As we progress in the season, AAA has plenty of player movement. Whether it is up to the major leagues or players getting sent down to AA, players are consistently moving around. With a couple of players promoted to the pros already, we look at some of the players that are performing both well and poorly in AAA Charlotte.
Off To A Hot Start
Victor Reyes has looked great so far in the 13 games that he’s played to date. He is currently hitting .333 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. This is an encouraging start for the journeyman outfielder.
I would imagine that we see him at some point in Chicago this season. It was a bit surprising to see Adam Haseley promoted to Chicago over Reyes, as Haseley had much worse numbers to date. It seems that manager Pedro Grifol loves to use matchups with lefties, so that explains why Haseley may have gotten the nod over Reyes. Regardless, when it comes time to have a true fourth outfielder on the team, or if someone gets hurt, I expect Reyes to be promoted.
He is not on the 40-man roster, so some roster gymnastics will need to be done to get him up to Chicago, but if he keeps hitting like this, he may force Rick Hahn’s hand sooner than later.
Another bat that has been hot to start the season is utility man Zach Remillard. He is off to a great start at the plate, hitting .283 with three home runs, seven RBIs, 10 walks, and four stolen bases in only 14 games.
With these stats, he could replace Hanser Alberto or Romy Gonzalez as the utility man if they continue with their slow starts to the season. But, he, like Reyes, suffer from the fact that he is not on the 40-man roster. But, if he continues to show positional versatility and an above-average bat, we could see him in Chicago by July.
Unfortunately, is already 29 so he does not have a high ceiling compared to many of the other prospects the White Sox have, but he could be a late bloomer like former White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier.
Pitcher Davis Martin has been off to an amazing start in AAA. Originally someone I tabbed to be on the opening day roster as the long reliever out of the ‘pen, has instead started in Charlotte. To this point, he has a 2.81 ERA with 20 strikeouts in only 16 innings. These are great numbers after having a strong rookie season in Chicago last summer.
I expect Martin to be the first man called up in the event of an injury to any of the five rotation members. It seems that the Sox view him as a starter long-term and they want him to remain in that role.
But, with the state of the bullpen, I would like to see him eat some innings in games where we could use a multi-inning reliever. He is not only a better pitcher than most of the guys that are sent out on a daily basis, but his ability to pitch more than one inning will prevent the bullpen from being taxed. As someone who is high on Martin, I hope to see him donning a Sox uniform ASAP.
Starting Slow
Unfortunately, Declan Cronin has not been off to a great start this year. As someone I tabbed as a potential dark horse to make the bullpen out of spring training, this is not the start that you want to be off to.
He currently has an 8.2 ERA in six games with a 1.70 WHIP. These are not the numbers you want to have if you plan on getting called up to the big leagues. It has been mainly him getting hit hard, rather than walk or control issues. Hopefully, he turns it around soon, as many people have compared him to Yankees reliever Clay Holmes. If he could put it all together he will be a very solid reliever for the Sox.
Another name that is off to a slow start is infielder Yolbert Sanchez. One of the members of the White Sox top 30 prospects lists, he is currently hitting .178 with nine strikeouts in 12 games so far. For someone who graduated to AAA after a strong showing in AA, this is not the start he looks to have.
I believe that Sanchez is still a very talented player that has the tools to make it to the pros. He typically hits very well for contact and is a good fielder and baserunner. I hope that he turns it around and is closer to .300 by the end of the year like he was last year.
Fan favorite Billy Hamilton has also been off to a slow-hitting start, but he has been a menace on the basepaths. He is still a top-flight defender and base-stealing threat, so expect to see him up if the Sox are pushing for a playoff spot, as they desperately lack a pinch runner.
Nonetheless, the Knights will have a lot of turnover this season with all the injury-prone players on the Sox, so don’t be surprised if we see most of these players at some point. They are off to a solid 8-7 start and hopefully the guys who have started slowly will get into their groves.
