White Sox Minor Keys: June 9, 2018

Evan Skoug on the Kannapolis Intimidators (Sox Machine photo)

The start of draft signing season reminded me to check in on Evan Skoug. The Kannapolis catcher was selected in the seventh round of the 2017 draft, and the White Sox signed him for $300,000, or roughly over the slot value of $201,700. He fell to the Sox because of a sudden burst of strikeouts during his junior season at TCU, which magnified his suspect skills behind the plate.

The White Sox were tasked with trying to tame that issue, and his first full season in the pros shows some progress in this regard.

  • April: .150/.268/.233, 14.1% BB, 33.8% K over 71 PA
  • May: .276/.356/.526, 11.5% BB, 26.4% K over 87 PA

And he’s started June going 5-for-15 with two walks to three strikeouts over 18 plate appearances. It’s a month that’ll help serve as a tiebreaker of sorts, and it’s off to a sound start.

Charlotte 8, Lehigh Valley 6

Birmingham 3, Tennessee 1

Winston-Salem 10, Carolina 4

  • Joel Booker went 3-for-5 with a double and a stolen base.
  • Blake Rutherford, 3-for-4 with a  walk.
  • Micker Adolfo went 2-for-5 with a homer and two strikeouts.
  • Gavin Sheets returned from the DL, going 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
  • Alex Call, 1-for-3 with a walk, HBP and a strikeout. He was caught stealing.
  • Yeyson Yrizarri was 1-for-4 with a homer.
  • Dylan Cease only gave up three hits, and they were all solo shots: 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 3 HR, 1 HBP.

Rome 5, Kannapolis 4

DSL D-backs1 9, DSL White Sox 5 (4½ innings)

  • Dionicio Jimenez filled the box score: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 1 HBP

 

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ParisSox

What’s the plan for Cease?  Let him build up innings while dominating A-ball – as innings / endurance were his biggest question marks – or challenge him at AA for a bit?

Also Dunning has adjusted nicely.  I could see a 2019 mid-season callup in his future.   

sgp2204

I think once July comes they’re just going to move every team in the organization. The Birmingham team will now be the AAA team, Winston-Salem will be AA, Kannapolis will become A+, and the bums at Charlotte will become our A-ball team. Or we’ll just let everyone rot at their current level, regardless of performance. Either/or. 

WilburWoodWasTheMan

I agree that Cease’s goal is maintaining health and building innings. I don’t think that precludes a taste of AA before the season is over. I really haven’t given much thought to July pitching promotions but I’m pretty sure no one will be crying if he takes starts away from Matt Tomshaw (except for Tomshaw).

I also think Flores is knocking on Birmingham’s door, but something else will have to give. Unless they are going to let Dunning aggressively ascend to AAA, there’s a bit of a logjam of starters in AA. And this is a problem because Parke and Battenfield are making a strong case for promotions to Winston-Salem, too.

Great problems to have, though…

Finally, I’m glad some left-handed starters (Flores, Parke, Battenfield) are emerging to challenge Clarkin & Guerrero.

PauliePaulie

*Nick Madrigal: 1-4, BB, Run Scored. Oregon State advances.
*Konnor Pilkington: 5IP, 8H, 1BB, 6K, 2ER, 64 of 101 Pitches for Strikes. Mississippi State plays elimination game today

WilburWoodWasTheMan

I feel terrible rooting against them, but I do want to see Oregon State and Mississippi State eliminated so these guys can get signed and assigned. I want to see them in pro ball.

PauliePaulie

I just want them to stay healthy. Managers can do weird stuff during the tourney. Brady Singer threw 119 pitches last night.

Trooper Galactus

I’d be pretty pissed at that if I were in the Royals FO.

WilburWoodWasTheMan

My July promotion wish list:

1. Zavala and Jimenez to Charlotte – Eloy is beyond ready and Seby moving up would free-up DH at-bats for Adolfo in Birmingham. Collins needs more work behind the plate, too.

2. Adolfo & Booker to Birmingham – Adolfo is ready and leaving W.S. allows the DH position to be used for 4th outfielder at-bats. Booker has earned the promotion and also frees-up more outfield at-bats.

3. Gonzales to Winston-Salem – Gonzales needs the challenge and would work well in a Basabe/Rutherford/Call outfield/DH rotation.

I’d like to see Madrigal get assigned to Kannapolis when he signs. I also hope that later in the season, Call is ready to be promoted to Birmingham clearing the way for Robert to move up to Winston-Salem. Madrigal can join him for a late-season cup-of-coffee so he can start there in 2019.

Smclean09

I think whenever Adolfo has his surgery is when you bring up two of basabe/booker/call and then louis and luis both jump to WS. And Madrigal already proved he can hit college pitching and low A is where most of the good ones that were drafted will go. Send him straight to Salem and let him deal with some more experienced or “stuffier” guys than he is used to.

WilburWoodWasTheMan

Is Adolfo certain to have surgery? I thought the idea of DH-ing was to let the arm heal.

IllinoisJones

no he needs surgery, he can just hit without it so they’re waiting on it.

I love the suggestion that Zavala get promoted, but the idea that Collins is the one who needs to work on his defense is laughable. Seby is arguably even worse behind the dish.

WilburWoodWasTheMan

I didn’t mean to imply that Seby has nothing to work on at Charlotte. If Zavala is the starting catcher at AAA and Collins at AA, they both get more of a chance to work on their defense. Splitting time at the same level is doing neither any good. I give the promotion nod to Zavala more from a desire to not rush Collins.

ndsoxfan

Not according to John Orton.  He thinks Zavala is ahead of Collins

Oh, and Keon Barnum should be friggin’ released already to make room on their 25-man roster. A 25-year old first baseman posting a .541 OPS in AA is a complete waste of time at this point. Nick Basto should probably be shown the door as well.