While the White Sox have focused more on prep picks the last few years, the pandemic muted the introduction of the first wave of high school prospects like Matthew Thompson, Andrew Dalquist and Jared Kelley.
This came to mind when watching the questions and answers that Jeff Cohen posted with Wes Kath and Colson Montgomery before Saturday’s game. They’re both teenagers, so of course they’d feel nerves and excitement in their first action outside of the managed environment of the Arizona Complex League. It’s just that everybody else before them had a canceled season in between, with some work at alternate training sites, to make it a much more gradual and hidden experience.
Here’s Kath:
And here’s Montgomery:
DJ Gladney ended up stealing the show, and more on him later.
Norfolk 7, Charlotte 6
- Adam Haseley went 0-for-4.
- Romy Gonzalez went 0-for-3 with two walks, a strikeout and a stolen base.
- Carlos Pérez collected another extra-base hit, going 2-for-5 with a double.
Rocket City 3, Birmingham 2
- Jose Rodriguez went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Yolbert Sánchez was 0-for-1 with a walk and two HBPs.
- Yoelqui Céspedes went 2-for-3 with a sac fly, and was picked off/caught stealing.
- Lenyn Sosa, 1-for-4.
Hickory 8, Winston-Salem 4
- Oscar Colás went 1-for-4 with a double.
- Bryan Ramos and Luis Mieses were both 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Adam Hackenberg went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Harvin Mendoza was 1-for-4.
- Matthew Thompson’s High-A debut was decent: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Highlights:
*Colas’ two-run double:
*Baseball Prospectus’ Ben Spanier with notes on Colás and Thompson:
Kannapolis 16, Fayetteville 8
- Colson Montgomery went 1-for-3 with three walks and a strikeout.
- DJ Gladney was 2-for-5 with a grand slam and six RBIs.
- Wilfred Veras tripled, singled, walked, struck out twice and stole a base.
- Wes Kath went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Chase Krogman came up a double short of the cycle during a 3-for-4 night.
- Logan Glass went 1-for-5 with a triple and two strikeouts.
- Adisyn Coffey’s pro debut: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Highlights:
*Gladney, who hit .191/.293/.324 and struck out 124 times over 71 games in Kannapolis, is off to a more encouraging start.
Whither Adolfo?
Probably checking out apartments in Baltimore.
He was DFAed. They have 7 days after the DFA to trade or waive him. In the meantime, he does not have an assignment to a roster.
He cleared waivers. Surprise.
I’m very surprised and excited by the fact that Colas is good enough in the field to handle center. The footage I saw of him from Japan made him look like an overweight, lumbering guy who I wasn’t convinced would be able to even handle right field. We know he has a great arm, so being a plus defender would make early struggles with the breaking ball more palatable at the major league level.
According to MLBTR, the A’s are asking for Vaughn in exchange for Montas. I really hope the Sox pass on that. Whatever future value they might be losing aside, losing Vaughn would hurt this season. I mean, heck, he’s batting fifth today.
Gladney is only about 7 months older than Montgomery.