Chicago White Sox Minor League Update: August 4, 2023

Triple-A Charlotte saw our second farm system game postponement in as many days, so we’ll begin today in Double-A. And, to make it up to you, we also have a Winston-Salem doubleheader to cover, too!

The Barons jumped ahead early, but shoddy defensive play and iffy pitching in the middle innings sank their hopes of winning against the Trash Pandas today. Starter Matt Thompson struggled a bit with his command, but fans were treated to a Thompson whose profile more closely resembled his top prospect status of yesteryear. Despite four walks and being saddled with the loss in this contest, none of the runs Thompson surrendered were earned and he retired seven batters via the K in just four innings.

Matt Thompson is ON FIRE to start the game pic.twitter.com/FJypgjozsj
— Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) August 5, 2023

On the offensive side, center fielder Terrell Tatum continued his hot streak of late in the 2-spot of the Barons batting order. He drove in Birmingham’s first run in the third, and finished the day with two hits and one run of his own. He was the only Baron to record a multi-hit performance in the contest, though all except one of the starting nine recorded at least one hit on the evening. Recently-acquired catching prospect Edgar Quero batted cleanup and started in the DH slot for the Barons, driving in Tatum with his lone hit of the game.

Quero knocks in Tatum for his fifth RBI of the series! pic.twitter.com/QB7pbd6G6F
— Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) August 5, 2023

Though the Barons suffered a loss, Thompson’s resurgent start, Quero’s continued knack for clutch hitting, and Tatum’s habitual assault on any baseball unlucky enough to cross in front of him should provide healthy optimism for the club of young major league hopefuls.

Poll

Which Baron shined brightest in the loss?

This poll is closed

53%

Terrell Tatum: 2-for-4, RBI, R, K

(30 votes)
5%

Edgar Quero: 1-for-4, RBI, K

(3 votes)
37%

Matt Thompson: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 7 K, L

(21 votes)
3%

Jason Matthews: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 K

(2 votes)

56 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Which Baron struggled the most?

This poll is closed

5%

Matt Thompson: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 7 K, L

(3 votes)
25%

Luis Mieses: 0-for-4, 2 K

(13 votes)
36%

Yoelvín Silven: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 0 K

(19 votes)
32%

Tommy Sommer: 1 2⁄3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K

(17 votes)

52 votes total Vote Now

As promised, up next is a double dose of High-A! Careful what you ask for, though, because it wasn’t pretty.

Game One!

We begin with a shutout in Winston-Salem. Starter Connor McCullough surrendered five of the Hot Rods’ six runs (four earned) and was saddled with the loss after covering five innings in the contest and punching out six. His command wasn’t particularly sharp, as he also walked a couple of batters in the process. Frander Veras followed McCullough’s effort with a one-inning, no-run appearance that got the Dash through the penultimate inning. Despite his effort, Winston-Salem couldn’t get going against a Hot Rods team that was firing on all cylinders.

Opposing starter Ben Peoples pitched six of the night’s seven innings, struck out six, and turned the shutout over to reliever Jeff Hakanson, who retired Winston-Salem on eight pitches to end the contest.

Dash catcher Michael Turner delivered a multi-hit performance on the night, and a trio of Dash batters (Taishi Nakawake, Shawn Goosenberg, and Loidel Chapelli Jr.) also recorded hits in the shutout.

So, with that, let’s move on to the second game!

Ouch ...

Starter and former rising prospect Kohl Simas was knocked around in this one. After the book on him was closed, he’d surrendered five earnies on 11 hits despite striking out eight and walking only one. While the eight K’s is certainly encouraging, his ERA on the year is at 6.01, showing that batters are able to do way too much with the ball when Simas misses his spots. Reliever Noah Owen threw the only scoreless Dash inning in relief while fellow bullpen mates Jake Palish and Johnny Ray each surrendered a pair of runs in the loss.

The Dash offense did manage to find the scoreboard in this one, though not with enough authority to chase down the team from Bowling Green. Loidel Chapelli Jr. stroked a double to right for his second hit in as many contests. He also walked twice in the losing effort. Center fielder Caberea Weaver recorded the only multi-hit effort for Winston-Salem on the night, but was stranded on base both times he reached.

On the whole, there’s little positive to take away from a day this young Dash team will hope to sweep under the rug. Even so, it’s incumbent on our readers to find an MVP for today! All figures in this poll will count statistics from both games.

Poll

Who was the Dash’s silver lining in this duo of losses?

This poll is closed

79%

Loidel Chapelli Jr.: 2-for-4, 3 BB, 2 R, 2B, K

(31 votes)
2%

Shawn Goosenberg: 2-for-7, 2 R, K

(1 vote)
7%

DJ Gladney: 1-for-7, HR, RBI, 4 K

(3 votes)
5%

Michael Turner: 2-for-3

(2 votes)
5%

Colby Smelley: 1-for-2, 2B, 3 RBI

(2 votes)
0%

Frander Veras: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB

(0 votes)
0%

Noah Owen: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

(0 votes)

39 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the Dash’s LEAST valuable player across both losses?

This poll is closed

5%

Andy Atwood: 0-for-3, 3 K

(2 votes)
75%

Kohl Simas: 4 1⁄3 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 8 K, L

(28 votes)
10%

Johnny Ray: 2⁄3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K

(4 votes)
0%

Jake Palisch: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K

(0 votes)
8%

Connor McCullough: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K, L

(3 votes)

37 votes total Vote Now

Kannapolis didn’t fare much better than our friends in Winston-Salem, as top prospect Peyton Pallette gave up a pair of runs in his second inning of work against an eager RiverDogs offense. He flashed good strikeout stuff with five punchies in his three innings, however. Manuel Veloz relieved Pallette in the fourth and took the L, giving up three runs of his own in his 3 2⁄3 innings pitched.

Calvin Harris continued the farm’s trend of production from the catcher position today, as he collected a hit and drove in two of Kannapolis’ three runs on the day. Box score mainstay Mario Camilletti likewise recorded a hit and drove in the remaining Kanny run.

Opposing starter Yoniel Curet wasn’t the most dominant form of himself that we’ve seen on the Low-A mound, but he still went 4 1⁄3 innings strong with two runs allowed, four strikeouts and modestly increased his ERA on the year to 2.46 in the no-decision.

Poll

Who earned Kanny MVP honors?

This poll is closed

3%

Mario Camilletti: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K

(1 vote)
45%

Calvin Harris: 1-for-4, 2 RBI

(14 votes)
22%

Horacio Andujar: 1 1⁄3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 K

(7 votes)
29%

Wilber Sánchez: 1-for-2, R, BB

(9 votes)

31 votes total Vote Now

Poll

And who was Kannapolis’ LEAST valuable player?

This poll is closed

32%

Brooks Baldwin: 0-for-4, 2 K

(9 votes)
3%

Peyton Pallette: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K

(1 vote)
64%

Manuel Veloz: 3 2⁄3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, BB, K, L

(18 votes)

28 votes total Vote Now

Another game, another farm L.

Starter and former top pitching prospect Norge Vera continued his rehab assignment in the ACL, going one inning of scoreless ball while walking one batter and fanning none. He has yet to allow an earned run in the ACL so far. The rest of the ACL Sox bullpen followed suit until Mark McLaughlin took the ball to try to nail down a two-inning save to end the game. Unfortunately for the young righty, he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out four and walking one in his two innings of work, saddling him with the blown save and his sixth loss of the year for the ACL Sox.

Infielder and 2023 17th round draft pick Mikey Kane made his organizational debut with the ACL Sox and collected three knocks in three trips to the plate while driving in the lone Sox run. Catcher and 16th round pick Weston Eberly also collected a hit in his organizational debut, and 14th round pick Edrick Felix tallied the only Sox extra base hit on the day.

All in all, there was some promising work from the most recent White Sox draft class in the losing effort. It’s up to you, the reader, to anoint one young standout as MVP.

Poll

Who was the MVP for the ACL Sox?

This poll is closed

0%

Ronny Robles: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K

(0 votes)
0%

Luke Bell: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K

(0 votes)
3%

Edrick Felix: 1-for-2, 2B, BB, K

(1 vote)
96%

Mikey Kane: 3-for-3, RBI

(25 votes)

26 votes total Vote Now

Poll

Who was the ACL Sox cold cat?

This poll is closed

77%

Mark McLaughlin: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 4 K, BS, L

(17 votes)
18%

Manuel Guariman: 0-for-3

(4 votes)
4%

Caden Connor: 0-for-3, BB, K

(1 vote)

22 votes total Vote Now

White Sox Minor League Update: August 4, 2023

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Poll

Which Baron shined brightest in the loss?

53%

Terrell Tatum: 2-for-4, RBI, R, K

5%

Edgar Quero: 1-for-4, RBI, K

37%

Matt Thompson: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 7 K, L

3%

Jason Matthews: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 K

Poll

Which Baron struggled the most?

5%

Matt Thompson: 4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 7 K, L

25%

Luis Mieses: 0-for-4, 2 K

36%

Yoelvín Silven: 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 0 K

32%

Tommy Sommer: 1 2⁄3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K

Poll

Who was the Dash’s silver lining in this duo of losses?

79%

Loidel Chapelli Jr.: 2-for-4, 3 BB, 2 R, 2B, K

2%

Shawn Goosenberg: 2-for-7, 2 R, K

7%

DJ Gladney: 1-for-7, HR, RBI, 4 K

5%

Michael Turner: 2-for-3

5%

Colby Smelley: 1-for-2, 2B, 3 RBI

0%

Frander Veras: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB

0%

Noah Owen: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Poll

Who was the Dash’s LEAST valuable player across both losses?

5%

Andy Atwood: 0-for-3, 3 K

75%

Kohl Simas: 4 1⁄3 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 8 K, L

10%

Johnny Ray: 2⁄3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K

0%

Jake Palisch: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K

8%

Connor McCullough: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K, L

Poll

Who earned Kanny MVP honors?

3%

Mario Camilletti: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 K

45%

Calvin Harris: 1-for-4, 2 RBI

22%

Horacio Andujar: 1 1⁄3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 K

29%

Wilber Sánchez: 1-for-2, R, BB

Poll

And who was Kannapolis’ LEAST valuable player?

32%

Brooks Baldwin: 0-for-4, 2 K

3%

Peyton Pallette: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K

64%

Manuel Veloz: 3 2⁄3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, BB, K, L

Poll

Who was the MVP for the ACL Sox?

0%

Ronny Robles: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K

0%

Luke Bell: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K

3%

Edrick Felix: 1-for-2, 2B, BB, K

96%

Mikey Kane: 3-for-3, RBI

Poll

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