It’s been an odd season all around for the White Sox, as the major league team is not performing up to the standards they should be. In the minors, most of the top prospects have missed a good chunk of the early season. Now, as the season continues we can see which of the White Sox prospects are performing at a high level and are making their journey to the big league team.
Oscar Colas
One of the White Sox top prospects, Colas broke camp with the team but was sent down about a month into the season. At that point, it was apparent he needed more time to work on his pitch selection and polish some things up.
But, after being sent down, Colas has played very well in AAA. He is hitting .297 with six home runs and 27 RBIS.
With everything playing out at the major league level, Colas should be up soon. He has played well enough at AAA for them to give him another chance in the pros. Perhaps the Sox are waiting for him to get hot so the transition can be smoother, but regardless, he needs to be back up in Chicago shortly.
Victor Reyes
He is not really considered a prospect, as he has played a good amount of time at the major league level, but he has played very well for the White Sox in Charlotte.
To this point, he is hitting .308 with 14 bombs and 56 RBIs. These are great stats for a fringe player at AAA, and I am pretty surprised they haven’t called him up to fill in at some point. He is not on the 40-man roster, so that is a factor, but I believe he deserves a chance over some other outfielders on the roster.
Considering the anemic offense, bringing up a hot bat that could potentially spark some life into the White Sox wouldn’t hurt.
Declan Cronin
One of my dark horses to make the White Sox bullpen, Cronin got off to a tough start but has since righted the ship.
To this point, he has a 2.94 ERA in 30 games for the Knights out of the bullpen. He has some excellent stuff that can play at the major league level, he just needs to work on some control issues. If he can get in the Katz lab, he could be the next unknown reliever to make it big in the White Sox bullpen.
If the White Sox ship off some of their pen arms at the deadline, look for Cronin to get a chance to showcase his talents in the MLB. If they can make him into a solid contributor, it would make any trade seem significantly better for the Sox.
Overall, there has not been much to write home about at AAA, as many players have been hurt or struggling. That has been the case for the White Sox at almost every level this year, and hopefully, they can get it all figured out at the deadline.
Good report! (Sell the team, Jerry!)