South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 31

Congratulations, Kade McClure, you’re the 30th-best prospect in the SSS rankings!

The young ace outta Louisville grabbed 51% (31 of 61 ballots).

Next up is Kanny’s closer.

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)

Here are your choices for the 31st round of voting:

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.

Tyler Johnson, RP

2018 Age: 22

2017 High Level: Kannapolis (A)

Overall 2017 stats: 22 games ▪️ 25 ²⁄₃ IP ▪️ 3.86 ERA ▪️ 37 K ▪️ 19 BB ▪️ 1.75 WHIP

Johnson’s season was truncated due to injury, but closed for South Carolina in 2017 with a 2.39 ERA, 40 strikeouts, 15 walks and 10 saves in 19 games. As a sophomore he had a 2.42 ERA and 59 strikeouts over 52 innings. His control was uncommonly good that season, allowing just eight walks. Johnson’s fastball has been tracked as high as 99, and he also boasts a still-developing changeup, and a slider. When drafted, the White Sox intended to give Johnson some run as a starter, but he has yet to start a game as a pro.

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.

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.