Over at The Athletic, friend of the Sox Machine Podcast Keith Law reorganized the 2012 draft based on how players fared. While the top of the draft remains a debate between Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, the White Sox would've chosen differently.
Law covers who they would've picked:
13. Chicago White Sox: Mitch Haniger, OF
Player selected: Courtney Hawkins, OFHaniger’s draft position: Supplemental 1st round, 38th pick (Milwaukee)Career WAR: 14.2
Haniger became the second-highest player ever drafted out of Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo when the Brewers took him in the comp round in 2012, although he’ll drop to third when Brooks Lee is selected this July (John Orton was the 25th overall pick in 1987). The Brewers then traded the toolsy outfielder to the Diamondbacks at the 2014 trade deadline for Gerardo Parra; Arizona dealt him with Jean Segura in the deal that netted them Ketel Marte. Haniger has had two full, healthy seasons in the majors, but produced nearly 10 WAR in those two years alone. He’s been on the IL a lot, but good when he plays.
And in a subsequent post, who they did select:
Courtney Hawkins, OF
Drafted: No. 13 by Chicago White SoxDid not reach majors
Hawkins was an extremely tooled-up high school outfielder from Corpus Christi, with a football body but very rough approach at the plate, so of course the White Sox sent him right to High A in his first full pro season. He hit .179/.249/.384 there with 160 strikeouts in 425 plate appearances (38 percent), and I don’t think he ever recovered from it. He needed a slow development track, not a fast one. He reached Triple A for just 16 games with the Reds and has been playing in independent ball for the last four seasons. Chicago’s second pick, Keon Barnum (No. 48 overall), also failed to reach the majors, topping out in Double A with outrageous strikeout rates, as well.
If nothing else, the White Sox are a lot more responsible with how they matriculate their prep players, even if they have yet to see different results.
Now 28, Hawkins is still playing. He's found a home with the Lexington (Ky.) Legends of the Atlantic League, with whom he's hitting .346/.439/.721 over 28 games this year.
Durham 7, Charlotte 3
- Adam Haseley went 0-for-3 with an HBP.
- Yolbert Sánchez, 1-for-3 with a walk.
- Carlos Pérez was 1-for-4.
Notes:
*Nick Ciuffo, a former first-round pick of the Rays, talked about Tampa Bay's organizational dominance.
Chattanooga 7, Birmingham 5
- Lenyn Sosa went 2-for-5 with his 10th homer and his second triple.
- Jason Bilous pitched starting in the second inning: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR
Hickory 12, Winston-Salem 5
- Bryan Ramos went 1-for-4 with a double.
- Luis Mieses was 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Terrell Tatum is still hot: 1-for-4 with a homer.
- Harvin Mendoza was 0-for-3 with a walk.
- Adam Hackenberg, 0-for-4 with a K.
- Matthew Thompson: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 47 of 80 pitches for strikes.
Carolina 3, Kannapolis 2 (11 innings)
- Wes Kath went 0-for-5 with an HBP and two strikeouts.
- DJ Gladney, 0-for-5 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- James Beard went 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
- Brooks Gosswein: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR.
