The White Sox are the worst team in Major League Baseball, but on the bright side, the Birmingham Barons might be the best team in all of Minor League Baseball. They are led by a pitching staff that has been amazing through the first two months of the season and have been putting up truly impressive numbers.
The ace of the staff has been Drew Thorpe, the headliner in the Dylan Cease trade. Currently ranked as the White Sox #3 prospect and #55 overall in baseball, Thorpe has been making a very strong case to be promoted to the White Sox as soon as possible.
So far on the season, Thorpe is 7-1 through 10 starts. In 54 innings, he has 49 strikeouts compared to just 16 walks. He has an impressive 1.33 ERA and an even more impressive .89 WHIP. These are elite numbers and he is looking like one of the best pitchers in all of Minor League Baseball. Despite his excellence, there are three other pitchers having just as good of a season in the same rotation.
The next pitching absolutely dominating is Mason Adams, who we dove deeper into recently. While he may be the least known pitcher of this bunch, people should familiarize themselves with Adams, as he will be in Chicago shortly.
On the season, Adams is 3-3 with a stellar 2.09 ERA through 9 starts. He is an elite strike thrower, which translates nicely to the major leagues, as he has 58 strikeouts compared to just 9 walks on the year. That is an elite ratio and part of the reason why he is having a fantastic season. But, he’s not just throwing strikes, he is also getting outs, as he has a minuscule .91 WHIP and a batting average against of .205. Adams is having a breakout season and he is putting himself in the mix to be in the White Sox rotation next year.
The third pitcher that is having an insane season is Ky Bush. You may recognize that name from the Lucas Giolito trade, as he was the other player acquired alongside Edgar Quero. Now, Bush is making a name for himself among White Sox fans, as he is having a fantastic season.
This season Bush has bounced back very nicely. After a rough start to his Barons career after coming off an injury, he is showing why the White Sox targeted him in a trade. So far in 9 starts, Bush is 3-3 through 50.2 innings pitched. He has a fantastic 1.95 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He has struck out 57 batters, while walking 22. Hitters have not had much luck against him, as they are hitting a measly .200 off of him. I predict he will be the first pitcher promoted from this list, so he should be in Chicago shortly. He is looking like a steal in the Giolito trade.
The next pitcher that is having a fantastic season is the other pitcher from the Dylan Cease trade, Jairo Iriarte. Like Bush, he is looking like a steal, as he was the second main player in the trade, but he certainly isn’t pitching like it.
Iriarte has some of the best stuff on the staff, as he has 61 strikeouts in just 48 innings. On top of that he has a fantastic 2.77 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. Hitters aren’t getting much going against him, as they are hitting .194 against him, second best in the rotation. If Iriarte can cut down on the walks, he will be an ace in the Major Leagues. Look for him to be in Chicago at the end of this year or early next year.
The next player isn’t having nearly the season as the other players, but he is still no slouch. Jake Eder was the player the White Sox traded Jake Burger for, as that trade upset a lot of fans. But, Eder has been pitching very well lately, which is great news for the White Sox.
On the year Eder owns a 4.57 ERA over 9 starts. In 45 innings, he has 50 strikeouts. His WHIP and his batting average against are a bit elevated, but he has been much better as of late. Eder has a ton of talent and is still shaking off the rust of his Tommy John surgery. He has a 4.15 ERA in May, down from over 5 in April. Look for him to continue to improve as the season moves along.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, the Barons got another star in their rotation, as Noah Schultz was recently promoted to AA. The top pitching prospect impressed in his debut, as he overmatched AA hitters in just his first start.
The White Sox are working Schultz along slowly, so he will only pitch every Saturday. If the rotation wasn’t good enough, the bullpen also has some top arms that are doing very well this season. Overall, this staff is easily the best in all of the minor leagues and a lot of them should make it to Chicago shortly.
