White Sox Prospects Are Moving Through the System
As any fan or pundit probably knows, a Major League Baseball team is only as good as its farm system.
Baseball dynasties have been built on this premise for many decades, and losing franchises continually choose to ignore this simple fact about this sport.
What can be said about the wisdom of the Chicago White Sox?
While the Pale Hose seem to be slowly but surely turning the page on their losing ways stemming from last season’s abysmal collapse, the Sox are still fighting from the bottom of the American League cellar and with the month of June upon us, this club is far off the mark from the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers and any prospect of making the postseason slips away with each loss.
The White Sox Are Loading up on Prospects for the Long Haul
Again, the success or failure of a baseball franchise lies in its ability to “grow” players within its own farm system. Whether those players come straight from high school or through the collegiate ranks, the White Sox have a vested interest in building these prospects up so they can make it to the Show someday.
One of the key players at the top of the White Sox prospect pool is catcher Kyle Teel.
Teel was a first-round draft pick by the Red Sox back in 2023 and currently is making his mark in Triple-A Charlotte with 46 games played and a .287 batting average with a .390 on-base percentage and a solid .869 OPS.
The biggest question here is whether or not the White Sox will try and hold onto Teel or will he become trade fodder before the MLB trade deadline, given the fact that Korey Lee is now back in the White Sox lineup and backup Edgar Quero continually justifies his call-up to the Show both behind the plate and in the batters box. With Kyle Teel looking to be the third catcher, does he stay in Charlotte for more “seasoning” or does he go on the trading block to other franchises looking for a top-tier catching prospect?
The Sox May Need to Slow Down on Hagen Smith’s Rise to the Big Club
LHP Hagen Smith is a top-tier pitching prospect (and Arkansas Razorback standout) in the White Sox farm pipeline, but his rise to the Show may be hampered by more elbow soreness. The number five draft pick in the 2024 MLB amateur draft, Smith showed developmental progress in Double-A Birmingham this season with 42 strikeouts to 20 walks in 25 2/3 innings of work and a very solid 2.10 earned run average (ERA).
However, Smith has a history of elbow issues, including Tommy John surgery while still in high school, and additional elbow soreness means the Sox have benched him since mid-May. Additional biomechanical training has been ordered for Smith to try to alleviate his elbow soreness and correct any throwing issues.
With Hagen Smith ranked as the number two left-handed pitcher prospect by MLB Pipeline, the White Sox need to take their time with this young pitcher and help him address his elbow issues before they become serious problems.
The value of a top-tier left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball cannot be overstated, and the White Sox have a vested interest in making sure that Hagen Smith recovers from his left elbow and that elbow stays healthy.
PHOTO: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images
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Categorized:White Sox