2022 South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 1

It is the fifth year of Top Prospect voting at South Side Sox!

Here’s how 2018 wrangled out — all 42 picks. Also, here’s an archive of every article in the 2018 series. Here’s how 2019 came together, all 50 picks, and the archive as well. Here’s 2020, with the archive. Here’s the 2021 wrap-up of just 35 picks due to flagging participation, along with the full archive.

Despite the disinterest in the last 15 picks of the intended Top 50 voting last year, some seasons we’ve gotten upwards of 15,000 votes. So thanks in advance for your participation!

Our No. 100 prospect, Jake Elliott, is already up on site as of this morning. By starting both series at the same time, by the time the Top 100 has counted from 100 to 50, this SSS poll vote will have counted down from 1 to 50. We’ll meet in the middle, with the SSS poll vote factoring in the order of our final, Top 50 prospects.

Among our experts, six different players earned the No. 1 spot on their individual lists, one No. 1 so “radical” that the player isn’t even on this first ballot! So it will be interesting to see how our SSS voters sway in what is a fairly open-ended fight for the top spot here.

Interestingly, there has been such turnover in the White Sox system (trades, promotions to the majors, injuries, ineffectiveness) that just one player, Jared Kelley, appeared on the first prospect vote ballot in both 2021 and 2022. (And not to sway anyone here, but there’s a pretty strong argument that Kelley is the least deserving prospect on this ballot.)

You’ll also notice two players who aren’t yet “officially” signed by the White Sox. However, their addition on international signing day in January is a foregone conclusion in the system, so we’d rather overstep now than wind up our list in March missing both of these premium talents.

Sound cool? Now, get voting!

Jake Burger

Third Baseman
Age 25
2018 SSS poll ranking 8
2019 SSS poll ranking 9
2020 SSS poll ranking 25
2021 SSS poll ranking 17
2021 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Overall 20121 Triple-A stats 82 games ▪️ 18 HR ▪️ 54 RBI ▪️ .274/.332/.513 ▪️ 24 BB ▪️ 91 BB

Burger played 15 games in the majors with the White Sox, two doubles, a triple, a homer, and an .807 OPS.

Yoelqui Céspedes

Center Fielder
Age 24
2021 SSS poll ranking 7
2021 High Level Birmingham (AA)
Overall 2021 stats 72 games ▪️ 8 HR ▪️ 27 RBI ▪️ .285/.350/.463 ▪️ 16 BB ▪️ 83 BB ▪️ 18-of-24 SB

Céspedes saw his season delayed by visa issues, and his first two weeks or so were spend at DH. He also had an underwhelming showing in the Arizona Fall League (22 strikeouts in 19 games, .466 OPS).

Oscar Colás

Right Fielder
Age 23
2019 High Level Japan Western League
Overall 2019-20 (Japan, Cuba) stats 87 games ▪️ 16 HR ▪️ 66 RBI ▪️ .290/.351/.497 ▪️ 30 BB ▪️ 82 BB

While not officially a member of the White Sox organization until January 2022, it is widely assumed that Colás will join his multiple Cuban countrymen in the White Sox organization. For all the talk of Colás as the “next Ohtani,” he has not pitched professionally since 2018-19 in Cuba, and for just three games there at that.

Erick Hernández

Left Fielder
Age 17
2021 High Level N/A

While not officially a member of the White Sox organization until January 2022, it is widely assumed that Hernández will join the White Sox organization. He bats left, and has been comped — for what comping is worth — to Juan Soto. He is still just 16 years old, not turning 17 until January.

Wes Kath

Third Baseman
Age 19
2021 High Level ACL White Sox (Rookie)
Overall 2021 stats 28 games ▪️ 3 HR ▪️ 15 RBI ▪️ .212/.287/.337 ▪️ 8 BB ▪️ 42 BB

Kath was the second round draft choice of the White Sox in 2021, out of Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Jared Kelley

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 20
2021 SSS poll ranking 5
2021 High Level Kannapolis (Low-A)
Overall 2021 stats 0-7 ▪️ 12 starts ▪️ 23 ²⁄₃ IP ▪️ 7.61 ERA ▪️ 26 BB ▪️ 27 K ▪️ 2.113 WHIP

Kelley sat with shoulder issues for almost two months in the middle of the season.

Colson Montgomery
Shortstop

Age 20
2021 High Level ACL White Sox (Rookie)
Overall 2021 stats 26 games ▪️ 0 HR ▪️ 7 RBI ▪️ .287/.396/.362 ▪️ 13 BB ▪️ 22 K

Montgomery was the first round draft choice of the White Sox in 2021, out of Southridge High School in Huntingburg, Ind.

Bryan Ramos

Third Baseman
Age 20
2020 SSS poll ranking 33
2021 SSS poll ranking 21
2021 High Level Kannapolis (Low-A)
Overall 2021 stats 115 games ▪️ 13 HR ▪️ 57 RBI ▪️ .244/.345/.415 ▪️ 13-of-17 SB ▪️ 51 BB ▪️ 110 K

José Rodríguez

Shortstop
Age 20
2020 SSS poll ranking 32
2021 SSS poll ranking 18
2021 High Level Birmingham (AA)
Overall 2021 stats 111 games ▪️ 14 HR ▪️ 51 RBI ▪️ .301/.338/.469 ▪️ 30-of-41 SB ▪️ 26 BB ▪️ 72 K

Popeye’s meteoric rise through the system was rewarded with an assignment to the Arizona Fall League, where he largely ran out of gas (.226/.273/.323 in 16 games)

Norge Vera

Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 21
2021 SSS poll ranking 9
2021 High Level DSL White Sox (Rookie)
Overall 2021 stats 1-0 ▪️ 8 games (7 starts) ▪️ 19 IP ▪️ 0.00 ERA ▪️ 34 K ▪️ 5 BB ▪️ 0.737 WHIP