The season’s first week hasn’t been kind to Birmingham’s lineup, which entered Monday hitting .134/.298/.165 through the first four games.
After the Barons’ fifth game today, at least Micker Adolfo had a performance worth bragging about.
Adolfo, who entered the game 0-for-12 on the season, went 3-for-5 in Birmingham’s 5-3 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers. Chief among them: the bases-clearing two-out double that had to be cathartic for a team averaging barely three hits a game.
Luis Gonzalez then came through with a two-run single in the ninth that turned out to be the game-winner.
Adolfo and Gonzalez are batting .176 and .118, respectively, and that’s good enough to lead the ranked prospects for the time being. Here’s hoping a couple of big hits unclogs the rest of the lineup to get the offense going.
Birmingham 5, Biloxi 3
- Luis Gonzalez went 1-for-4 with a walk.
- Micker Adolfo, 3-for-5 with a double.
- Blake Rutherford was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Laz Rivera, 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Gavin Sheets went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Ti’Quan Forbes was 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
Wilmington 5, Winston-Salem 3
- Luis Robert went 2-for-4 with his fourth homer and a double. He was also picked off/caught stealing.
- Nick Madrigal was 2-for-3 with a sac fly.
Charlotte vs. Norfolk PPD
Kannapolis vs. Delmarva PPD
Just. Stay. Healthy.Â
He hit it in the air. The ball traveled far enough for a runner to advance. Promote that man.
I know it would be counterproductive from a development perspective, but I’d be more intrigued watching an all-star prospect team lose 100 games than whatever it is we’re rolling out there now. I spend more time checking minor league box scores than following the big league squad.
Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada are currently playing at a level good enough to be top 30ish hitters in baseball. Just enjoy that.
I’m with you. And remember: it’s only counterproductive from a development perspective if you trust the White Sox system to sufficiently develop these guys in the minors. I remain skeptical.
Is Vizquel keeping his players from pulling the ball again?
Micker going oppo, with a plan, is a nice thing to see.
FGraphs has moved Lodolo all the way up to #6.
Because MLB scouts are hot on him
If the Sox insist on going college, and Adley and Vaughn are gone, I currently prefer him to Bishop, Stott, Bleday and the other bats.
From what Kiley wrote today, the Padres are going to be ecstatic with Witt or Abrams at #6.
The Padres can blow me.
It would be a very White Sox problem to have Luis Robert get off to a hot start and then get jammed up by our “glut of quality outfield prospects” scuffling in Birmingham….
I know it’s still early, but I can’t shake the feeling that we can’t have nice things.
They should be focusing on what is right for their highest ceiling prospect’s development, not potential 4th outfielders. Robert is ready for AA so send him there, send Booker to Charlotte. I know he hasn’t had success in AA, but he’s 25 so it’s sink or swim time for him. He’s a borderline Top 30 White Sox prospect so he’s expendable if you need room for someone like Robert.
Robert climbed 2 levels last season. A+ is an age-appropriate assignment. He’s still got barely over 150 PAs at the level and is only just now showing dominance. Developing a little more of a rind before feeding him to AA sharks isn’t going to hurt his development.
Karko speak for “Patience Grasshopper”.
I know that’s probably for the best. I’m just jealous of the way other teams get to play with the shiny new toys in their systems while we just have to wait and hope our “development program” delivers results. Patience is especially challenging given the Sox track record of developing position players over the last several years. Tim Anderson? Good. Everyone else? Not so much.
I think Robert is further along than the guys in AA. He was a star in the Cuban League, which counts for something. I think they should move him right up to AAA. The Nats did that with Soto and that seemed to work. He is just terrorizing the High A pitching.
The jump from High A to AA is a significant one, particularly for hitters given that Birmingham is such a pitcher-friendly park.
Not saying jumping him straight up to AAA couldn’t work, but I get the sense you’ll want him to get a taste of AA.
All things equal, I’m fine with moving him to AA before AAA as long as the Sox are willing to move him along briskly if he continues to have success right away. I don’t want to see him in AA for months if he’s making good contact and doesn’t seem overmatched.
Soto skipped AAA altogether. They promoted him to the big leagues straight from AA, where he had only played 8 games.
I would be fine with a September call-up from AA.
That way, if he doesn’t do well, they can just start him at AAA at the beginning of next year.