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White Sox Select Johnny Ray in the 12th Round (365th overall)

The South Siders select yet another college arm, this time tapping TCU for a possible rotation piece

By Joe Resis
Back to the mound: The White Sox selected Johnny Ray, who extends the South Siders’ streak of picks used on pitchers to 10.
@TCU_Baseball

The White Sox picked right-handed starter Johnny Ray out of TCU with their 12th round pick in the MLB Draft. Ray is the 10th consecutive pitcher drafted by the White Sox, who have not drafted a position player since Wes Kath in the second round.

Ray is 22 years old and played two years at TCU, where he had some mixed results. Ray could not pitch with Illinois State University in 2018 due to Tommy John surgery, but has managed to recover after transferring.

In fact, Ray posted a 2.53 ERA with a 2.6 K/BB ratio for the Horned Frogs in the shortened 2020 season. However, Ray had a 6.50 ERA with a 1.6 K/BB ratio in 2021. Command was an issue for Ray this season, as his walk rate (5.7 BB/9) will have to decrease. The White Sox are hoping to get Ray’s control issue under control as he progresses through the organization.

Ray can reach the mid-90s with his fastball, and his curveball, which normally sits in the upper 70s, supplements the fastball nicely. Per MLB.com, Ray’s changeup is also noteworthy due to its amount of drop.

Congratulations on Ray for getting drafted, and hopefully, he can make an impact in the starting rotation in the next few years.

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