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Now that friend of the podcast Jim Callis posted his top 30 White Sox prospects list on MLB.com, we finally have the big board of White Sox prospect lists for 2015.
Just like last year, the White Sox have enough names to fill up an entire list of 10 with players to spare. And when you look at 30-deep lists like Callis', an ordered list that lengthy isn't such a fool's errand anymore. To me, a granular ranking starts falling apart after No. 15 or so, but that's still progress.
Here's how the lists stack up, starting with Larry's detailed two-part look at his top 10.
Rodon
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Rodon
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Rodon
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Anderson
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Rodon
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Rodon
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Rodon
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Rodon
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Anderson
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Anderson
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Anderson
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Rodon
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Anderson
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Anderson
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Anderson
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Anderson
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Montas
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Danish
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Adams
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Danish
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Adams
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Montas
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Montas
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Montas
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Danish
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Montas
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Johnson
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Adams
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Montas
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Adams
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Adams
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Adams
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Adams
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Adams
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Montas
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Montas
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Johnson
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Johnson
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Danish
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Danish
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Davidson
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Johnson
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Adolfo
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Beck
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Davidson
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Adolfo
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Michalczewski
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Johnson
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Hawkins
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Hawkins
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Danish
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Hawkins
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Michalczewski
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Danish
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Johnson
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Hawkins
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Sanchez
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Sanchez
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Michalczewski
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Sanchez
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Danish
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Michalczewski
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Hawkins
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Sanchez
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Johnson
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Michalczewski
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Hawkins
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Johnson
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Adolfo
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Hawkins
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Adolfo
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Michalczewski
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Michalczewski
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May
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May
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May
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Hawkins
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Sanchez
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Thompson
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Adolfo
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This time, there's a stronger consensus over the first five:
- Carlos Rodon
- Tim Anderson
- Frankie Montas
- Spencer Adams
- Tyler Danish
Micah Johnson has a pretty good grip on the sixth spot, and then it winds its way down through personal preference territory from there.
Over in the FanPosts, Eagle Bones, actin' all like I don't have a chart that's been 87-percent done for a month and just needs our buddy Callis to complete it, offered a good list of thoughts about the list that are worth your time. But I'll add in a few more.
*Baseball Prospectus wins this year's "Different To Be Different Award" by ranking Tim Anderson ahead of Carlos Rodon, and indirectly explained it by referencing prospect fatigue.
Still, it doesn't compare to last year's DTBD winner -- FanGraphs' Marc Hulet, who ranked Jose Abreu third behind Eric Johnson and Courtney Hawkins. Half of the lists didn't include Abreu in the rankings because they didn't consider him a farm product, but the other three whose criteria allowed him made him an easy No. 1.
Kiley McDaniel is doing the lists now for FanGraphs, so there isn't any of the same weirdness (Hulet ranked Anderson No. 6 last year, too).
*The First Bad Year Penalty crushed Matt Davidson, knocking him off six of eight lists. Courtney Hawkins didn't suffer nearly as much last season, which is either a testament to the age gap, or maybe more to the depth of the system. Hawkins responded better to his second full season, but he didn't experience a climb due to the latter.
*A considerable amount of turnover on this board seems likely when 2016 rolls around. Rodon, Carlos Sanchez and Johnson all seem likely to play their way out of prospect status, and guys like Montas and Davidson could join them. One of those spots will be replaced by the player the Sox select with the eighth-overall pick, but with no second- or third-round selection, you probably won't see another 2015 pick crash the party like Adams did this time around.
*Poised to achieve unanimous top-10 status: Trey Michalczewski, Jacob May, Micker Adolfo. Another guy I like whose name doesn't come up? Luis Martinez.
*Regarding Montas, here's the first dose of PITCHf/x data from his start against the Rangers on Thursday.
Pitch Type | Velo (Max) | H-Break | V-Break | Count | Strikes / % | Swings / % | Whiffs / % | BIP (No Out) | SNIPs / % |
FF (Four-seam Fastball) | 96.1 (99.6) | -5.88 | 8.31 | 27 | 20 / 74.1% | 12 / 44.4% | 0 / 0.0% | 4 (1) | 16 / 69.6% |
SL (Slider) | 87.9 (90.4) | 1.37 | 1.67 | 9 | 6 / 66.7% | 5 / 55.6% | 1 / 11.1% | 3 (1) | 3 / 50.0% |
FC (Cutter) | 87.4 (87.4) | -0.17 | 4.96 | 1 | 1 / 100.0% | 1 / 100.0% | 1 / 100.0% | 0 (0) | 1 / 100.0% |