White Sox Minor Keys: May 5, 2019
The Barons were the only White Sox affiliate able to play an entire game on Sunday, so here’s a quick look at which players merit promotion consideration, and which ones merit a step back.
Charlotte
- Promotion: Every hitter
- Demotion: Every pitcher
The run-scoring environment in Triple-A is wack, and no place is more wack than BB&T Ballpark. The Knights have outscored the league by 25 runs, and their pitching has allowed 64 more runs than the next-closest team. Charlie Tilson looks like he could replace Adam Engel and deserve it (.333/.396/.475), and Zack Collins and Daniel Palka have OPSes over .900. Then again, Nicky Delmonico and Ryan Cordell also had major success in Charlotte before their promotions, and they mostly look the same.
On the pitching side, Dylan Cease is the only member of the Charlotte rotation with a rotation under 8.00. Cease is performing well thus far, but his walks are up a touch and he hasn’t thrown more than 90 pitches in a game. Matt Foster is another one to keep an eye on, as he hasn’t allowed a run yet this year, even with three outings under his belt in Charlotte. Keep an eye on that.
Birmingham
- Promotion: Jimmy Lambert
- Demotion: Blake Rutherford
Lambert is picking up where left off in Birmingham, with 39 strikeouts over 33⅔ innings and a 2.94 ERA. That’s about what he did in five starts with the Barons last year, albeit with a higher walk rate this time out due to one bad start. Everybody else is treading water.
On the flip side, Rutherford is hitting .165/.211/.259. He’s not alone with his struggles — Gavin Sheets is also hitting under .200 with nothing to compensate — but he’s the only one who could get crowded out of his position, especially if Micker Adolfo is available to return anytime soon.
Luis Robert is hitting .350/.409/.550 over his first five games, but let’s give him at least a week.
Winston-Salem
- Promotion: Nick Madrigal?
- Demotion: Nobody
Robert made the jump to Birmingham and Steele Walker replaced him, so the Dash have more or less found their roster equilibrium. Madrigal is hitting .277/.355/.383, which isn’t stunning, but he’s drawn nine walks to four strikeouts over 107 plate appearances. The question is whether he should be raking more, or whether his skill set is so unique that he’s going to OBP .355 and slug .383 at every level. He doesn’t seem to slump. He just goes 1-for-4 with a walk here and a double there.
With Alec Hansen jumping to the Barons, nobody of note is eminently overqualified for High-A, or looks overmatched.
Kannapolis
- Promotion: Konnor Pilkington, Jonathan Stiever
- Demotion: Lenyn Sosa, Amado Nunez
The White Sox named Pilkington their system’s pitcher of the month after posting a 2.01 ERA in April, and it’s down to 1.98 after six innings of one-run ball on May 1. He’s allowing just a .137/.234/.221 line, so there doesn’t seem to be a challenge for him. Stiever needed three starts to get on track, but his last three starts have been excellent (21 strikeouts, 20 baserunners over 19 innings). He looked more advanced than anybody else making their pro debuts last year, so he might not be long for the level, either.
Sosa and Nunez are both scuffling. Sosa’s only 19 and drew just seven walks in 65 games at Great Falls last year, so it’s not surprising to see plate discipline keeping him to a .194/.228/.259 line. Nunez, however, is 21, and his OPS in Kannapolis (.418) is not even half of what it was in Great Falls (.962). I’m guessing both players are more or less in it until the draft rearranges rosters, but Corey Zangari is back and taking Nunez’s reps at first.
Chattanooga 7, Birmingham 4
- Luis Robert went 3-for-5 with three doubles.
- Luis Basabe was 0-for-3 with a walk, bunt and strikeout.
- Luis Gonzalez, 0-for-5 again.
- Ti’Quan Forbes went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.
- Gavin Sheets, 1-for-4 with a K.
- Blake Rutherford was 1-for-4 with a double.
- Laz Rivera went 1-for-3 with a double, walk and strikeout.
- Felix Paulino: 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Looking at Madrigal’s contact numbers. The BA/OBP are lower than desired with that low slugging number, but I wonder where slugging would be if A+ used the AAA/MLB ball. I wonder if it would allow him to find more OF gaps.
If he was in Birmingham, I’d agree with where you’re headed. But WS has always been pretty hitter friendly (and IIRC the Carolina league as a whole is as well). Not that I think there’s anything wrong here, I just wouldn’t think he’s getting his number suppressed by the environment at all.
Right, I don’t think its the environment. Just the other ball having more life.
I think if he’s ever going to be a star, he’s going to be a guy who takes a bit of time at each level to get there. He’s just not big enough to generate pop right upon arrival, but the contact skills are intriguing. Because he doesn’t generate a high launch angle, I’m not sure the ball would help much. Most of his hits are low liners that probably wouldn’t get too deep into the gaps even with the AAA/MLB Ball.
Why don’t they use they same ball everywhere?
Contracts?
1) Finally they promoted Tilson. He earned it and let’s see what he can do. Let him start 10 straight games. I hate when the manager puts these new guys in once in a while, let them get comfortable.
2) Why isn’t Yermin Mercedes not on the list for promotion? The guy is hitting .379 with 66 AB. He should get promoted asap to triple A. He is a catcher but if he does well in triple A for one month then promote him to white sox and for god’s sakes get rid of .167 hitting wellington. Why is he still on the team I have no idea, just take your losses release him. I rather have a prospect taking those bats and see if he can progress than wellington who is not part of the future plan nor can he hit
3) Ryan Goins deserves a promotion also. I would demote Ryan Cordell. He had his chances, maybe next time. Right now I want to see Goins get a chance. Let’s see what he can do (start 10 games straight).
4) I would start Goins, Tilson, and Delmonico for the next 10 games. No more Sanchez, no more Cordell, thank god Engel is gone, no more Rondon (he had his chances). Let these 3 guys play 10 straight games and who knows one of them can be a hidden stud can be part of the future.
Starting Lineup
1) Luery Garcia – LF
2) Moncada – 3B
3) Abreu – 1B
4) Tim Anderson – SS
5) McCann – C
6) Jiminaz – DH (he’s coming from injury, let him DH for now)
7) Goins – 2B
8) Tilson – CF
9) Delmonico – RF
This is how you rebuild, keep trying out prospects that are doing well in Triple A, give them a real chance (let them start 10 games straight), if they succeed great, if not replace with another. Rinse and repeat until you find your studs of the future.
Mercedes just went on the DL in AA, but even if he was healthy, Collins and Zavala are blocking him in AAA and I think the Sox prefer to give them the chances behind the plate instead of a 26 year old with 20 games above High A in his career. Although I agree Castillo is a sunk cost at this point.
Goins really doesn’t deserve a promotion either, he has a .607 OPS over 1500 PA in the majors. He’s minor league filler that looks better because of the offensive boom in AAA.
Zavala should be demoted. He is hitting .203 and his OBP is .230. Zavala can still get chances behind the plate in double A. I didn’t know about Mercedes’ DL, but hopefully he gets back. He should replace Zavala. 26 is still young. Who knows, what if he hits .300+ in triple A and does good with White Sox (maybe as backup to McCann). if we really don’t need Mercedes then trade him for a pitching prospect. Regardless he earned a shot in Triple A and if he does well there than White Sox.
Regarding Goins, I agree with you, but he deserves a chance more than Sanchez or Alonso.
Zavala is also on the Injured List. It’s quite possible he was struggling because he was playing through that injury.
I am slightly intrigued by Mercedes as well. But from what I’ve seen, he is a terrible defensive catcher. I watched him commit his 8th passed ball of the season in his brief stint behind the plate yesterday. The Sox need at least one defensively adequate catcher in Charlotte in case a need arises in Chicago. Mercedes is definitely not that guy right now.
He can DH and be a back up catcher to McCann once in a while. But he needs an everyday start (10 games straight). If the guy is hitting .300+ in majors then I wouldn’t mind couple of pass balls.
Best case scenario is him and McCan hitting .300+ (DH and Catcher). Then we are set. Or trade one of them to get a good pitcher because they will have good trade value (Padres have 10+ pitching prospects, snatch one).
Also, I don’t know if McCann can continue hitting at this level, maybe trade him for a pitching stud before he goes back to his old self. There are teams that are in ‘win now’ mode, they might be willing to give up a stud pitching prospect.
Every team has old-for-the-level players performing well in their systems. That’s why they’re freely available at the end of seasons on minor-league contracts. I don’t know what else to tell you.
Educate me here. Then what’s the point of keeping Goins in triple A if he won’t be promoted and can’t be traded? That spot in triple A can be used for a younger prospect.
There is no prospect in Birmingham to give those Triple-A infield spots to, because they’re all treading water in Birmingham at best. That’s why Goins and Escobar are there. They want to keep playing baseball, and Charlotte needs to field a team.
Is this CWSFanHawaii?
Mendick would make more sense. Could have a future and had a good spring training.
He’s hitting .264, don’t think that’s enough for a promotion. There are 8 guys on that team with a better average.
Ryan Goins is 31. I wouldn’t get too excited by any numbers non-prospects are posting in Charlotte.
Yes, Goins is a little older but I rather have him than Engel, Sanchez, Alonso. Who knows, maybe he has great 3-4 years. I still feel he earned it and deserves a shot.
If you put Rondón and Sánchez in that offensive environment, you’d want them called up and Goins out.
Well, if Goins in a bad spot then trade him for a pitching prospects. I’m sure some teams would take a guy hitting .300+ in triple A. I mean, I feel hitting .300+ in triple is a worthy accomplishment which has value.
Same goes for Alcides Escobar, he is hitting .300+, trade him for a pitching prospect. There are teams who need help, and willing to give up a single A younger average prospect.
No team is trading a prospect of any kind for Ryan Goins.
Nonsense. I’m sure we could get Santana back for him at some point….
As I said above, then what’s the point of keeping him in Triple A, give that spot to someone else.
there’s no one to take the spot, dude. Goins is just a warm body. if a prospect deserves a promotion, Goins isn’t going to stop him.
“The question is whether he should be raking more, or whether his skill set is so unique that he’s going to OBP .355 and slug .383 at every level. He doesn’t seem to slump. He just goes 1-for-4 with a walk here and a double there.”
This idea has always been oddly fascinating to me. I remember being blown away when looking at Pierzynski’s “progression” over the years.
1996 at A=274/308/406
1997 at A+=279/313/405
1998 at AA-AAA=276/309/400
2000+ game MLB career=280/319/420