2019 ORGANIZATIONAL REVIEW: CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Madrigal had an extremely decorated amateur career, winning Pac-12 player of the year honors as a sophomore and a College World Series title as a junior. He went #4 overall to the White Sox in 2018, the second highest drafted 2B in history. He breezed through his first summer in pro ball and finished the year helping High-A Winston-Salem in the Carolina League playoffs. Madrigal is among the safest bets to hit for average across all of Minor League baseball, a future plus hit tool that likely could hold his own in the big leagues right now if he had to. He sprays line drives with a quick, level stroke that features nearly unprecedented barrel-control, striking out just five times in his pro debut with elite contact rates. We don’t think he is going to hit for as much power down the road as others do, though it’s worth noting that undersized hitters who make quality contact have started to do more damage in the “juiced ball” and launch angle era. Defensively, his hands, instincts, and actions all play at shortstop, though a fringy arm has pushed him to 2B full-time as a pro. Madrigal has outstanding makeup and intangibles, a winning player that finds a way to succeed everywhere he goes. We’re somewhat conservatively penciling him in as a future solid-regular, though that safety still placed Madrigal #100 on our recent review of baseball’s Top 125 Prospects. If he develops into a 70-grade hitter or can find more power, he’ll easily exceed that projection. Madrigal should move through the system quickly and surface in the big leagues sooner rather than later.

(#6) Luis Alexander Basabe, OF

Ceiling: 50         Risk: High     ETA: 2019      Role Description: Everyday Player
Ht/Wt: 6’0” / 160 lbs.          B/T: S/R        Highest Level: AA           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 22y, 7m
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Yoan Moncada and (#4) Michael Kopech were the prospects returned from Boston for Chris Sale that got the most attention at the time, though Basabe has blossomed into a solid potential big leaguer in his own right. The 22-year-old outfielder has made steady progress in all facets of his game, and he’s close to Major League ready despite being slowed by a hamate injury at the end of Spring Training. Basabe’s game is based around speed, a plus athlete who plays an above-average defensive CF. He’s a threat to steal bases but will need to improve his jumps and instincts, as he’s thrown out on the bases a fair amount for someone with plus running ability. A switch-hitter, Basabe is two different batters depending on what side of the plate he’s hitting from. He’s a power hitter prone to striking out hitting left-handed, showing far more bat-to-ball skill—with less power and impact at contact—from the right side of the plate. It’s an interesting offensive profile considering Basabe’s center-diamond value and ability to impact numerous facets of the game. Switch-hitters often take more time to develop two different swings, and especially coming off a hamate injury, his timeline might now be pushed back a bit. Basabe has already used two Minor League options, however, so barring further injury, it’s still relatively likely he sees Chicago late in 2019. 

(#7) Dane Dunning, RHP

Ceiling: 50         Risk: High     ETA: 2020      Role Description: League Average Starter (#4 SP)
Ht/Wt: 6’4” / 200 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: AA           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 24y, 3m
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Dunning was part of a loaded Florida pitching staff in 2016, teaming up with A.J. Puk (Athletics), Alex Faedo (Tigers), Jackson Kowar (Royals), Brady Singer (Royals), Logan Shore (Tigers), and others to form a memorable rotation. He pitched as a mid-week starter and occasional ‘pen weapon for the Gators, still showing enough for the Nationals to select him with the 29th overall pick in 2016. One of the pitching prospects Chicago acquired from Washington in the Adam Eaton trade, Dunning’s polish and pitchability led to a successful start to his pro career before elbow issues slowed him down in June of 2018. He ultimately required Tommy John surgery and won’t return until 2020. Dunning is a bit untraditional for a starter, though his deception and location give the best-case upside of a #4 starter. He hides the ball well from an abbreviated windup, getting plus run action on a low-90s fastball from a three-quarters slot. The heater sits 92-to-93 mph as a starter, topping out at 94-95 mph. Dunning showed advanced command before getting hurt last year, the movement and location playing his fastball to above-average (ground ball rates around 50-percent) even without dominant velocity. He lands a deep mix of secondary pitches in the zone, able to sequence a curve, slider, and change effectively. There’s reason to hesitate just a bit given the control-based profile coming back from surgery, though Dunning still has among the highest floors of any arm in the system and still figures to fill a big league role in some capacity. He could reach the big leagues very quickly in a ‘pen role upon returning from injury next year if the White Sox choose to fast-track him.

(#8) Zack Collins, C/1B

Ceiling: 45         Risk: Moderate     ETA: 2019      Role Description: Role Player
Ht/Wt: 6’3” / 220 lbs.          B/T: L/R        Highest Level: AAA           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 24y, 1m
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Collins hasn’t developed into the full offensive package that some envisioned when the White Sox took him with the 10th overall pick in 2016, nor has he quieted the doubts about his ability to stay behind the plate defensively. While his hit tool hasn’t come on as hoped (massive strikeout rates and contact issues, especially versus LHP), we’re sliding Collins a hair ahead of some others just behind him on this list because what he does do offensively is done very well: draw walks, get on base, and hit the ball out of the park. Collins is off to a hot start in Triple-A this season, and his bat will almost certainly be Major League ready at some point in 2019. If the White Sox opt to keep him down until 2020, it’s likely so Collins can get more reps defensively at catcher. He is what he is—a true-outcomes hitter who will strike out a ton and put up some ugly batting averages against same-side arms—but we feel fairly confident this is a serviceable power/platoon option that can handle at least part-time action at catcher early in his career.

(#9) Luis Gonzalez, OF

Ceiling: 45         Risk: High     ETA: 2020      Role Description: Role Player
Ht/Wt: 6’1” / 185 lbs.          B/T: L/L        Highest Level: AA            Age (as of April 1, 2019): 23y, 6m
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A third-rounder from the college ranks in 2017, Gonzalez has moved quickly through the system and started this season in Double-A. A high-floor player with a well-rounded set of average tools, he’s a safe bet to contribute in some capacity but might fit best as a fourth outfielder. He’ll really need to hit to crack the lineup, as his game power projects a tick short on a corner with range in CF that’s only fair. The best-case ceiling is a low-end regular who can move between outfield spots.

(#10) Micker Adolfo, 1B/DH

Ceiling: 45         Risk: High      ETA: 2020      Role Description: Role Player 
Ht/Wt: 6’4” / 255 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: AA           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 22y, 6m
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Adolfo is perhaps the most polarizing player in the system. His feast-or-famine toolset is lead by monstrous raw power, and while that aspect of his game has always shown tantalizing flashes, an increasingly long list of injuries has changed his profile significantly. A 60-grade arm from RF before turning pro, Adolfo tore the UCL in his throwing elbow and wound up getting Tommy John surgery after initially opting to rest it. He has not played in the field in over a year, only DH’ing last season with High-A Winston Salem and doing the same this year with Double-A Birmingham. Perhaps most troubling is the fact that Adolfo was recently placed on the DL with complications in the same elbow after struggling mightily during his first month of upper-minors play. 70-grade raw power and the chance to be a 20-25 HR bat make him one of the more prominent prospects on this list, but the lack of hit tool and increasing likelihood he’s a 1B/DH type are behind Adolfo’s slide into the FV 45 tier from where we had him last year. He’s a huge question mark that’s in the “wait and see” category for now.

Alec Hansen, RHP

Ceiling: 45         Risk: High     ETA: 2020      Role Description: Setup Relief 
Ht/Wt: 6’7” / 235 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: AA           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 24y, 5m
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Hansen’s prospect stock has fluctuated greatly over the last four years. Seen as a potential first-rounder entering his draft year at Oklahoma, a disastrous spring dropped him to the White Sox in 2016’s second round. He dominated from the rotation early in his professional career, looking like a potential #2/#3 starter who had figured out his frame and delivery such that a power pitch mix was finally playing like it was capable. Then 2018 happened, another unadulterated disaster similar to Hansen’s junior year of college: he completely got the yips, walking 59 hitters in just 51 innings pitched and headed back to A-Ball by season’s end to try and work things out. Chicago moved him to the bullpen this year, where Hansen’s wildly inconsistent control profiles best long-term. He was working in the 91-to-95 mph range at the end of 2018 just to throw a strike; in relief, he’s able to operate back in the upper-90s with less pressure on command or sequencing. Both Hansen’s curve and slider flash effective upside, though like his control and general pitchability, the secondary stuff is inconsistent. Hansen’s size and velocity will keep him on the prospect radar even if it continues to be a lengthy development trajectory. It isn’t uncommon for power pitchers of this size to take longer to figure it out at the pro level. There’s definitely a scenario in which he never quite turns the corner and falls short of sustained big league value, though Hansen’s high-upside ingredients still give the ceiling of an XXL, hard-throwing setup man in a Connor Sadzeck (Mariners) mold.

Zack Burdi, RHP

Ceiling: 45         Risk: Extreme     ETA: 2020      Role Description: Setup Relief
Ht/Wt: 6’3” / 205 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: AAA           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 24y, 0m
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Before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2017, Burdi’s two-pitch mix was arguably the best in the minors. He threw a fastball that regularly worked into triple-digits with a power slider that was unhittable at its best. Burdi made a few late-season appearances in 2018 before heading to Fall League, though his stuff still hasn’t fully bounced back to peak form. What he showed in the past still keeps Burdi in the FV 45, high-leverage relief tier, though the diminished velocity and injury history add significant risk.

Jose Ruiz, RHP

Ceiling: 40         Risk: Moderate      ETA: 2018      Role Description: Middle Relief
Ht/Wt: 6’1” / 190 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: MLB           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 25y, 5m
Video | Spotlight

Ruiz was originally a Padres catching prospect, though limited offensive success and a cannon arm prompted San Diego to move him to the mound in 2016. The Padres added him to their 40-Man Roster despite him being more of a project, though Ruiz was the casualty when the organization needed to clear a spot for free agent acquisition Freddy Galvis in 2018. Chicago claimed Ruiz, who has gotten cups of coffee with the White Sox in both 2018 and 2019. His blistering fastball touches the high-90s and sits at 96 mph, backed by a power upper-80s slider. He projects as cost-controlled middle reliever that can contribute at the Major League level right now.

Zach Thompson, RHP

Ceiling: 40         Risk: High     ETA: 2019      Role Description: Middle Relief
Ht/Wt: 6’7” / 230 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: AAA           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 25y, 5m
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Thompson’s pro career was stalling as a starter, but he upped his prospect stock by transitioning to relief. He impressed in Fall League after last season but was left off the 40-Man Roster in November, going unselected in the Rule 5 Draft. The 6-foot-7 righty touches 96-to-97 mph at best on his fastball, mixing four-seamers and running sinkers with an upper-80s cutter he leans on heavily. He casts over a 76-to-80 mph curve with occasional sharpness. Currently in Triple-A, the 25-year-old should be ready to help at the big league level fairly soon. His ceiling is a middle reliever, perhaps one that could record more than three outs at a time.

Tyler Johnson, RHP

Ceiling: 40         Risk: High     ETA: 2020      Role Description: Middle Relief
Ht/Wt: 6’3” / 205 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: AA           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 23y, 7m
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The White Sox aren’t afraid to take college relievers fairly early in the draft and move them quickly, and that’s exactly the path Johnson has been on. The team’s fifth-rounder in 2017 from the University of South Carolina, Johnson was basically a reliever-only throughout his time with the Gamecocks and has exclusively worked from the ‘pen as a pro. He whizzed through the low-minors and was on his way to Double-A to begin 2019, though a lat strain at the end of Spring Training has sidelined him to date. Johnson’s fastball routinely reaches the upper-90s and sits in the 96-to-97 mph range. Though the sheer velocity of the pitch overwhelmed A-Ball hitters last year, it projects to play beneath that against better competition given limited movement and command. Neither of Johnson’s off-speed pitches—a slider and changeup—look like future bat-missers. His heater can get him to the big leagues, though the lack of another above-average attribute holds the ceiling back to middle relief.

Jimmy Lambert, RHP

Ceiling: 40         Risk: High     ETA: 2020      Role Description: Long Relief
Ht/Wt: 6’2” / 170 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: AA           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 24y, 4m
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Lambert has kept performing and getting outs since being drafted in the fifth round in 2016. He finished last year in Double-A and is off to a strong start back at the level in 2019. Though his 6-foot-2 frame is still on the leaner side, Lambert added nearly 15 pounds of muscle this past off-season and is now scraping 94-95 mph at best on his fastball, albeit with less command at the high-end of his velocity range. His heater settles in around 91 mph as outings progress, with a secondary-heavy approach that relies on pitchability. Lambert leans on his off-speed to play up the fastball, able to land a curve, slider, and changeup for strikes. He might lack a carry tool or the durability for a true back-rotation role, but the sum-of-parts gives long relief/spot-starter upside.

Seby Zavala, C

Ceiling: 40        Risk: High     ETA: 2019      Role Description: Bench Player 
Ht/Wt: 5’11” / 205 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: AAA            Age (as of April 1, 2019): 25y, 7m
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Zavala converted to catching fairly late, so he’s progressed defensively at a batter-than-average pace since turning pro. He’s an average defender with raw power that makes him interesting in a bench role. Zavala is a fairly low-ceiling prospect that could be hitting his plateau at Triple-A, as he struggled at the level to end 2018 and has struggled mightily so far this season. He’ll need to hit to get to power in order to have bench value at a premium position, because no defensive tools stand out as legitimate pluses. Added to the 40-Man Roster before the 2019 season, Zavala should surface in the big leagues fairly soon.

Ian Hamilton, RHP

Ceiling: 40         Risk: High     ETA: 2018      Role Description: Middle Relief
Ht/Wt: 6’0” / 200 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: MLB           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 23y, 9m

A classic fast-track college reliever, Hamilton reached the big leagues last year after coming to the White Sox in the 11th round in 2016. A short, strong-bodied righty, he’s an arm-strength guy who needs velocity to bail out 40-grade, relief-only control and command. Hamilton’s fastball touches 98 mph and sits comfortably in the high-90s, backed up by a fringy cut-like slider that straightens out. He’ll occasionally wrinkle a crude changeup and two-seamer, but essentially works with two pitches and leans heavily on his heater. Hamilton’s fastball gives up the upside to fill a middle relief role, but limited pitchability and off-speed likely prevent him from pitching leverage innings.

Ryan Burr, RHP

Ceiling: 40         Risk: High     ETA: 2018      Role Description: Middle Relief
Ht/Wt: 6’4” / 225 lbs.          B/T: R/R        Highest Level: MLB           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 24y, 10m
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Burr had a decorated college career as a closer for Arizona State, the type of ‘pen-only prospect that fast-tracks to the high-minors in pro ball. He stalled there a bit, though, as his stuff fluctuated and caused his prospect stock to subsequently dip. The White Sox acquired him from Arizona for international bonus money in 2017, giving him his first Major League action last year. He began this season with the big league club as well before heading to the IL with a shoulder inflammation. Burr’s fastball touches the upper-90s and sits at 94-to-95 mph consistently. It’s fairly straight and he pitches over the plate with it, things that have caused the heater to play beneath its velocity in the Major Leagues to date. He mixes a cutter and slider that are tough to distinguish from one another, neither pitch projecting as a swing-and-miss offering. Burr profiles in middle relief, without a defining characteristic to fit in higher-leverage situations.

Caleb Frare, LHP

Ceiling: 40         Risk: High     ETA: 2018      Role Description: Middle Relief
Ht/Wt: 6’1” / 225 lbs.          B/T: L/L        Highest Level: MLB           Age (as of April 1, 2019): 25y, 8m

PURE PROJECTION

(#11) Blake Rutherford, OF

Ceiling: 45          Risk: High     ETA: 2021      Role Description: Role Player
Ht/Wt: 6’3” / 195 lbs.          B/T: L/R        Highest Level: AA            Age (as of April 1, 2019): 21y, 11m
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