White Sox Minor League Update: May 8, 2017

With the White Sox off and their Triple-A affiliate playing just three hours away in Indianapolis, pretty much all the Chicago beat writers made the trip to watch Yoan Moncada and friends.

Moncada was just named the International League Batter of the Week, and the intensity of the interest from beat writers should make Rick Hahn squirm around service-time issues, especially as Moncada’s strikeout rate continues to drop (it’s down to 26.3 percent).

Mark Grudzielanek might not have helped matters ...

“You could throw him up there right now and he'd be fine, there's no question about it,” Knights manager Mark Grudzielanek said. “It's a work in progress. They'll be some things (that lead to the question) 'How come he didn't know that or this?' Well, he's 21 years old, how many minor league games has he played in?”

... although the fuller quote emphasizes the reservations more:

"There are so many more little things, detailed stuff, you have to learn and understand," Grudzielanek said. "He's there, he's getting there. You could throw him up there right now and he'd be fine; there's no question about it. There will be some things there, 'How come he didn't know that, or this?'

"Well, he's 21 years old. How many Minor League games has he played in? Again, that's out of my hands, when he's ready. I love having him here. He's a phenomenal talent, and he's going to have a hopefully long and healthy big league career, and we'll see where that goes. But he has potential to be somebody very special."

It’s not Jose Vinicio’s job to try to suppress enthusiasm, so he didn’t:

‘‘I’ve played with a lot of really good players in my career,’’ said 23-year-old infielder Jose Vinicio, who also was Moncada’s teammate in the Red Sox’ organization, ‘‘but I haven’t seen anybody who can do the things that he does.’’

Top prospects at a glance

• Yoan Moncada went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and strikeout.
• Lucas Giolito: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K.

Indianapolis 5, Charlotte 3

• Yoan Moncada went 1-for-5 with a stolen base and strikeout.
• Jacob May, 1-for-5 with a double and a strikeout.
• Nicky Delmonico went 0-for-2 with three walks, a steal and a strikeout.
• Danny Hayes was 0-for-3.
• Rymer Liriano went 1-for-3 with a walk.
• Adam Engel doubled twice, singled once and struck out once.
• Lucas Giolito: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K. He gave up four of those runs in the fifth inning.

Birmingham 8, Mississippi 3

• Eddy Alvarez went 1-for-5 with a double, three strikeouts and a stolen base.
• Jake Peter was 1-for-4 with a double and a strikeout.
• Trey Michalczewski, 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
• Courtney Hawkins was 0-for-4, but he only struck out twice.
• Matt Cooper had a wild line: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 9 K, 1 HBP

Asheville 7, Kannapolis 5

• Joel Booker went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Mitch Roman singled twice and struck out thrice.
• Jameson Fisher went 2-for-5 with a double and two strikeouts.
• Micker Adolfo went 3-for-5 with a triple and two strikeouts.
• Jimmy Lambert: 6 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP