Including tonight’s game against the Houston Astros, the White Sox have just eleven games remaining on an expectedly disappointing 2017. Currently, Rick Hahn and lead scouting Director Nick Hostetler would be picking no. 2 overall for the South Side. Behind the likes of San Francisco but just one ahead of Philly. The Tigers have plans to spoil that top 3 pick as well as they are within striking distance of the White Sox with just over a week left to play. So, how will the order of these four teams wind up once the last out is made?
1. San Francisco Giants
The Giants have been one of the worst teams all season long. While Philly or Chicago could eventually edge them out for no. 1 before it is all said and done, I think the Giants will wind up with the luxury of picking first.
The Pick- Brice Turang, SS, Santiago High School, Corona, CA.
Gun to my head, Turang goes no. 1 overall in the 2018 MLB draft and it isn’t even a discussion. He would be the perfect fit for the once mighty Giants. As pure a short stop as they come, Turang’s range will see that he remains at the position for his career. He shows glimpses of a future 5-tool player with his power still to come with maturity. He also has as good of an eye at the plate as anyone in the draft. His junior year of high school he struck out just ONCE in the entire season. It doesn’t matter that the competition was not as elite as he will eventually see, that is an incredible stat. With Brandon Crawford being thirty years old, it gives the Giants the perfect time frame to develop Turang in the minors. By the time he is ready, Crawford’s time should be just about up in The Bay, allowing Turang to make the transition to the MLB with no real issues whatsoever.
2. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox currently sit at 60-91, with the Phillies at 61-91. Here are their remaining opponents left on the season:
Houston- (1) playing for home field advantage throughout A.L. Playoffs.
Kansas City- (3) essentially out of the wild card race, but still a much better team than the White Sox.
Los Angeles Angels- (4) fighting hard for the last wild card spot in the A.L.
Cleveland- (3) fighting with Houston for home field advantage.
That is a pretty damn difficult schedule remaining for the White Sox. And it could end up helping them land a true stud draft prospect.
The Pick- Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha West High School, Waukesha, WI.
Kelenic seems to be the real deal. Like Turang, he is a 5-tool prep star who is just starting to tap into his potential. Here is what one scouting report had to say about the eighteen-year-old.
Very strong athletic build. 6.57 runner, has centerfield range and speed with a high level right field throwing arm, makes accurate throws with very good carry, highest level defensive outfielder. Left handed hitter, hits from a spread stance, excellent raw bat speed with a low tension swing and loose hands, ball flies off the barrel, big power when he turns on the ball but will let it travel and drive it up the gaps as well. Advanced player with all the tools, plays hard. Good student, verbal commitment to Louisville. Selected for the 2017 Perfect Game All-American Classic.
Talk about the full package. The White Sox could go after Florida pitcher Brady Singer if they wanted a player closer to the big leagues, or prep flamethrower Kumar Rocker as well. But with Michael Kopech, Alec Hansen, Dane Dunning, Dylan Cease, and Spencer Adams all still in the minors already, the White Sox already have more than enough depth when it comes to pitching. Outfield is a different story. After Blake Rutherford, Luis Robert, and Eloy Jimenez, there is no true star-level outfield prospect. If one of those three busts, it would be huge to have a player like Kelenic in the system as backup. He has the range to play any outfield position, but is best suited for center. That being said, his bat will wind up being his biggest strength. Pretty impressive based off of how good he plays defensively. Jarred Kelenic would be a phenomenal pick for the South Side.
3) Detroit Tigers
I don’t know if any of you guys have been keeping an eye on Detroit lately, but they have been BAD. Luckily, I think the White Sox will end up just edging them out for the no. 2 overall. However, Detroit surely won’t be complaining when they make their pick.
The Pick- Brady Singer, RHP, University Of Florida
Not only is Singer the most ready pitcher coming out of the draft, he is arguably the best as well. At 6’5, Singer has a fastball that not only sits in the mid to upper 90’s, but possesses wicked movement on it as well. He pairs his fastball with a wipeout slider that will make right-handed hitters look foolish. As is most common among starting pitchers, his changeup is still developing, but shows signs of being at least an average third offering. With the recent trade of Justin Verlander, the Tigers desperately need some pitching depth in their system. Singer can be that guy for Detroit, and he shouldn’t stay in the minors for long.
4- Philadelphia Phillies
Finally, we get to Philadelphia. The Phillies sat in the no. 1 or 2 overall slot for the majority of the year, but have actually been playing somewhat decent baseball as of late. Couple that with the White Sox remaining schedule and the suck fest that is San Francisco and Detroit, and Philly could very easily draft 4th overall in 2018.
The Pick- Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee High School, GA.
Kumar Rocker follows the early trend of prep players being drafted in 2018, being the 3rd in the first 4 picks. Standing at an absurd 6’5, 250; Rocker uses his size to easily repeat an effortless delivery that sees him light up the radar gun. His fastball is his best pitch as of now, as it sits in the mud-90’s but has touched 98. He pairs it with a slider that sits at 80mph and a changeup that has shown significant downwards movement. Rocker also possesses a prolific bat for a pitcher and has played first base on a handful of occasions. When you pair his electric arm with a more than capable bat, he screams N.L. stud. Speaking of studs, the Phillies have a bunch of young ones in their minor league system, with six in the top 100. However, only one of those is a pitching prospect. If Rocker is available for the Phillies at no. 4, he is a great bet to be selected by them next year.
What we learned
Obviously we really only care about what the White Sox do in this situation. Why analyze three other teams and their picks? Well, I obviously cannot tell the future and have no real way of definitively saying the White Sox will pick at no. 2 overall next year. However, even if they don’t you can bet on them taking one of these four names listed here. If the White Sox walk away with one of Turang, Kelenic, Singer, or Rocker, it will be another positive step forward to an already incredible rebuild. The next piece of the puzzle is on it’s way, now we just have to wait to see who it is.
