White Sox Minor Keys: Sept. 12, 2021

Regions Field in Birmingham (Jim Margalus)

The Birmingham Barons have been the lone bastion of respectable baseball for the White Sox farm system for the entirety of the 2021 season, and they wrapped up the home portion of their schedule with their finest work yet, sweeping the Rocket City Trash Pandas over a six-game series.

The Barons and Rocket City were tied for at the top of the Double-A South’s North Division before the series. Now Birmingham leads by Double-A North by three games over Chattanooga, and they have a 2½-game lead over Pensacola for the league’s second-best record, which will guarantee them a postseason best-of-5 series against Mississippi, which has already clinched its spot.

The extra games — and the effort to secure them — is why Jose Rodriguez appears to have one more promotion in store.

Birmingham 9, Rocket City 2

  • Yolbert Sanchez went 1-for-2.
  • Carlos Pérez was a triple short of the cycle during a 3-for-5, five-RBI day. He struck out once.
  • Lenyn Sosa went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Bowling Green 9, Winston-Salem 3

  • Jose Rodriguez went 1-for-5 with a strikeout.
  • Luis Mieses was 0-for-3 with a walk.
  • Luis Curbelo walked thrice and struck out once.
  • Harvin Mendoza went 0-for-3 with an HBP and two strikeouts.

Kannapolis 6, Fayetteville 2

  • Caberea Weaver went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and three stolen bases.
  • Bryan Ramos doubled, singled, walked and struck out.
  • Chase Krogman was 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
  • Wilber Sanchez went 2-for-3 with a sac fly.
  • Matthew Thompson: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K

Notes:

*Kannapolis finished its home schedule by winning three of four, so at least the Cannon Ballers finished Atrium Health Ballpark’s first season with their best play of the year.

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LamarHoyt_oncrack

Love the Jose Rodriguez promotion. Is he playing anything but SS? Seems like they might want to try him at 2b at some point, next year at least.

Brett R. Bobysud

Only played SS in his 29 games with Winston-Salem

With Kannapolis, he had 71 games at SS, 3 games at second base, and 1 game at third base.

Trooper Galactus

His defense has been the shakiest part of his game. I think they’re gonna push him at shortstop for another season, but by the time he hits AAA he’ll have to show more progress or they’ll probably have to shift gears and move him to second.

LamarHoyt_oncrack

If he shows progress at SS, do you think they’ll keep him there? TA will be here through 2024, so if Jose is as good as it appears he might be, a position switch might be the only way he gets to play full time with the Sox, for a while at least.

He might get promoted to AAA next year sometime, he seems like one of those guys who might move up pretty quickly.

Trooper Galactus

He probably has another two years before he’s hitting the majors. I imagine he’ll be introduced as a utility infielder like Mendick and if he shows himself capable he will be in the conversation for a full-time gig to replace Anderson or Moncada when the time comes unless second base is still open at that point.

oldtimer

Jim – you alluded to Jose’s winter ball plans. What are those? When I first heard about the promotion I thought it was a way to play him against better competition and then play in the AFL. Begs the question – Will there be an AFL season?? Just curious.

jorgefabregas

He was drafted this weekend in the second round of the Dominican Winter League draft (same round as one of Cleveland’s top prospects). https://espndeportes.espn.com/beisbol/beisbolinvernal/nota/_/id/9173859/marco-luciano-noelvi-marte-yainer-diaz-draft-novatos-lidom-2021

Dominican players are eligible for the draft the first year that they play full-season ball, so he was drafted in the first year that he was eligible. Being drafted is not a guarantee that they’ll play this year. https://espndeportes.espn.com/beisbol/beisbolinvernal/nota/_/id/9173859/marco-luciano-noelvi-marte-yainer-diaz-draft-novatos-lidom-2021

Last edited 2 years ago by jorgefabregas
jorgefabregas

A little before the hour mark of this episode, Eric Longehagen describes Rodriguez as having a great feel for contact, a bad approach, and below average power. He also mentions that he was taken a round ahead of at least one Fangraphs top 100 prospect. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/fangraphs-audio-jim-rosenhaus-shares-stories-from-the-cleveland-booth/

As Cirensica

Does he say “bad approach” or “bat approach”? My English listening can be bad.

jorgefabregas

Bad

Trooper Galactus

He doesn’t draw many walks and is rather a free swinger, which is not something the FanGraphs scouts tend to look kindly upon. However, until a level challenges his contact skills, he probably won’t feel much of a need to take a lot of pitches.