South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 23: Lenyn Sosa

Lenyn Sosa

Shortstop
6´0´´
180 pounds
Age: 21
SSS rank among all shortstops in the system: 2
2020 SSHP Top Prospect Ranking: 27
2019 SSS Top Prospect Ranking: 30
2018 SSS Top Prospect Ranking: 39

It was easy for Lenyn Sosa to get lost in the shuffle, as he was one of a nine-member 2016 International Signing Day class that included Josue Guerrero, Luis Mieses and Anderson Comas. Yet so far, it’s this Venezuelan shortstop (who signed for $350,000) who has advanced further than anyone from that class.

Sox brass liked Sosa so much that he actually skipped the DSL and instead began his career with the AZL squad. For that team, in which he was nearly three years younger than league average, he slashed .270/.330/.358 in 42 games with four doubles, two triples, two homers, 23 RBIs, three stolen bases, 14 walks (7.8%) and 24 strikeouts (13.3%).

Sosa continued his progress in 2018 with Great Falls, as he slashed .293/.317/.406 in 65 games with 13 doubles, three triples, four homers, 35 RBIs, two stolen bases, seven walks (2.4%) and 36 strikeouts (12.4%).

In 2019, Sosa took a step back but still showed promise. In 122 games with Kannapolis spanning 501 at-bats, he slashed .251/.292/.371 with 35 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 51 RBIs, six stolen bases, 27 walks (5.0%) and 102 strikeouts (19.0%). Sosa began turning on the ball in a tough ballpark for hitters, and while he still doesn’t walk a lot, provided glimpses that he could still have a future in a White Sox uniform. For example, when Sosa should have wearied at the end of the season (as he’d nearly doubled his career-high in games played), he slashed .429/.455/.714 over his last 10 games.

Sosa committed 14 errors at shortstop, which actually is quite good for such a young player — competing this year about 2 ¹⁄₂ years younger than his competition — and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him begin the 2021 season with Winston-Salem.