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2021 South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 92: Ruben Benavides

With a bat powerful enough to double at DH, this backstop is looking to make some noise in the desert

Ruben Sierra #44
We don’t have a Ruben Benavides photo. However, please enjoy this shot of Jerry Manuel talking with Ruben Sierra.

Ruben Benavides

Catcher
6´1´´
178 pounds
Age: 19
SSS rank among all catchers in the system: 8
2020 SSHP Top Prospect ranking: 96

About a month after the 2018 DSL season was over, Venezuela native Benavides signed an international contract with the White Sox. And because the DSL White Sox actually had five catchers on its roster in 2019, each backstop had relatively little playing time behind the plate. However, because of Benavides’ bat, he played in another 10 games as DH.

Overall, in 22 games in his pro debut totaling 66 at-bats, Benavides slashed an impressive .348/.425/.606 with eight doubles, three triples, 12 RBIs, two stolen bases, nine walks (11.3%) and 14 strikeouts (17.5%). In his 12 games behind the dish, he threw out 4-of-14 attempted basestealers (28.6%) but had four passed balls. It will be interesting to see if he can carry his rather prodigious offense into the Arizona Rookie League this summer.