2021 South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 11

If you’re unsure of what this is, read our Top Prospect Vote primer.

Matthew Thompson absolutely cruised to a win as our No. 10 prospect, taking 49% (120 of 243 votes). Last year, Thompson finished 12th in our poll.

In the 2020 poll, Blake Rutherford finished as our No. 10 prospect in the vote.

Thompson’s easy win appears to be setting up an incredible race for the No. 11 prospect, as four very different players — Yermín Mercedes, Benyamin Bailey, Blake Rutherford and Zack Burdi — are fighting to move on.

Newcomer Lambert earned 10 votes and finished eighth.

South Side Sox Top White Sox Prospects for 2021

1. Andrew Vaughn — 45% (Crochet 26%, Kopech 19%, Madrigal 9%, Kelley 1.0%, Rutherford 0.6%, Adolfo/Sheets 0.2% Stiever/Thompson 0%)
2. Garrett Crochet — 42% (Kopech 19%, Madrigal 14%, Céspedes 4%, Kelley 0.7%, Rutherford 0.4%, Adolfo/Stiever 0.2%,Sheets/Thompson 0%)
3. Michael Kopech — 70% (Madrigal 22%, Kelley 4%, Céspedes 3%, Vera 1%, Adolfo/Rutherford/Sheets/Thompson 0.4%, Stiever 0%)
4. Nick Madrigal — 76% (Céspedes 10%, Kelley 9%, Rutherford/Vera 1.2%, Stiever/Thompson 0.6%, Adolfo/Dalquist/Sheets 0.3%)
5. Jared Kelley — 47% (Céspedes 32%, Stiever 8%, Rutherford 4%, Thompson 3%, Adolfo/Vera 2%, Sheets 1.4%, Bailey 1.2%, Dalquist/0.9%)
6. Yoelqui Céspedes — 59% (Stiever 17%, Thompson 9%, Rutherford 4%, Adolfo/Bailey 3%, Vera 2.2%, Sheets 1.9%, Dalquist 1.6%, González 0.3%)
7. Jonathan Stiever — 41% (Thompson 18%, Vera 11%, Bailey 8%, Burdi 7%, Rutherford 6%, Dalquist 3.2%, Adolfo/Sheets 2.9%, González 0.6%)
8. Gavin Sheets— 29% (Vera 24%, Thompson 21%, Burdi 9%, Bailey 6%, Rutherford 5%, Dalquist 4%, Adolfo 3%, Rodriguez 1%, González 0.2%)
9. Norge Vera— 31% (Thompson 27%, Rutherford 12%, Mercedes 9%, Burdi 8%, Bailey 7%, Adolfo 4%, Dalquist 2%, Rodriguez 1%, González 0%)
10. Matthew Thompson— 49% (Mercedes 10%, Bailey/Burdi/Rutherford 9%, Adolfo 5.3%, Dalquist 4.9%, Lambert 4.1%, González 1%, Rodriguez 0%)

Micker Adolfo

Right Fielder
Age 24
2018 SSS poll ranking 10
2019 SSS poll ranking 7
2020 SSS poll ranking 11
2019 High Level Birmingham (AA) (participated at the Schaumburg alternate site in 2020)
Overall 2019 stats 36 games ▪️ 2 HR ▪️ 12 RBI ▪️ .227/.346/.367 ▪️ 21 BB ▪️ 57 BB

Adolfo missed the first half of 2019 recovering from arm surgery and only DHed in the minor league season. All 10 of his Arizona Fall League games were spent in right field, however, with one error and one assist.

Benyamin Bailey

Left Fielder
Age 19
2018 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 SSS poll ranking N/A
2020 SSS poll ranking 26
2019 High Level DSL White Sox (Rookie)
Overall 2019 stats 55 games ▪️ 2 HR ▪️ 19 RBI ▪️ .324/.477/.454 ▪️ 10-of-12 SB ▪️ 52 BB ▪️ 40 BB

Zack Burdi

Right-Handed Relief Pitcher
Age 26
2018 SSS poll ranking 7
2019 SSS poll ranking 15
2020 SSS poll ranking 22
2020 High Level Chicago White Sox
Overall 2020 stats 0-1 ▪️ 8 games ▪️ -0.6 bWAR ▪️ 7 ¹⁄₃ IP ▪️ 11.05 ERA ▪️ 11 K ▪️ 3 BB ▪️ 1.909 WHIP

Jake Burger

Third Baseman
Age 24
2018 SSS poll ranking 8
2019 SSS poll ranking 9
2019 SSS poll ranking 21
2017 High Level Kannapolis (A)
Overall 2017 stats 51 games ▪️ 5 HR ▪️ 29 RBI ▪️ .263/.336/.412 ▪️ 14 BB ▪️ 30 K

Burger tore his Achilles tendon during spring training in 2018, re-tore it during rehab later that summer, and hasn’t played professionally since the 2017 season. He got back into action in the CarShield Collegiate League in Missouri this past summer, and his success there got him an invitation to play at the Schaumburg alternate site in 2020, as well as fall instructs.

Andrew Dalquist

Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 20
2018 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 SSS poll ranking N/A
2020 SSS poll ranking 13
2020 High Level Schaumburg alternate site
Overall 2019 stats 0-0 ▪️ 3 starts ▪️ 3 IP ▪️ 0.00 ERA ▪️ 2 K ▪️ 2 BB ▪️ 1.333 WHIP

Stats are for Dalquist’s cup of coffee in the Arizona Rookie League.

Luis González

Center Fielder
Age 23
2018 SSS poll ranking 17
2019 SSS poll ranking 12
2019 High Level Birmingham (AA)
2020 High Level Chicago White Sox (3 G, 1 AB, 1 R, 58 OPS+)
Overall 2019 stats 126 games ▪️ 9 HR ▪️ 59 RBI ▪️ .247/.316/.359 ▪️ 47 BB ▪️ 89 K

González made his (brief) major-league debut in 2020 with the White Sox and otherwise spent the season at the Schaumburg alternate site.

Jimmy Lambert

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 26
2018 SSS poll ranking N/R
2019 SSS poll ranking 19
2020 SSS poll ranking 18
2020 High Level Chicago White Sox
Overall 2019 stats (Birmingham) 3-4 ▪️ 11 starts ▪️ 59 ⅓ IP ▪️ 4.55 ERA ▪️ 70 K ▪️ 27 BB ▪️ 1.500 WHIP

Lambert appeared in two games and pitched two scoreless innings (0.1 bWAR) before having his season cut short with forearm soreness. He had his 2019 season cut short by Tommy John surgery.

Yermín Mercedes

Catcher
Age 28
2018 SSS poll ranking 42
2019 SSS poll ranking 49
2020 SSS poll ranking 14
2020 High Level Chicago White Sox
Overall 2019 stats (Birmingham and Charlotte) 95 games ▪️ 23 HR ▪️ 80 RBI ▪️ .317/.388/.581 ▪️ 41 BB ▪️ 67 K

Mercedes played in one game for the White Sox in 2020, grounding out to second base in one plate appearance.

José Rodriguez

Shortstop
Age 20
2018 SSS poll ranking N/R
2019 SSS poll ranking N/R
2019 SSS poll ranking 32
2019 High Level Arizona (Rookie)
Overall 2019 stats 44 games ▪️ 9 HR ▪️ 31 RBI ▪️ .293/.328/.505 ▪️ 7-of-8 SB ▪️ 9 BB ▪️ 45 K

Blake Rutherford

Right Fielder
Age 24
2018 SSS poll ranking 9
2019 SSS poll ranking 8
2020 SSS poll ranking 10
2019 High Level Birmingham (AA) (participated at the Schaumburg alternate site in 2020)
Overall 2019 stats 118 games ▪️ 7 HR ▪️ 49 RBI ▪️ .265/.319/.365 ▪️ 9-of-11 SB ▪️ 37 BB ▪️ 118 K