Podcast: MLBPipeline’s Top White Sox Prospects and 2020 Bullpen Preview

Guest: Jim Callis, MLB.com

This episode is split into two halves. The first part is having one of our best friends of the show, Jim Callis of MLB.com, joining the show to share his predictions for Luis Robert’s rookie season, the White Sox top prospects, and which players to track for the 2020 MLB Draft. 

Patrick Nolan breaks down the White Sox 2020 bullpen [46:09) and what each pitcher needs to improve upon from 2019 to become a Top-10 unit in baseball. Jim Margalus answers your P.O. Sox questions [69:11].

Questions from our Patreon supporters:

Asinwreck:

During the Andre Dawson Classic over the weekend, the announcers noted the Sox’ ACE program was a particularly active pipeline of talent to HBCU teams. What makes this program so effective, and can it be replicated in other cities?

Thomas Skelton:

Is there a White Sox sleeper prospect that can have an impact on the 2020 team? I wouldn’t mind seeing Bernardo Flores pitch a couple games especially with Grandal catching.

Doug Weerts:

Who is your fast rising pick for this year?  My picks are Benyamin Bailey and Lenyn Sosa. Yolbert Sanchez is too old fast rising in my opinion.

Kevin Shannon:

Reynaldo Lopez has spoken about his work this off-season in being more focused on the mound. I understand not being focused is #bad but how does a pitcher losing focus manifest in his actual performance?  Is it command? Confidence in his pitches? Straying from game plan?

Brennen Douglass:

How important will Dane Dunning’s role be for the bullpen in the future and can we see Michael Kopech try and establish success this season as a middle reliever/closer? Or could we expect to see both, one, or neither in the unproven starting rotation at some point?

Click play below to listen:

Interested in 26 more minutes of Jim Callis about the White Sox outfield prospects, Ed Howard’s draft stock, and more P.O. Sox questions answered? Sign up to support Sox Machine at patreon.com/soxmachine.

Patreon version of the show: https://www.patreon.com/posts/34096584.

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lil jimmy

It’s interesting that he thinks so highly of Ed Howard that he could go in the top 10 in the draft.

asinwreck

Ed Howard, last summer, asked about his favorite players:

BA: Favorite player growing up or now?

EH: I always gravitate toward shortstops. So, usually with the White Sox with Alexei Ramirez when he was there, now I really like Tim Anderson a lot. I even like Javier Baez even though he’s with the Cubs. I like him too. Mainly shortstops.

karkovice squad

Fegan continuing to do good work here.
https://theathletic.com/1612792/2020/02/17/michael-kopech-and-believing-in-the-potential-of-change/

Before he was hurt, Kopech reached the majors, the summit that had been the source of the flutter in his heart. He believes that has helped him shift his motivation away from a nagging need to push himself in every stage, to a belief that success will come as a byproduct of good process. It’s a cliché, he admits, but a cliché does not equate to a falsehood.

Sounds like Kopech’s done the work to go from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. That should make it more likely he reaches his ceiling.

They’ve now got a bunch of guys focused on the process of getting better rather than just achievememt. It also seems like they’re open about it and supportive of each other. That’s an encouraging development, maybe the best clubhouse culture they’ve had over the last 20 years. Might also hint at it being replicated across the farm though that’s still as much of a TBD as whether there’s going to be a parade.

GrinnellSteve

I like parades.

kalihiwai47sbcglobal-nnet

Has Jake Burger reported and what is his status? Full or limited participation?

GrinnellSteve

Justin Turner has moved up the list of my favorite non-Sox players.
This is from MLB Trade Rumors.

The elbow drop was set up by Manfred’s ill-conceived characterization of the World Series trophy as “a piece of metal.” Per Turner: “For him to devalue [the trophy] the way he did yesterday just tells me how out of touch he is with the players in this game. At this point, the only thing devaluing that trophy is that it says ’Commissioner’ on it.”