South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 23

Congratulations, Thyago Vieira, you’re the 22nd-best prospect in the SSS rankings!

He brings the heat, and if he can just control the strike zone, he’ll truly earn his 34% (30 of 87 ballots).

Next up, and I understand it will kill any propers earned for running this polling series, is a southpaw I had never heard of before today.

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%) (-1 fall from consensus)
9. Blake Rutherford — 31% (Collins 26%, Adolfo 20%, Adams 19%, Sheets 4%)
10. Micker Adolfo — 39% (Collins 25%, Adams 22%, Clarkin 8%, Sheets 6%) (+2 jump from consensus)
11. Luis Alexander Basabe — 47% (Collins 26%, Adams 16%, Sheets 6%, Clarkin 5%) (+4 jump from consensus)
12. Zack Collins — 46% (Adams 22%, Clarkin 17%, Sheets 14%, Puckett 2%) (-4 fall from consensus)
13. Spencer Adams — 38% (Clarkin 29%, Sheets 19%, Gonzalez 8%, Puckett 6%) (+1 jump from consensus)
14. Ian Clarkin — 47% (Sheets 25%, Gonzalez 15%, Puckett 7%, Stephens 6%) (+1 jump from consensus)
15. Gavin Sheets — 45% (Gonzalez 21%, Cordell 14%, Stephens 11%, Puckett 9%) (-3 fall from consensus)
16. Seby Zavala — 55% (Gonzalez 16%, Cordell 13%, Stephens 10%, Puckett 6%) (+4 jump from consensus)
17. Luis González — 43% (Puckett/Stephens 18%, Cordell 13%, Gillaspie 7%)
18. Jordan Stephens — 28% (Puckett 26%, Cordell 25%, Vieira 15%, Gillaspie 6%) (+1 jump from consensus)
19. Ryan Cordell — 35% (Puckett 22%, Guerrero 21%, Vieira 17%, Gillaspie 6%) (-1 fall from consensus)
20. A.J. Puckett — 39% (Guerrero 25%, Vieira 16%, Gillaspie 13%, Skoug 7%) (-4 fall from consensus)
21. Jordan Guerrero — 49% (Vieira 20%, Henzman 15%, Gillaspie 9%, Skoug 7%) (+2 jump from consensus)
22. Thyago Vieira — 34% (Henzman 21%, Skoug 17%, Yrizarri 16%, Gillaspie 11%)

Here are your choices for the 23rd round of voting:

Casey Gillaspie, 1B

2018 Age: 25

2017 High Level: Charlotte (AAA)

Overall 2017 stats: 125 games ▪️ 15 HR ▪️ 62 RBI ▪️ 50 BB ▪️ 100 K ▪️ .223/.297/.373

The White Sox struck at the right time in grabbing Casey Gillaspie (younger brother of steely-eyed former Sox, Conor), in a trade for Dan Jennings in 2017. The first baseman was a a quick track to Tampa’s major league roster before the trade, but flagged for Durham (AAA) in 2017, a performance that carried over to his play at Charlotte with the White Sox: .223/.297/.373 in 125 games. Adding to the challenge of adjusting to AAA pitching was an injury (broken toe). At the higher level, Gillaspie’s power has tailed off, and without plus-offensive ability, his value evaporates.

Bernardo Flores, SP

2018 Age: 22

2017 High Level: Winston-Salem (A+)

Overall 2017 stats: 23 starts ▪️ 118 ¹⁄₃ IP ▪️ 3.42 ERA ▪️ 103 K ▪️ 32 BB ▪️ 1.25 WHIP

At USC, Flores worked out of the bullpen, with just eight starts before being drafted. On paper, he was a borderline prospect, with a 5.34 ERA as a Trojan and never once cracking 100 innings in a season. He was a seventh-round choice and got 12 starts at Great Falls, grabbing a 3.66 ERA. Last season, Flores started at Kannapolis (14 starts, 3.35 ERA) and got bit a little after an aggressive promotion to Winston-Salem. His fastball runs as fast as 97 mph, although scouts have flagged his velocity as inconsistent. He boasts a solid change, as well as a curve and a cutter, with the changeup earning the most praise given its screwball movement.

Lincoln Henzman, SP

2018 Age: 22

2017 High Level: Great Falls (Rookie)

Overall 2017 stats: 11 games (seven starts) ▪️ 28 IP ▪️ 3.86 ERA ▪️ 17 K ▪️ 9 BB ▪️ 1.29 WHIP

Henzman is a Fourth of July baby, go figure. After Tommy John surgery in high school, the eventual Louisville All-American followed in Zack Burdi’s footsteps as the Cardinals closer. From there, paths have diverged, as the White Sox used Henzman as a partial starter in 2017 and have him in the Kannapolis rotation so far in 2018. His fastball has reached 95 mph with sink, and he also boasts a changeup with splitter action.

Evan Skoug, C

2018 Age: 22

2017 High Level: Kannapolis (A)

Overall 2017 stats: 25 games ▪️ 3 HR ▪️ 10 RBI ▪️ 11 BB ▪️ 36 K ▪️ .232/.333/.427

OK, let’s get this right out of the way, because Brett won’t shut up about it, but apparently Skoug is the only player on Baseball-Reference with the same school affiliations as his: Libertyville High School, and Texas Christian University. Somehow, I believe our dear leader’s playing career fell somewhat short of young Evan’s. Something about eight walks in a single doubleheader is on the back of his baseball card, somewhere. Anyhow, Skoug was a seventh-round pick of the White Sox last year and led TCU to three consecutive College World Series appearances. In his final Horned Frogs season, Skoug hit .272/.378/.544, with 20 homers and 71 driven in. Skoug fits the profile that is running rampant through the White Sox system: hit-first, field-later backstops. He’s started his season at Kanny a bit slowly.

Yeyson Yrizarri, SS-2B

2018 Age: 21

2017 High Level: Winston-Salem (A+)

Overall 2017 stats: 113 games ▪️ 8 HR ▪️ 48 RBI ▪️ 8 BB ▪️ 78 K ▪️ .268/.290/.380

Yrizarri is another guy the White Sox have had their eye on for a long time, to the point of thinking they had a good shot at signing him out of the Dominican Republic in 2013. No surprise four years later, when Chicago swapped some international money to the Texas Rangers in order to acquire him. Yrizarri’s top tool is a monster arm, so he really needs to be on the left side of the infield to maximize his value. He’s got a bit of pop, as well. On the flip side, Y.Y. is not fond of walks. He’s on the young side for his placements in both the Texas and Chicago systems, so take his numbers with a grain of salt.