The White Sox farm system has gotten a big boost within the last year and it looks like they will get another boost in the middle of the summer. But, as of right now, they have never had this deep of a farm system, as they have typically always been a very top heavy farm system. Now, we get to see some of this depth, as some of their highly ranked prospects are making their much anticipated minor league debuts.
One of the most anticipated debuts of this season is Grant Taylor, the White Sox second round pick of last year’s draft. Despite missing his last season with Tommy John surgery, the White Sox selected him in the second round of the draft. He might not have been available in the second round if it weren’t for his injury, as many scouts thought he was a first round talent before the surgery. The White Sox took a chance and so far it looks like it is paying off.
Sadly, Taylor only pitched in one college season due to his Tommy John surgery. In that one year (his freshman year) he pitched in 17 games, starting two, for a total of 31 innings. He gave up 32 hits, 20 runs, while walking 21, and striking out 39 batters. It was a bit rough, but the strikeouts were up there, which is a good sign. For a freshman playing SEC baseball, it was a pretty good showing.
That summer he would pitch in the Cape Cod League, one of the best college summer leagues. He pitched in five games, starting four of them, pitching a total of 21 innings. In that stretch, Taylor struck out 30 batters, only giving up five runs. He had a stellar .8 WHIP and a 2.14 ERA. These are vast improvements over the summer. He toned down the walks, as he only walked 2 batters in those 21 innings. This was a great sign and he had all of the momentum heading into his second college season before he needed Tommy John surgery. But now, he has finally made it to Kannapolis and has looked very good.
So far in two starts, Taylor has pitched eight innings, striking out 12 and has walked 0 batters. This is a great start, as the main concern for Taylor has been his control. While it is just eight innings, he still has a fantastic 2.25 ERA and a .63 WHIP. You couldn’t ask for a much better professional debut.
Taylor has some major league ready stuff, so look for him to fly through the minors next year, as it seems they will work him back into a routine slowly this year.
The next anticipated debut is Taylor’s Cannon Ballers teammate, Ryan Burrowes, the White Sox 21st ranked prospect. Just 19 years old, Burrowes is one of the most talented prospects in the White Sox farm system, as he has gained a high ranking without playing much professional baseball.
He was signed out of Panama as a 17 year old and would go to play in the Dominican Summer League for the White Sox. In the DSL, he hit .266 with a .393 OBP. He would add three home runs and 18 RBIs, as well as 12 stolen bases. For a 17 year old, those are some very solid stats.
Burrowes would then go on to play in the Arizona prospect league. There, he would play pretty well. He hit .260 with a .330 OBP. He hit just 2 homeruns but added 15 RBIs, as well as 12 stolen bases. This was all done in only 43 games, so still a very small sample size. Now, he was recently promoted to Kannapolis, where he would make his professional baseball debut.
So far in 45 at-bats, Burrowes has looked solid. He is hitting .222 with a .314 OBP. He has added six walks, six RBIs, and has stolen two bases. He is almost two years younger than the average player in Low-A so it might take some time for him to adjust. But, despite that, he still is off to a solid start and hasn’t looked overmatched. He will likely rise to a top-10 prospect in the White Sox system within the next year or two.
If both of these players play well, it gives the White Sox a huge boost to their farm system. There are a few big name players that aren’t too far behind in making their professional debuts, as Eduardo Herrera, who signed out of Venezuela for 1.8 million last cycle, could make his debut within the next year.
The other big name is George Wolkow. He was the 7th round pick of the White Sox last year, but if he had stayed in high school instead of coming into the draft, he would have easily been a first round pick this year. Now, as an 18 year old, he is raking at the Arizona Complex league, and could make his Kannapolis debut later this year.
The farm system has gotten significantly better over the last year and that is nice to see as a White Sox fan.
