White Sox select Nick Madrigal in first round of 2018 MLB Draft
The Great White Sox Draft Debate is resolved.
The White Sox went with Nick Madrigal.
The Sox took the Oregon State second baseman with the fourth overall pick after weeks of back-and-forth speculation that also involved Florida right-handed pitcher Brady Singer. In the end, the Sox went with the diminutive infielder with the best hit tool in the draft.
Madrigal is hitting .406/.470/.586 for the Beavers, who are in the midst of a College World Series run. He’s struck out just five times to 13 walks and four HBPs over 133 at-bats, along with an above-average glove at second base and plus skills on the basepaths.
The big drawback is his lack of power, as he’s hit just eight homers over his collegiate career. Then again, he broke his hand earlier in the year, which might explain some of the relatively low .180 ISO. The other question is how much he can be stretched defensively, and whether arm will allow him to play on the left side of the infield.
What the White Sox say:
“Nick is recognized as one of the best hitters in college baseball, and we’re excited to add him to the organization,” said Nick Hostetler, White Sox director of scouting. “He possesses tremendous baseball skills, character and makeup, and we look forward to watching him compete for the national championship before joining the White Sox organization and beginning his professional career.”
Where did he rank?
- Baseball America: No. 3
- MLB.com: No. 3
- Keith Law: No. 11
- FanGraphs: No. 2
First three picks:
- Tigers: Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn
- Giants: Joey Bart, C, Georgia Tech
- Phillies: Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita State
All these questions about where he’ll play when he looks like an absolute hitting machine. Come on people. MADRIGAL!
Gordon Beckham was also an absolute hitting machine in college, with even more power than Madrigal shows.
Joey Cora 2.0
Lord knows we’ve had worse outcomes than Cora’s 7.9 career bWAR.
Singer really dropped.
Wow – now at #13 and Singer’s name still not called. Three high school pitchers taken in front of him? Wow.
He goes now at 14. Calling it.
well guess not. How far will he fall?
18 it is
Why do I get the sneaking suspicion he’s going to be a Sox killer for years to come?
I don’t like his face.
Burke Granger on the podcast said clubs had widely disparate views on him. I guess so.
A Madrigal is a Singer
With the amount of shifting going on is the side of the infield all that important? Even at second base he needs a good enough arm to make long cut off throws. If he can hit and catch the ball he’ll have a decent career.
Bo Jackson roasting Harold Reynolds about throwing him out at the plate in 1989. Great to have Bo get airtime.
Now somebody needs to roast Harold for his shit baseball analysis.
Well, Danny Mendick & Yeyson Yrizarri are no longer the top middle infield prospects in the system.
The only question left for me tonight is where Seth Beer winds-up? Guess we didn’t need to tank for him after all. Of course, it would be cool to have Beer at first and Burger at 3rd.
Stros
Stroh’s
Headline: Stros Draft Beer
Keith Law hates the White Sox!
craig grebeck with the fourth pick in the draft. good job guys
Matt McLain, first round! This is way we can’t have nice things!
Grebeck signed as an undrafted free agent in ’86. Look at the first six picks that year: Jeff King, Greg Swindell, Matt Williams, Kevin Brown, Kent Mercker, Gary Sheffield. Why can’t we suck the year before a draft like that?
First Round, 19 position players,11 pitchers. Next 15 picks should be mostly pitching.
I’m surprised your boy Naylor fell to the Indians. And disappointed he didn’t drop to #46. MLB had him listed as a SS, which seems rather optimistic on their part.
Nander De Sandas is still available.
Don’t jinx it!
De Dedas, Thomas, Meadows, Jackson, Will Banfield is still around. Kris Bubic LHP might be nice.
I like what the Royals are doing.
Just Bubic gone with the to go.
I think it will be Jeremiah Jackson at #46
So when he’s really hitting, he’s Stick Madrigal. When he makes a great defensive play, Slick Madrigal. And if he sucks, Nick Badrigal.
And if he’s a top BMX biker, he’s Nick Radrigal.
I kinda wish the White Sox had been able to trade for a competitive balance pick. The pool money alone would be a great add.
Damn. Rays are going in on lefty pitchers. Nicely done.
Well, there goes one of our good options
OK Hoping for Jackson here.
darn
Always college with Hostetler.
Then I would have preferred Knight.
Steele Walker sounds like a hell of name.
College coach talking about Madrigal with Garfien: https://art19.com/shows/white-sox-podcast/episodes/f78279f2-b94c-4c4b-988e-eeb0ab4e96f8
Small player, hitting machine, 2nd base. Some says Gordon Beckham, but I would say Jose Altuve. Power will come later with White Sox hitting coach Jose Abreu on the helms
I give it 1 season, tops, of him not hitting for power before they try to adjust that leg kick.