White Sox Minor League Update: June 1, 2017

The White Sox introduced their Minor League Players of the Month nods last month by commending Yoan Moncada and Dane Dunning. As the calendar turns to June, here’s your reminder that this is now a thing.

This time around, “a panel of Chicago-area media members” selected Micker Adolfo and Michael Kopech for the honors.

Adolfo seemed like a natural choice. It’s not just that he hit .333/.385/.531 with 15 extra-base hits, a 16-game hitting streak and 17 RBIs over 24 games, but that it came from a guy who is finally healthy enough to start meeting the kind of expectations a $1.6 million bonus set. The 7:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio shows there’s still plenty of work ahead, although that drops to 3.5:1 if you lump in HBPs. That seems like part of his game.

Kopech continued to rack up strikeouts during a successful May. He fanned 47 to just 39 baserunners (20 hits, 17 walks, 2 HBPs) over 35 innings. He posted a 2.31 ERA, averaged 5.8 innings a start and held hitters to a .167/.281/.250 line against.

Alec Hansen could have staked a claim to this award. He struck out 43 over 30¹⁄₃ innings with a similar WHIP and averaged better than six innings a start. Hansen also ended the month with a dominant flourish, striking out 25 over his last 12 innings. However, Kopech should get some credit for being two levels higher.

Top prospects at a glance

• Yoan Moncada: 0-for-4, SF, K
• Zack Collins: 1-for-4, 3B, BB, 2 K.
• Luis Alexander Basabe: 0-for-3, BB, SF, K

Syracuse 8, Charlotte 4

• Jacob May was 2-for-5 with a strikeout and a stolen base.
• Nicky Delmonico, 2-for-4 with a double, walk and strikeout.
• Yoan Moncada, 0-for-4 with a sac fly and a K.
• Danny Hayes, 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
• Rymer Liriano, 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
• Tyler Danish: 6 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 2 K
• The Knights committed six errors.
• Neal Cotts is pitching for Syracuse.

Birmingham 3, Chattanooga 1

• Eddy Alvarez went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Nick Basto, 2-for-3 with a homer, double and walk.
• Alfredo Gonzalez returned from the DL and went 1-for-3 with a homer and a strikeout.
• Jordan Guerrero: 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP

Wilmington 9, Winston-Salem 6

• Zack Collins went 1-for-4 with a triple, walk and two strikeouts. It wasn’t his best day behind the plate — 0-for-2 with a throwing error and two passed balls.
• Trey Michalczewski was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts.
• Luis Alexander Basabe was 0-for-3 with a walk, sac fly and a strikeout.
• Johan Cruz homered, singled, walked twice and stole a base.
• Luis Martinez retired a batter: 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP. He lowered his ERA to 23.40.

Kannapolis 3, Greensboro 2

• Joel Booker went 0-for-3 with an HBP, two strikeouts and a stolen base.
• Jameson Fisher, 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
• Micker Adolfo was 1-for-3 with a homer and a strikeout.
• Jimmy Lambert: 6 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K