South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 11

Congratulations, Micker Adolfo!

South Side Sox has one-armed slugger fever, boy! Adolfo jumps his consensus ranking by four slots to round out the Top 10 of SSS prospect picks, with 39% of the vote (47 of 119 ballots).

Next up is a speedster who seemed to get a generous amount of burn for the White Sox this past spring.

South Side Sox Top White Sox Prospects for 2018

1. Eloy Jimenez — 70% (Kopech 16%, Robert 11%, Hansen 2%, Cease 1%)
2. Michael Kopech — 75% (Robert 18%, Hansen 4%, Cease 2%, Dunning 1%)
3. Luis Robert — 63% (Hansen 24%, Cease 8%, Dunning 4%, Collins 1%)
4. Alec Hansen — 64% (Cease 25%, Dunning 6%, Burger 2%, Collins 2%)
5. Dylan Cease — 70% (Dunning 21%, Rutherford 4%, Burger 3%, Collins 2%)
6. Dane Dunning — 68% (Burdi 14%, Collins 7%, Burger 6%, Rutherford 5%)
7. Zack Burdi — 39% (Collins 30%, Rutherford 17%, Burger 14%, Sheets 1%) (+3 jump from consensus)
8. Jake Burger — 29% (Rutherford 26%, Adams/Collins 21%, Sheets 3%)
9. Blake Rutherford — 31% (Collins 26%, Adolfo 20%, Adams 19%, Sheets 4%)
10. Micker Adolfo — 39% (Collins 25%, Adams 22%, Clarkin 8%, Sheets 6%) (+4 jump from consensus)

Here are your choices for the 11th round of voting:

Spencer Adams, SP

2018 Age: 22

2017 High Level: Birmingham (AA)

Overall 2017 stats: 26 starts ▪️ 152 ²⁄₃ IP ▪️ 4.42 ERA ▪️ 113 K ▪️ 40 BB ▪️ 1.38 WHIP

Spencer Adams was a Christmas in June pick for the White Sox, falling out of the first round to No. 44 with the White Sox. Initially a Top 30 prospect on at least two surveys, the righty ran into some trouble in his first full season at Kannapolis in 2015, but was promoted for five late starts at Winston-Salem and kicked ass. He began 2016 in Winston-Salem, young for the league, and had similarly erratic results. He was promoted to Birmingham for nine end-of-season starts and ended up posting a 3.98 overall ERA for the year. In 2017, among other improvements, Adams filled out a bit and improved his endurance. The youngster has been fast-tracked through the system, but failed to jump in class this year, starting 2018 back in Birmingham. Adams may be bumped up to Charlotte as soon as Alec Hansen is released from extended spring training.

Luis Alexander Basabe, CF

2018 Age: 21

2017 High Level: Winston-Salem (A+)

Overall 2017 stats: 107 games ▪️ 5 HR ▪️ 36 RBI ▪️ 17 SB ▪️ 6 CS ▪️ 49 BB ▪️ 104 K ▪️ .221/.320/.320

Luis Alexander Basabe has been on a fast track since age 16, when he was signed by the Boston Red Sox and sent to the Dominican Summer League. Up until last season, Basabe has conquered his playing level with relative ease despite running younger — sometimes significantly so — than the league average. For example, in 2015 Boston assigned him to short season A-ball at 18, and Basabe hit .243/.340/.401 with 15 SB speed and some .158 ISO power. The next year, Basabe went .258/.328/.447 in low-A ball, with 24 doubles, eight triples, 12 homers and 25 steals. His 25.7% strikeout rate was countered somewhat with .189 ISO power. Even in 2017, when Basabe at High-A finally seemed to hit a bit of a wall, word is his knee (surgically repaired after the season) slowed his progress. As the third piece in the Chris Sale trade (after Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech), anything Basabe can produce for the White Sox might be a mere bonus, but Basabe boasts four tools already and has a decent shot at dragging his hit tool where it needs to be, particularly if the switch-hitter can boost his numbers from the right side. Luis Robert’s injury could be a blessing for Basabe, as he’s getting CF burn while Robert mends, and making the best of it here in the early Dash season.

Ian Clarkin, SP

2018 Age: 23

2017 High Level: Winston-Salem (A)

Overall 2017 stats: 17 starts ▪️ 86 ²⁄₃ IP ▪️ 2.60 ERA ▪️ 63 K ▪️ 33 BB ▪️ 1.28 WHIP

Like Adolfo, Ian Clarkin has struggled with injuries: In 2013 his season was shortened by an ankle injury, 2015 was plagued by elbow problems and his 2016 season was truncated by a torn knee meniscus. But the lefthander still has the stuff that could make him a viable major leaguer: fastball topping out at 95 mph with sink, a strong curveball, a changeup and a slider that he’s still taking for a test drive.

Zack Collins, C

2018 Age: 23

2017 High Level: Birmingham (AA)

Overall 2017 stats: 113 games ▪️ 19 HR ▪️ 53 RBI ▪️ 87 BB ▪️ 129 K ▪️ .224/.370/.445

Zack Collins his been a mixed bag as a pro. The White Sox picked him No. 10 overall in 2016 almost exclusively due to his massive bat at the University of Miami. At Winston-Salem after the draft, Collins hit .258/.418/.467 with six homers, but carried a high 25.5 K%. There were doubts about his ability to catch at the major league level going into the draft, and Collins did little to alleviate those with his first pro games. In 2017, acquitted himself better behind the plate but struggled offensively, spending much of the season hovering at the Mendoza Line. The White Sox still believe he will be a major league catcher, assigning him to Birmingham to begin his second full minor league season, but questions still linger on both the offensive and defensive sides.

Gavin Sheets, 1B

2018 Age: 22

2017 High Level: Kannapolis (A)

Overall 2017 stats: 56 games ▪️ 4 HR ▪️ 28 RBI ▪️ 23 BB ▪️ 34 K ▪️ .279/.365/.397

Gavin Sheets was the White Sox’s second round choice in 2017, and had been rated the No. 60 prospect in the draft by MLB Pipeline. He is a product of Wake Forest University, where he earned plaudits for a pretty swing, plate discipline and overall strength. Sheets is a limited fielder and a lefthander, so he will live or die with his bat. The reports from his hitting work in Arizona this spring were positive, indicating he may be working on a loftier launch angle to drive the ball even better. He starts his first full White Sox season at Winston-Salem.