/.305/.460 with 17 homers, 23 doubles, 16 steals in 17 attempts for High-A Winston-Salem. Has also struck out 126 times in 367 at-bats. Impressive tools with power/speed combination, but contact is a big problem for him.

6) Hector Santiago, LHP, Grade C+: 4.15 ERA with 38/17 K/BB in 35 major league innings, 31 hits, four saves. Has some command wobbles but overall he's shown he belongs in a major league pen.

7) Jake Petricka, RHP, Grade C+: 5.34 ERA with 90/53 K/BB in 88 innings, 96 hits allowed between High-A and Double-A. 2.70 GO/AO due to his power sinker, but command needs work, curve and change are erratic.

8) Kevan Smith, C, Grade C+: .282/.346/.414 with 25 walks, 62 strikeouts in 326 at-bats for Low-A Kannapolis, has caught 35% of runners. Old for the level at age 24, but his football background could mean he has more development potential than normal.

9) Dylan Axelrod, RHP, Grade C+: 3.18 ERA with 66/18 K/BB in 68 innings in Triple-A, 59 hits. In the majors, has started six games and relieved in three, posting 5.30 ERA with 30/11 K/BB in 37 innings, 41 hits. xFIP is much better at 4.27. Although older than the normal prospect at age 27, I felt he had many of the markers of a sleeper and could have a really good "out of nowhere" rookie season. That hasn't happened.

10) Andre Rienzo, RHP, Grade C+: 2.14 ERA with 68/23 K/BB in 59 innings between High-A and Double-A, 47 hits and zero homers allowed. Was suspended early in the year for PED use. He needs sharper control, but his K/IP and H/IP are very impressive and confirm scouting reports of a fastball with tremendous movement.

11) Erik Johnson, RHP, Grade C+: 2.54 ERA with 35/18 K/BB in 39 innings for Kannapolis, 36 hits allowed, since being activated from extended spring training in June. Fastball can hit mid-90s but still harnessing breaking stuff and sharpening command, somewhat raw for a college pitcher (second round, University of California, 2011).

12) Keenyn Walker, OF, Grade C: Just promoted to High-A, hitting .285/.396/.404 with 40 steals, 51 walks, 97 strikeouts in 277 at-bats for Kannapolis and Winston-Salem. Speed and walks are a plus, still a raw hitter with strikeout problems, but has made progress with his swing.

13) Jared Mitchell, OF, Grade C: Hitting .239/.368/.442 with 13 doubles, 12 triples, 10 homers, 61 walks, 125 strikeouts in 330 at-bats. 20-for-24 in steals. Got off to a fast start but slumped in late May and hasn't recovered yet. Good news: he has his speed back, finally recovered from gruesome 2010 ankle injury. He draws walks and has shown more power this year. Bad news: his strikeout rate remains extremely high and he goes ice-cold for weeks at a time.

14) Eduardo Escobar, SS, Grade C: Hitting .203/.284/.253 with nine walks, 22 strikeouts in 79 at-bats. I don't see a lot of hope for his bat, but could stick around awhile for his defense.

15) Charlie Leesman, LHP, Grade C: 2.82 ERA with 72/39 K/BB in 93 Triple-A innings, 97 hits allowed, 1.66 GO/AO. Uses a sinker, changeup, and cutter, to good result in Triple-A. Ready for a major league trial.

16) Gregory Infante, RHP, Grade C: 3.66 ERA, 20/16 K/BB in 32 Triple-A innings, 30 hits allowed. Don't like the K/BB ratio, and currently on the disabled list.

17) Nate Jones, RHP, Grade C: 3.57 ERA with 39/18 K/BB in 40 major league innings, 41 hits. I'd like to see fewer walks, but seems like a competent middle reliever overall.

18) Jeff Soptic, RHP, Grade C: 7.06 ERA with 19/10 K/BB in 22 innings for Kannapolis, 13 hits. Throws hard but doesn't know where it is going yet.

19) Scott Snodgress, LHP, Grade C: 3.64 ERA with 84/49 K/BB in 99 innings for Kannapolis, 86 hits. Stanford product having a decent season, though needs to lower walks.

20) Jose Quintana, LHP, Grade C: 2.77 ERA with 41/14 K/BB in 49 innings for Birmingham, promoted to majors and has posted 2.30 ERA in 10 starts with 43/13 K/BB in 70 innings, 59 hits. FIP 3.37. Obviously a successful rookie season, and I think he can sustain at least average performance. A great pickup as a minor league free agent.

21) Blair Walters, LHP, Grade C: 2.88 ERA with 69/18 K/BB in 72 innings in Low-A, 61 hits. Promoted to High-A and has been less effective, 7.01 ERA with 24/4 K/BB in 26 innings but 38 hits. Control is impressive, very good slider, working on changeup. He was traded to the Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon.

Although the farm system doesn't have a great reputation, the fact remains that the first place White Sox have relied on recent organization products Chris Sale and Addison Reed to anchor the pitching staff this year, with Nate Jones and Hector Santiago helping to fill out the bullpen. Jose Quintana was a great pickup as a minor league free agent, a feather in the cap of the scouting staff.

Among players not on the pre-season list, outfielder Jordan Danks reached the majors after more than two years in Triple-A. He's always had the tools but contact issues remain to be addressed. Terry Doyle has had a great year after being returned by the Twins as a rule 5 guy who didn't stick, but he still wasn't in Chicago's plans and they released him so he could pitch in Japan. Duente Heath and Jhan Marinez are live arms with Triple-A success and a chance to help the major league pen. Infielder Carlos Sanchez has had a great year in High-A at age 20, including a Futures Game appearance, and his stock is certainly rising.

2012 draftees Courtney Hawkins and Keon Barnum add big-time power to the system, while second baseman Joey DeMichele from Arizona State has played well so far and could be a fast riser. Chris Beck could be a steal in the second round if he can return to his 2011 form.

This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball

larry — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 11:00:26 -0000

This week:

There were promotions galore. INF Carlos Sanchez got promoted to Birmingham. In Baseball America's mid-season report, Sanchez was the fifth youngest player in the Carolina League; he's now the second youngest player in the Southern League. In his debut last night, he kept on doing what he's done: 3 for 4, all singles.
Joining Sanchez on the Barons is RHP Jake Petricka. The 24 year old had a spot start for Birmingham a couple months ago that didn't go particularly well: 5 IP, 3 H, 7 BB, 6 K. While that number of walks was certainly an outlier, they have been a problem again after it looked like he'd made some strides in control in 2011. For Winston-Salem this season, his BB/9 was back above 5 per 9 innings and his BB% was above 12%.
While the Dash lost a couple interesting prospects, they also gained a couple interesting prospects. Most notably, 2011 first supplemental round pick CF Keenyn Walker made the short drive to Winston-Salem. Walker hasn't hurt his prospect status though he hasn't helped it much, either. The 21 year old is a switch-hitter but he still hasn't shown much of an ability to hit left-handed pitchers. In 2012 for Kannapolis: .235/.303/.309. It does seem like he's become a better base-stealer (39 for 50), with a noticeable increase in success rate versus last year. While he's brought the strikeout rate down some, it still hovers around 30%. He's currently deferring center field to Trayce Thompson; in 4 games for the Dash, he's split between right field and left field.
Joining Walker is 2011 second round pick RHP Erik Johnson. After coming out of extended spring training, the 22 year old was decent for the Intimidators: 39 IP, 36 H, 18 BB, 35 K. The walks are certainly a concern. In his debut last night: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 1 K.

In injury news, 2012 first supplemental round pick 1B Keon Barnum has now been out almost a month with a sore left shoulder. He reportedly was hitting off of a tee this week but still no indication of when he'll return. RHP Andre Rienzo left his start on Friday after just two batters when he pulled a hamstring while fielding a bunt.

Baseball America released their mid-season Top 50 and, no surprise, there weren't any White Sox on it. The Baseball America Twitter account (unknown which writer was manning it at the time) did give an updated top five for the organization: 1) Courtney Hawkins, 2) Carlos Sanchez, 3) Jared Mitchell, 4) Trayce Thompson, and 5) Jake Petricka. Considering the lack of high quality prospects, it's hard to argue with just about any order after Hawkins, who I think is the clear #1.

Tyler Saladino: .261/.390/.367 and 33 for 40 in stolen bases. He's hit for some decent power this month and, although it is of course a small sample size, this is the first time this season he's hit for power even in a small sample size.

White Sox 'Zeroing In' On Yankees Betances

Rob Steingall — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 15:30:18 -0000

This comes from Trenton Thunder beat writer Josh Norris via Twitter:

Josh Norris ‏@jnorris427

Not sure what to make of this, but the White Sox have had a scout following Dellin Betances over his last three starts.

Josh Norris ‏@jnorris427

Heard from a source that ‪#WhiteSox‬ are definitely "zeroing in" on ‪#Yankees‬ Betances.

Holy crap! You're telling me someone actually values Betances considering the stinker of a year he's in the midst of? I don't care what he's done since being DEMOTED to Double-A (3 GS, 1-1, 2.41 ERA, 9.64 K/9, 3.38 BB/9), this is his third crack at the level following a complete implosion pitching for the Triple-A traveling road show. His mechanics are a mess, and he'll never have success at the major league level as he's currently wired (as a starter, or out of the bullpen), in my humble opinion.

That said, what is out there for us to poach from the White Sox in a trade? Let's examine the options after the jump...

The White Sox currently sit atop the AL Central (49-40) in a tie with the Tigers, holding a slim half game lead over the Indians. They certainly won't be sellers at this point, but maybe there is a minor league match? Let's browse their farm and see what's available.

Simon Castro, P: He was a Padres top prospect, and Top 100 guy at one point, but began imploding following his 2010 Futures Game start. In the time since, he's been traded to the White Sox and appears to have righted the ship, now finding himself in Triple-A. Castro has an explosive low-90s fastball and electric slider, but may be destined for the bullpen if his changeup doesn't begin showing more consistent progress.

Jared Mitchell, OF: Mitchell has been widely regarded as a bust since being drafted 23rd overall in the '09 draft. He missed the entire '10 season with a severe ankle injury, and returned in '11 as a shell of his former self (.222, 8 HR, 58 RBI, 14 SB) at High-A. He got off to a hot start this season at Double-A, but has since settled in to a much more modest line (.247, 10 HR, 54 RBI, 20 SB). Of note is his improved walk rate (14.8%), which has led to an impressive .373 OBP. Still, when you're striking out 29.9% of the time, there is much work to be done. He's a project, but could still develop into a productive major leaguer if things click.

Jordan Danks, OF: Currently in the majors, he posted a strong line at Triple-A this year to earn a promotion (.302, 8 HR, 28 RBI). He's a plus defender, but much like Mitchell, is prone to strikeouts in bunches. At 25, his upside is rather limited, and he may never amount to anything more than a fourth outfielder in the majors.

The rest of the White Sox Triple-A roster is littered with washed up major leaguers and Quad-A types (Conor Jackson, Dallas McPherson, Dan Johnson). The pickings are very slim here.

So what do you think, Pinstripe Alley? Do any of the names mentioned above excite you to the point of wanting to move on from Dellin Betances? I think Castro and Mitchell are intriguing, and if there was some way to get both back in a package, I'd be inclined to make the move. Those are my two cents, and I'm interested in hearing what you all have to say below...

Prospect Preview: Delino DeShields, Jr.

Craig Goldstein — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:00:30 -0000

If it weren't for Billy Hamilton, I bet that Delino DeShields, Jr's season would be getting a lot more attention. Drafted 8th overall in 2010, the younger DeShields bears a resemblance to his father in name and position only. He stands 5'9 and 188 lbs per BaseballAmerica, and his physique doesn't hint so much as it stands, shouting from the rooftop of his past as a high school football star. That football-centered past has hindered DeShields in the early goings in the minor leagues, though he is showing signs of breaking through in 2012.

Read more on DeShields after the jump...

DeShields full season debut in Lo-A was something of a disaster statistically, posting a .222/.307/.324 slash line. Of course, the minor leagues aren't really about the numbers, so let's not rush to judgement too quickly as we explore the statistical side of his introduction to full season ball. While DeShields struggled to hit for average, power or get on base at a reasonable clip, there were signs for optimism. Though he was drafted as a top ten pick, the Astros knew they were getting a project, similar to someone you'd take in the later rounds, but with supreme upside. As raw as he was, DeShields debuted with an impressive 9.6 BB%, and all things considered his K% of 21.8 wasn't too bad either. His numbers were also depressed by a .274 BABIP, though even a league average one wouldn't make his slash line look pretty. Again, it's not really about the numbers, especially in the low minors, so we shouldn't put too much emphasis on the, as it is the progression of his tools that is of the utmost importance. All that said, let's take a look at his 2012 numbers before looking at what DeShields' packs in his toolbox. While the slash line might not leap off the page at you, .269/.378/.382 is a vast improvement over 2011, and show development in his toolset. DeShields is repeating Lo-A, but that's not necessarily a reason to brush off his improvement as he was extremely raw in his first go around, and reports indicate at 20 years of age, he's not just beating up on younger competition. His jump in average is supported by a jump in BABIP from .274 to .335, but it is also accompanied with an improved BB% of 13.6, a 4% bump, and a lowering of his K% from 21.8 to 19.7. If you tell me a prospect shows an improved hit tool, while simultaneously raising his walk rate, lowering his strikeout rate and maintains his power output (however meager), I'm going to get excited, and that is exactly what is happening in the case of DeShields. Here I've gone and thrown down all these words on DeShields and we have yet to discuss the most impressive and polished part of his game: speed. Speed isn't necessarily lacking in the minors, but it is mostly possessed by Billy Hamilton and a few others. DeShields is making a case to be one of the few others. After lifting 30 bases in 41 chances (73% success rate) off of opposing teams in 2011, DeShields has stepped his game up, swiping 58 bags while only getting caught 8 times (88% success rate), a rate even higher than Mr. Hamilton himself.

While DeShields isn't big, he displays both the strength and the plus bat speed to project future average power which, combined with his speed (a solid 70 grade tool) would make him quite the intriguing second baseman if it all comes together. Much of his struggles stem from how raw he is due to splitting his time between football and baseball as a prep player, and while his strength wasn't evident in 2011 and has barely surfaced in 2012, once he improves at identifying pitches, and becoming selectively aggressive, you could see those power numbers start to rise. Fangraphs' Mike Newman speaks to DeShields' "explosive hands and plus bat speed "his propensity to swing with his shoulders" and "a tendency to spin off on his front foot causing him to swing from his heels at times." What excites me about DeShields, perhaps similar to my original and renewed excitement over Jared Mitchell is the impressive strides made while still remaining raw. It leads me to think that if he can post these types of improvements and results with his ceiling remaining so far away, that he could be quite an intriguing player to watch develop. DeShields also made the transition from prep school outfielder to professional second baseman last year, and while there was a bit of a learning curve, all expectations are that he will be able to man the position at the major league level in due time. The biggest question mark on his defense is subpar arm strength, though if for some reason he can't stick it out at the keystone, he will stay up the middle in centerfield. If he was unable to adequately field either of those positions, it would be tough to see his bat profiling anywhere else.

While DeShields has made significant strides entering his second full season, there remains a lot of work to do. As much as I may be excited about his potential given his current production and his distance from his ceiling, there is a flip side to that perspective. That is, he may have made some improvements, but there's a long way to go and there's a good chance that he never quite gets there. For all his tools, it looks as though DeShields will be a hit or miss type of prospect with not much of a chance for in between. Unless something changes, he'll either hit enough to access his power and get on base enough to wreak havoc, or the feel for hitting never quite develops and he'll make a minimal impact. As much of a fan as I've become of DeShields, he's far more of someone to keep on your radar in the wait-and-see column as opposed to someone to snatch up as soon as possible.

Source Material:
BaseballAmerica
Mike Newman/Fangraphs

This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball

larry — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:00:27 -0000

This week:

Phil Humber begins his rehab assignment with Charlotte today. Humber hasn't pitched since June 16 due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. The big test for his elbow will come when he throws his slider at game speed. If all goes well, he'd likely have one more rehab start before re-joining the club.
Another pitcher is beginning a much longer rehab assignment at a much lower level. The White Sox signed LHP Scott Olsen to a minor league contract in the offseason knowing that he was coming off another shoulder injury and wouldn't be able to pitch until mid-season. The former Marlins top prospect has shown flashes of adequacy in his career in between injuries, fits of rage and drunkenness. It's unlikely that he'd be in the mix for 2012 but his contract gave the White Sox a major league option on him for 2013. He pitched one inning for Bristol on Friday and he'll probably see two or three more starts for them before working his way through the affiliates to Charlotte.
With the White Sox continuing to empty their upper minors of pitchers, they re-acquired RHP Shane Lindsay to fill a roster spot. He's the Aussie who made his major league debut with the White Sox last September, sending his mother on a short notice, $4000 trip from Australia to Dallas to Detroit to make it just in time to see his first game. He's spent time in the Dodgers and Cubs organizations this year.

Injury update: CF Keenyn Walker returned from the DL. RHP Nestor Molina was placed on the DL with right elbow tendinitis, allegedly a minor injury but enough for him to come to Chicago for evaluation. Fellow offseason acquisition RHP Simon Castro also went on the DL the day after pitching a 7 inning gem for Charlotte. No word on the injury. 2012 second round pick 1B Keon Barnum has been out since June 23 with what is described as a minor shoulder injury. The club haven't disabled him, which might support the injury being minor but, with a 35 man active roster limit, there isn't always urgency to free up a roster spot in Rookie Ball.

1B Andy Wilkins is finally showing some signs of life for Birmingham. As a player likely limited to first base defensively, he needs to hit and hit consistently to keep himself relevant. He attributes his struggles to a strained rotator cuff and says that he's only now getting his swing back to normal. We shall see. For the season: .230/.332/.450.

OF Jared Mitchell continues to struggle with the after-effects of an aggressive fellating by the Chicago media. After putting the hype machine into overdrive with a good first month, he's returned to his previous high strikeout, low average, good walk and meh power ways. His dropping season line: .257/.380/.435. Don't say I didn't warn you.

This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball

larry — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 11:00:12 -0000

This week:

The Winston-Salem Dash clinched the Carolina League’ Southern Division First Half Championship, which means they will be in the playoffs after the regular season ends in September. The Dash's 43-25-1 record is the third-best mark in all of High-A baseball. The Dash have already begun to see some of their key performers graduate to Birmingham and that's likely to accelerate in the next few weeks.
One of those departures is RHP Andre Rienzo, who returned from his 50 game suspension for a positive steroid test and went right to the Barons. His debut last night was shaky: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 2 K.
Birmingham is last in their division so they'll hope that some of the Dash's success comes with the promoted players. But their second half push will need to be supported by improvement from some of their current players, including SS Tyler Saladino (.236/.382/.332), 1B Andy Wilkins (.216/.330/.409) and the very disappointing RHP Nestor Molina (79.1 IP, 102 H, 17 BB, 57 K).
The International League doesn't split its regular season into halves so the first place Charlotte Knights are going to need to sustain their solid team play through September. Having Dan Johnson, one of the best Triple-A players of all-time, on your team certainly helps - .291/.426/.561. The 32 year old is a veteran of numerous minor league playoff teams.

One guy the Knights will not be able to count on is RHP Terry Doyle who asked for and received his release to play in Japan. The 26 year old has been productive in the minors but the White Sox clearly have believed, and continue to believe, that Doyle simply isn't a major league player. Scouts concur, as you'd be hard-pressed to find any that put more than a middle relief label on him. He'll take his 76.1 IP, 53 H, 18 BB and 71 K to the defending Japanese Champions Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who will more than triple his minor league salary. He signed a three-year deal with a guaranteed $500K+ salary for 2012, a team option for 2013 and a mutual option for 2014.

Kannapolis is middle of the pack in their division, so they'll also need to turn things around when the second half begins. They've had to do without CF Keenyn Walker for the past week and a half as he nurses a minor injury. Walker has been doing what you want to see from a raw prospect - he's steadily improved as the season has gone on. His season line is .260/.377/.347 with a very nice 81% stolen base success rate to go along with a prodigious 35 steals. He's also been getting those strikeouts down, with his recent rate sitting just above 25%.

The Rookie League affiliates get started this week. Tentative rosters for Bristol and Great Falls are here.

OF Jared Mitchell: .271/.401/.450 with a 29.5% strikeout rate and 14 for 17 in stolen bases.

This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball - MLB Draft 2012 Edition

larry — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:00:14 -0000

This week:

The Rule 4 Draft begins tonight (live on MLBN at 6pm) and continues through Wednesday. The White Sox actually have two first day picks this year, #13 and #48 (thanks, Mark Buehrle!). Based on past drafts, the White Sox likely will be picking around 7:30pm and 9pm. Even if you don't care who the White Sox draft, Ron Karkovice is the club's representative this year and seeing him on TV may be worth it.
There are whole websites dedicated to the amateur draft and tons of "experts" posting mock drafts. I don't bother learning about players until the White Sox actually draft them so I'm not one of these experts. If you want to read the tea leaves regarding what White Sox scouting director Doug Laumann says about the draft, here's the transcript of his news conference on Saturday. He says the draft is the thinnest in a decade and that's a widely held opinion. From skimming various sources, it seems the expectation is that the White Sox will select a college pitcher with their top pick, both because that's sort of their M.O. and because where the club is picking there is expected to be a bunch of college pitchers who would be the best available players.

If you want to do some reading up, here are some sources to check out: John Sickels' mock draft and his Top 100. Kevin Goldstein's mock draft. Baseball America's Top 500. MLB's own page for the draft is surprisingly good, with scouting reports and videos on their Top 100.

Most of the multiple changes to the draft agreed to in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement will go into effect this year. Each team has a set spending pool for their picks in the first 10 rounds, based on the team's total number of picks and where those picks are in the draft, with penalties for those who exceed it. Teams can allocate the money in the pool however they wish. Also note that bonuses given to players drafted after the 10th round that exceed $100,000 will also count towards the cap. The White Sox cap for their 11 picks in the first 10 rounds is $5,915,100.

Another change is that the signing deadline has been moved up more than a month to July 13 at 4pm central. Teams also are not permitted to sign draftees to major league contracts. Finally, the draft is now 40 rounds instead of 50 rounds. If you want to read more about the changes to the draft, including the new type of draft pick to be added in 2013 that can be traded to another team, check out my summary of the CBA changes here.

The minor leagues don't stop for the draft and there is some news to share. RHP Erik Johnson, the 2011 second round pick, made his debut for Kannapolis on Saturday: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP. 2011 third round pick Jeff Soptic also debuted for the Intimidators: 2 G, 3 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP.

We interviewed Jared Mitchell. Some excellent stuff in there. On the season: .293/.417/.505.

Both 1B Andy Wilkins (Birmingham) and SS Marcus Semien (Winston-Salem) came off the DL.

Brent Morel in his rehab assignment at Charlotte: 7 for 17, 2B, BB in 5 games.

Eye of the Tiger: SSS interviews Jared Mitchell

Mark Primiano — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:12:52 -0000

If you'd thought it had been too long since we'd interviewed someone from the White Sox, you thought correctly. Your prize is the Robin Ventura bobblehead KenWo paid $20 for in the parking lot last Saturday. You may pick it up from his house.

This month's interview subject was the center fielder for the AA Birmingham Barons, Jared Mitchell. As always, huge thank yous go out to Marty Maloney for arranging the interview and of course to Jared Mitchell for agreeing to listen to our barrage of questions despite having a game to play in tonight. In on today's interview with me were Jim Margalus, James Fegan of White Sox Observer, Bill of White Sox Gap, Paul Banks of The Sports Bank, and Matt Adams of Southside Showdown. As per usual, anyone who was in on the call (or is a Sox blogger in general) can feel free to use this transcript as long as they credit the source.

Mark Primiano: First off, I'd like to thank you for not signing with the Twins when they drafted you back in 2006.

Jared Mitchell: /laughter

MP: What ultimately led to you deciding to go pro in baseball instead of football?

JM: I figured it was a good time in my career and it was a great opportunity. I knew at the end of the day some point I would have to make a decision, and like I said it was a great opportunity so I took it and ran with it.

MP: If you had chosen to focus solely on baseball in college, where do you think you would be at in your baseball career right now?

JM: There's no question I'd be further ahead with the amount of at bats I wouldn't have gotten. The future will tell for me and I'm just going to keep playing my game everyday and get better everyday and do what I can to help my team win.

Jim Margalus: Is it safe to say you are 100% healthy.

JM: Yes, definitely.

JiM: When would you say you were finally able to get over the physical handicap of the ankle injury and any kind of mental edge you lost having to wonder about the ankle.

JM: Honestly? I think it was some time over the offseason. I finally felt around 100% healthy around November. You're only really able to play and be 100% yourself when you're 100% healthy. When you're 100% healthy, it kind of frees your mind up to everything else and lets you focus on the task at hand.

Bill: How much did your impressive spring training help get you to where you're at right now?

JM: It helps, don't get me wrong. It propels you to where you want to be, but spring training is spring training. When the season starts it's a whole new ballgame. For me I was able to get healthy in the offseason and find some confidence back and just work at it from there.

B: How close do you feel you are to being in the big leagues?

JM: To be honest with you, I really don't know. There's a really good group of guys up there and you never know what could happen or just what they're looking for. My main concern every day is to come out here and get better every day and be a good team player here. I've got to let the chips fall where they may.

James Fegan: Where you surprised with your promotion to Birmingham at the start of the year?

JM: I think it came down a lot to my mental makeup. They know what kind of person I am in the organization and me being finally healthy and looking like myself again is what probably made the decision for them. I wouldn't say I was surprised. I feel like I can compete on this level and levels above this, but they make the decisions and I just go with them.

MP: Despite being bumped up to Birmingham this year you're walking a lot more than in the past and striking out less. What adjustments have you made that led to this?

JM: The better plate discipline I guess comes from being in a better position at the plate. I can finally use my legs which allows me to see the ball better which I feel is helping a lot. You let yourself get into hitter's counts, you don't chase, and everything just kind of goes from there.

JiM: Given the year that you had last year and that the Sox threw a lot at you, both with the ankle injury and starting you at a new level, how do you separate progress from stats?

JM: That's the biggest challenge in the minors. Everything is about progress and not so much about your stats. For me or anyone else, the biggest thing I was able to do this year was not make everything try to come so quick and be able to go home at the end of the day and look at myself in the mirror and say "I'm making progress." It may or may not show up the stats, but the biggest thing is to know that you're making the progress. The stats will come when everything comes together, but you can't sit there and worry about the stats.

B: Is there something specific you are trying to work on at Birmingham?

JM: Everything. Trying to put it all together because I know I can be a dynamic player. I'm trying to put it all together and work on my tools all around and make everything come to life.

JiM: Now that the injury is behind you and you're getting into a full baseball calender, what kind of player do you think we'll see when you're finally into a regular developmental schedule.

JM: Like I said, I really think I can be a dynamic player that can really help an organization in every facet of the game. I'm going to do my best to work hard and bring my best to the table every day.

JiM: Whose game do you see yours resembling the most?

JM: There's players I like to watch, but I don't know if I exactly play like them. I was a big fan of watching Carl Crawford and Curtis Granderson play. Was a huge fan of Ken Griffey Jr. growing up. You take little things from everyone here and there but at the end of the day I'm Jared Mitchell and I'm going to try and be me, not anyone else. That's just how I look at it.

Paul Banks: How has playing in the high profile games, two National Championships in two different sports in college, prepared you to make adjustments in each level of your career?

JM: It definitely helped me with the competition level. Moving up, you start seeing a lot more competition. I was bred into competition at LSU. We played against the best in the nation every day and I think that helps it a lot. It helps you deal with a lot of struggles because when you're playing the best, it's not always going to be easy.

Matt Adams: With the time that you missed, do you find yourself trying to make up for lost time or were you able to reset the timeline in your head?

JM: Last year I think I subconsciously sat there and tried to make up for lost time and you can put yourself in a big hole trying to do that. In the offseason I was able to kind of clear my mind and get into the mindset where I was like "Go out there and do what you can every day. Don't worry about anything. Whatever happens, happens and I'm gonna make it work." That's where I'm at now and I don't worry about where I should be or what could have been. If I just keep playing every day, great things will happen.

JiM: We've talked to Buddy Bell a couple times in the past and he might be one of your biggest fans, if not THE biggest fan. Even when your numbers were down he was singing your praises and telling us to keep the faith in you. Can you talk about your relationship with Buddy Bell?

JM: He's a great guy. He's been a mentor and always been there to try and pick me up and help me. It's great when you have a great baseball mind like that in your organization who can sit there and tell you about struggles they might have had or players they might have seen. It really brings everything to the forefront and helps you keep moving when things don't seem like they're where they need to be.

MP: How much of a talent disparity have you noticed in the pitchers and hitters around you in the jump up to AA?

JM: Definitely talent. The game is faster at this level. I went through everything last year with the game feeling so much faster, but this year I'm allowing things to happen and it feels like everything is slowing down and I can see the game at a true speed. It almost feels like it plays slower than last year because I tried to do so much last year.

MP: Are there any specific pitches you struggle against or just find harder to deal with?

JM: I don't really know about all that. Everybody struggles against something, but when you're hot everything thrown up there seems like a beachball or a balloon. I really couldn't tell you, I don't know.

I like that he refused to tell a weakness. Well played, Mr. Mitchell. Well played.

JiM: Are there any plays this year that you've made that you realized after doing it that you might not have been able to do it last year?

JM: There've been a number of plays and things I've done at the plate, on the bases, in the field that I just wasn't back to doing yet last year. It might have take repetitions, but for whatever reason I just wasn't up to doing that last year. But now a year later stuff's starting to come back and it's kind of fun.

JF: In that vein, you only attempted 20 stolen bases last year and that was a big part of your game coming into the league. Is that something you're trying to reemphasize this season?

JM: Definitely. The speed is there so why not play with it? It helps put a lot more pressure on the defense so I really want that to be a part of my game again.

PB: What were your biggest takeaways from your Cactus League experience?

JM: Just getting able to see that level of competition and go out there and be even somewhat of a success helps to accomplish in your head that "Hey, you can play at that level!" Just to kind of see what those guys do and be around them in the clubhouse, how they carry themselves and go about their days helps a lot.

JiM: What's it like hitting at Birmingham? We hear a lot from hitters about how it's tough and the ball might not carry as well and that the fences are pretty far away. What are your initial impressions of beginning the season at AA?

JM: It's pretty funny. I played here a couple times at SEC tournaments in college and I never noticed how big the field was back then. But when you're here every day and get to know the field? You realize how much bigger the field is and plays, especially at night when the ball doesn't carry. The biggest thing is it really makes you learn how to hit: keeping the ball down, using the gaps, avoiding just hitting flyballs since they won't carry. I think if you can hit here at Birmingham, especially at night, then you can hit anywhere.

JiM: Yeah, it feels like we're seeing that with your triples total so far (7!).

JM: /laughter

MP: So which Baron not named Jared Mitchell do you think has the best shot of reaching the majors?

JM: We have some really good starting pitching here. Nestor Molina, Pedro Hernandez can really throw the ball out there and really attack hitters. You look up and it's the seventh inning and you're still in the game and they're still pitching in the game and that's really important for a team to have guys that can give you the confidence that you're going to be in the game every night and those guys have done just that.

B: How much do you miss playing football and was there ever a thought of you trying to be a two sport player?

JM: I'm not going to sit here and say I don't miss playing football. I grew up playing football. You get a special feeling about gameday. Practice? Practice not so much. It's not something I sit here thinking about much because I'm enjoying where I'm at and I'm happy where I'm at.

This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball

larry — Sun, 27 May 2012 11:00:19 -0000

This week:

RHP Jake Petricka left his start on Friday after just four pitches when he took a line drive off his right elbow. There's no official word on the injury but Petricka tweeted yesterday that it felt like he'd thrown 200 pitches, not 4. It's probably safe to assume that he'll head to the 7-day DL and miss a start or two. For the season: 9 GS, 41 IP, 40 H, 24 BB, 41 K, 6 WP.
In other Winston-Salem injury news, SS Marcus Semien, who had been riding an 18 game hitting streak, was finally put on the disabled list. He hadn't played since May 12 due to a right shoulder injury. For the season: 280/.343/.480.
Jared Mitchell: .288/.408/.485. 15% walk rate, 26.5% strikeout rate.
RHP Jeff Soptic joined Kannapolis from extended spring training. The White Sox have brought him along slowly after drafting him in the third round last year. The tall righty with a power arm pitched just 2.2 innings in three games for Bristol last season. He'll likely see time in the Intimidators' bullpen as he tries to sharpen his erratic control.
The MLB Draft is coming up on June 4-6. The White Sox have the 13th pick overall. Per the new rules put in place by the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, they'll have $5,915,100 to spread over their 11 picks in the first 10 rounds of the draft. This year's draft is generally considered to be a weak talent pool. If you're interested in some of the names in the mix as top picks, there's plenty of coverage out there and mlb.com has a decent enough Top 100 List with some scouting information.

The White Sox Dominican Summer League affiliate begins their season on June 2. While the historically stingy and corrupt White Sox don't have much talent of note, their Dominican academy has seen a few current prospects pass through it. LHP Jefferson Olacio continues to hold his own as an 18 year old in Low-A: 11 G, 25.2 IP, 22 H, 15 BB, 26 K, 5 HBP, 4 WP. 2B/SS Carlos Sanchez, still just 19 years old, keeps hitting singles for the Dash: .307/.366/.380. And his teammate "3B" Juan Silverio has hit well since arriving in Winston-Salem on May 4: .388/.396/.673. His defense at third base, however, continues to scream "move me to the outfield".

RHP Simon Castro: 9 GS, 57 IP, 62 H, 13 BB, 49 K.