White Sox Minor Keys: Aug. 8, 2025

Amid a slew of more noteworthy minor league machinations this week, here's one worth watching: The White Sox promoted right-handed reliever Zach Franklin from Birmingham to Charlotte, taking the place of Adisyn Coffey in the Knights bullpen.

I briefly wrote about Franklin back in June when he struck out seven batters over two innings, but he's interesting for a few reasons. He thrived as Birmingham's closer this season, posting a 1.71 ERA and allowing just 43 baserunners over 42 innings while striking out 60. Combine it with his cup of coffee in Double-A the previous season, and his performance with the Barons is even more impressive (5-0, 1.56 ERA, 52 IP, 27 H, 2 HR, 22 BB, 77 K).

But what's equally worth watching is how he does it. Franklin has matriculated up the ladder on the strength of a high-performing fastball. Even though it only registers 94-95 mph, he throws it roughly two-thirds of the time, and it doesn't seem to get hit.

The question is whether it'll hold up in Triple-A, both against more experienced hitters, and using a baseball that doesn't carry the same way as the one used at Double-A and below. We saw Peyton Pallette have to cut his fastball usage nearly 10 percent after experiencing early turbulence in Charlotte, but Pallette's heater doesn't have the same kind of hop, and his curveball gives him one standout secondary to shift to. With Franklin, he's never succeeded any other way than leaning on his four-seamer.

Franklin made his Triple-A (and regular-season Statcast) debut for Charlotte in Syracuse on Friday, and it's holding up so far. He worked around a one-out double by Luisangel Acuña and a two-out walk for a scoreless sixth inning, striking out two. He threw 23 pitches, and 16 were fastballs.

The other reason he's interesting: While he's 26 years old, this is only his second full season, and this one is worlds better than his first. The White Sox drafted him out of Missouri (M-I-Z) in the 10th round of the 2023 draft, and the fifth-year senior signed for $10,000.

Syracuse 9, Charlotte 5

• Tim Elko was 0-for-5 with a strikeout.
• Jacob Gonzalez hit his first Triple-A homer, finishing 1-for-3 with a walk.
• Dru Baker was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Jairo Iriarte: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR

Highlights:

*Gonzalez's homer, which Statcast had at 100.5 mph and 366 feet:

Chattanooga 1, Birmingham 0

• Rikuu Nishida was 1-for-4 at the plate, and 1-for-2 on the bases.
• William Bergolla and Ryan Galanie both were 0-for-4.
• Sam Antonacci, 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Braden Montgomery went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
• DJ Gladney was 0-for-3.
• Martín Pérez: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 38 of 58 pitches for strikes.

Winston-Salem 4, Bowling Green 2

• Samuel Zavala went 1-for-4.
• Jeral Perez homered twice for his 2-for-4.
• Lyle Miller-Green was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Ryan Burrowes, 1-for-3 with a double and a strikeout.
• Christian Oppor: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 34 of 48 pitches for strikes.

Highlights:

*Perez's homers:

Kannapolis 7, Salem 3

• Caleb Bonemer doubled, singled, walked and struck out twice.
• Colby Shelton went 0-for-4 with an HBP and a strikeout.
• Anthony DePino was 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.
• George Wolkow singled, struck out four times and stole a base.
• Ely Brown went 1-for-3 with a sac fly and a stolen base.

Notes:

*Old friend Yhoker Fajardo, traded to Boston for Cam Booser, started against his original club: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP, 36 of 65 pitches for strikes.

DSL Pirates Black 5, DSL White Sox 4 (Completion of July 7 game)

• Alejandro Cruz went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and two stolen bases.
• Frank Mieses was 1-for-3 with a walk, a strikeout and a stolen base.
• Eduardo Herrera, 0-for-2 with two walks.
• Yordani Soto went 0-for-3.
• Yobal Rodríguez: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

DSL White Sox 8, DSL Pirates Black 6 (Game 2, 7 innings)

• Frank Mieses went 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
• Eduardo Herrera was 1-for-4 with a homer and two strikeouts.
• Alejandro Cruz, 1-for-3 with a stolen base.
• Yordani Soto went 1-for-2 with an HBP and a stolen base.
• Yobal Rodríguez: 4 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K