As the awful season for the White Sox continues, all eyes are on the farm system to produce some talent to make the team competitive again. In Birmingham, the players are getting closer to the pros, as a lot of them can make the jump from AA to the MLB, although with the Sox it is not too common. Here are some of the top performers in Birmingham so far…
Jose Rodriguez
Rodriguez is having another solid year in AA, and we could potentially see him back up in Chicago after the trade deadline.
This season to date, he has hit .258 with 14 home runs(the most on the team), and 37 runs batted in. He also has 17 stolen bases to go along with that. Rodriguez has legitimate 20-20 potential, he just needs to develop a better eye at the plate, as he doesn’t walk much and strikes out a decent bit.
I would like to see what he can do at the major-league level, as the White Sox will need to figure out who has a spot on the team when they are good next(if that ever happens). At worst, he could be a good backup utility infielder that has great speed. At best, he is a 20-20 threat at a middle infield position. I’m curious to see how the Sox view him, and hopefully, we get an extended look where he at least gets some at-bats this season.
Matthew Thompson
While his overall stats may not look great this year, his last few starts look like he is finally breaking out.
If Thompson can cut back on the walks, he could be a legit threat to take a back end of the rotation spot in a year or so. He has elite strikeout stuff but his control can be an issue. That seems to be a problem for a lot of young pitchers who have high strikeout numbers.
He is a player that the White Sox could lose in the Rule 5 draft, so he would have to be added to the 40-man roster to be protected. At this point in the year, he is basically fighting for his spot on the 40-man, or another team can come and pick him up. Hopefully, he continues to pitch well, as he was a second-round pick just a few years ago.
Other News In Birmingham
The biggest news out of this article is White Sox top prospect Colson Montgomery getting called up to AA.
This is a big step in his development and one step closer to the majors. If he plays well and the White Sox sell off some of their infielders at the deadline, he could compete for a roster spot in spring training.
The prospects the Sox got in return for Giolito have begun to play for Birmingham and have struggled a bit but there is no reason to overreact as it is still early.
So far Quero is 2 for 11, but he has walked once. Not the best start, but it shouldn’t take him too much longer to get acclimated to the new team.
Ky Bush also had a start the other day, and it wasn’t pretty. He finished with 3.1 innings, 12 hits, 2 home runs, and 7 earned runs. Not the start you want to see out of a new pitcher, but it is only one start so no need to overreact. He will look to bounce back in a few days and silence the doubters.
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