This Week in White Sox Minor League Baseball

by larry on Jun 24, 2011 2:30 PM CDT in White Sox Minors

Brandon Short (Courtesy of Diana Johnson)

This week:

The rookie league affiliates began their seasons. It's difficult to get a handle on who the players are that should be followed. Great Falls has a roster filled with players who are rapidly approaching their mid-20s or have been at the rookie level for multiple seasons. Often both. Not exactly a recipe for future success. Bristol, on the other hand, has the few younger players in the system, including players from the White Sox' Dominican Summer League (DSL) affiliate. These players are generally unknown commodities.
Great Falls usually gets the older, college experienced players. Since the top picks have not yet signed, there's a real dearth of legitimate talent there. 4th round pick Kyle McMillen and 5th round pick LHP Scott Snodgress are there now and you can probably expect the top three picks to be assigned to the Voyagers, should they sign in time to play this season (which is a real question for top pick OF Keenyn Walker). The position players are lacking, though DSL alum INF Jerry Puentes is mildly interesting, if only because he's age appropriate for the level having not yet turned 20.
Bristol at least has some interesting players. A trio of DSL alums lead the starting staff: RHPs Jean Duque, Darwin Matos and Euclides Leyer. Each of these have been mentioned in prior editions of TWIWSMiLB because their numbers in the DSL were excellent enough to draw notice. Of course, keeping up high strikeout rates and low walk rates is more difficult on the mainland. 2010 6th round pick 3B Rangel Ravelo leads the position players. The 18 year old had a difficult transition to pro ball last season for Bristol (.254/.291/.335) but has gotten off to a hot start this season. 2B Daurys Mercedes and 3B Carlos Sanchez are more DSL alums. The soon-to-be 19 year old Sanchez had a .269/.431/.346 line in the DSL last year, further bolstering his reputation for having a keen batting eye.
RHP Jacob Petricka began his rehab from a back injury for Bristol last night, facing three batters and striking out two of them. Joining him on rehab assignments are RHPs Jhonny Nunez and Stephen Sauer.

OF Brandon Short: .305/.351/.479.

OF Dayan Viciedo and RHP Gregory Infante have been named to the World Team's roster for the Futures Game on July 10. If Viciedo isn't in the majors by then, of course. Viciedo: .323/.363/.516.

Utilityman Tyler Kuhn has been tearing up the Southern League in his second stint with the Barons: .367/.425/.498. While he's cut his strikeout rate slightly to 17%, his other peripherals remain essentially unchanged from last year, when his line was a more pedestrian .279/.345/.393. The primary difference is a BABIP almost 100 points higher at an eye-popping .432. Notably, his ISO remains unremarkable at .131. His 11 for 12 in stolen bases is a nice bonus, but I'm always skeptical of prospects who are building their statistical lines solely on contact. Particularly positionless prospects.

RHP Andre Riezo: 14 GS, 71 IP, 75 K, 42 BB. The increase in walk rate to 5.5 per 9 IP is a troubling development for a pitcher who had a 2.85 per 9 rate last season in Low A.

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Thank you.

Beware the cure isn't worse than the disease

by Chiburb on Jun 24, 2011 2:34 PM CDT reply actions

Watching the positional guys at Bristol...

pretty closely. Smith, Ravelo, Kuhn, Robinson, Buckner. Success at short season ball clearly isn’t a great indicator of future success, but success at least hints at the possibility of future success. I’m especially encouraged by Ravelo’s start. If I’m not mistaken he was considered something of a reach last year. Hopefully some of these college/JUCO guys they just took rip the heck out of the ball and get moving up the ladder.

by polodude017 on Jun 24, 2011 2:53 PM CDT reply actions