South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 34

Congratulations, Evan Skoug, you’re the 33rd-best prospect in the SSS rankings!

Nicely timed, with a bit of an offensive breakout of late, earning him 35% (22 of 63 ballots).

Next up is a former White Sox Top 10 prospect.

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%)
23. Lincoln Henzman — 43% (Yrizarri 20%, Flores 15%, Gillaspie 12%, Skoug 9%) (+2 jump from consensus)
24. Charlie Tilson — 40% (Flores 24%, Yrizarri 22%, Skoug 12%, Gillaspie 3%) (+4 jump from consensus)
25. Ian Hamilton — 34% (Yrizarri 27%, Flores 17%, Skoug 14%, Gillaspie 8%) (+4 jump from consensus)
26. Yeyson Yrizarri — 30% (Curbelo/Flores 22%, Skoug 17%, Gillaspie 9%)
27. Tito Polo — 37% (Curbelo 27%, Flores 20%, Skoug 10%, Gillaspie 5%) (+4 jump from consensus)
28. Bernardo Flores — 43% (Curbelo 29%, Skoug 14%, Gillaspie/Mendick 7%)
29. Luis Curbelo — 52% (Skoug 19%, Fisher 13%, Mendick 9%, Gillaspie 7%) (+1 jump from consensus)
30. Kade McClure — 51% (Skoug 26%, Fisher 13%, Gillaspie 7%, Mendick 3%) (+4 jump from consensus)
31. Tyler Johnson — 34% (Fisher 24%, Skoug 21%, Mendick 14%, Gillaspie 7%) (+4 jump from consensus)
32. Justin Yurchak — 37% (Fisher 23%, Skoug 20%, Mendick 18%, Gillaspie 2%) (+4 jump from consensus)
33. Evan Skoug — 35% (Fisher 29%, Mendick 19%, Gillaspie 10%, Mercedes 8%) (-9 fall from consensus)

Here are your choices for the 34th round of voting:

Tyler Danish, P

2018 Age: 23

2017 High Level: Chicago White Sox

Overall 2017 stats (all levels): 26 games / 25 starts ▪️ 5.47 ERA ▪️ 138 ¹⁄₃ IP ▪️ 47 BB ▪️ 72 K

Danish looked like he had it easy after being drafted in 2013 out of high school by the White Sox. His first full season, in 2014, yielded a 2.65 ERA, 2.3 BB/9 and 7.7 K/9 though the righthander was just 19 years old. An aggressive but justified promotion to Birmingham In 2015 Danish looked to be another minor speed bump for his first month, but the older players at the level figured Danish out, and by the end of the season had hung a 5.20 ERA on him, with an uptick in walks and a fairly significant plunge in Ks. All was good in 2016, repeating AA, until the White Sox called him directly to the majors, followed by a demotion to Charlotte. Whether or not that screwed him up in some way, last year Danish pitched almost exclusively at Charlotte (plus another cup of coffee with the White Sox) and got fairly rocked in the Knights’s starting rotation: 5.47 ERA, 11.4 H/9, and just 4.6 K/9 over 26 starts). Danish slings the ball using a Jake Peavy-esque three-quarter release, which gives him much different movement on his pitches compared with other hurlers. His fastball has sinking action and can run up to 92 mph. Danish’s best secondary pitch is his changeup.

Jameson Fisher, OF

2018 Age: 24

2017 High Level: Winston-Salem (A+)

Overall 2017 stats: 124 games ▪️ 10 HR ▪️ 68 RBI ▪️ 58 BB ▪️ 114 K ▪️ .245/.342/.402

Fisher slipped a bit in the 2016 draft, falling a round or two from projections, and into the lap of the Pale Hose. Dude has raked everywhere, hitting .315 as a Southeastern Louisiana frosh, .389 as a soph. And then he really went bananas: As a redshirt junior, Fisher hit .424 (second in the country) and had a .558 OBP (first). It was Fisher’s redshirt year, as he’d suffered a torn labrum in 2015. Like many bat-first prospects, Fisher is a man without a position. He was a catcher before his surgery, played first base in college afterward, and has been installed in the outfield in the White Sox system. Fisher’s bat has suffered a bit between adjusting to the outfield and some minor injuries suffered out there. Fisher has killer plate discipline, good speed and a killer mustache, but has not flashed the power or arm that will justify playing him in right field.

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.

Danny Mendick, IF

2018 Age: 24

2017 High Level: Birmingham (AA)

Overall 2017 stats: 125 games ▪️ 10 HR ▪️ 51 RBI ▪️ 48 BB ▪️ 67 K ▪️ .256/.340/.405

It’s been said that Mendick is rarely the center of attention, but you wouldn’t know it based on the amount the infielder has moved through the White Sox system. This is a guy who tasted two games at Charlotte in his first full year as a pro. It was just a tiny spoonful of Triple-A coffee, yes, but still. That first full year came in 2016, when Mendick switched levels an almost-inconceivable eight times during the course of the season. Last year, Medick flourished at Winston-Salem but struggled to adapt at Birmingham. Perhaps the White Sox just need to keep sending his $1,500 monthlies to a different address, to give him his usual, twisted sense of place.

Yermin Mercedes, C

2018 Age: 25

2017 High Level: Bowie (AA)

Overall 2017 stats: 110 games ▪️ 16 HR ▪️ 62 RBI ▪️ 35 BB ▪️ 67 K ▪️ .276/.340/.455 ▪️ 34% CS

With all the hand-wringing over possibly losing Jordan Guerrero in the Rule 5 draft last fall, the White Sox snagging this slugger got a bit lost. The White Sox picked the backstop up from the Baltimore Orioles. He got a cup off AA coffee last year in the Baltimore system, but starts this year at Winston-Salem. Mercedes carries a rep of big bat, small glove, but he did nail 34% of base stealers in 2017.