The most notable Baron would have to be Gordon Beckham. Beckham was only in Birmingham for a couple months, but he impressed enough to make it to the Majors by June and is currently a Rookie of the Year candidate, if not favorite. Beckham has the ability to hit .280-.300 with 20 HR at a premium position (either 3B , SS or 2B) with a good walk rate and big RBI potential. He is the type of player the White Sox can build around. The Sox definitely needed a solid young positional player to come through because the best hitters of the lineup were aging free agents to be like Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye. Beckham has put up an OPS over .800 on an 80-90 RBI pace for a whole season. What more could a Sox fan ask for?

Replacing Beckham as the top positional prospect in the system has undoubtedly been Tyler Flowers. Flowers was the main returning piece in the Javier Vazquez trade with Atlanta. Initially, there were questions about his defense and how his bat would make the transition to AA. Flowers answered both positively. His defense made major improvements, Southern League managers even voted him the best defensive catcher in the league, and he absolutely mashed the ball (.302 average, .445 OBP, .993 OPS). His AAA numbers weren’t spectacular, but he didn’t have much of a chance to adjust. Jim Thome’s trade before the August waiver deadline opened the door for some September playing time for Flowers, though he has still only seen limited action.

In the Majors, Flowers has looked like Josh Fields with a much better batting eye. Now before everyone freaks out with a Josh Fields comparison, I did say Flowers was going to strike out a lot this September. His swing is still long and the stats have translated as expected. What’s interesting is that while his contact rate is awful, his walk rate and batting eye has been very impressive. Flowers has 8 strikeouts and 3 walks in 16 at-bats. He should be able to adjust and this is a tiny sample size anyway, but I’m more encouraged about his ability to draw walks and go deep into counts despite a horrid contact rate. It’s not like pitchers are giving him any respect. The power hasn’t shown up yet, just one double, but I’m not worried about that right now. All things considered, 2009 has been a great year for Flowers. General Manager Kenny Williams and Manager Ozzie Guillen have a lot of tough decisions this offseason and Flowers’ situation for 2010 is going to be one of the tougher ones. Can they trust his bat to play DH? Can they risk having him backup A.J. Pierzynski and only play a few times a week? It will be one of the bigger storylines of the offseason.

Probably the biggest storyline of the White Sox minor leagues this year has been the emergence of Dan Hudson. Hudson, an ‘08 draftee like Beckham, has recorded wins at five levels of pro baseball this season. A mind blowing feat for two reasons: that he successfully moved through the system so quickly and that he did so without skipping a level. He entered this season as a sleeper prospect, but quickly asserted himself as the top pitching prospect in the system. In 16.2 innings with the Sox so far, Hudson has been mostly impressive. His velocity is as advertised in the 93-95 m.p.h. range and he has a 3.24 ERA. His strikeout rate has remained solid, but he has walked 9 batters in his 2 starts. For the first start you might be able to argue nerves, especially after he didn’t walk any in his 3 relief appearances. He seemed to be nibbling, afraid to attack hitters. Hopefully the issue is a mental problem that can be easily fixed, as opposed to an actual lack of control. Like with Flowers, I’ll be optimistic because it’s really hard to evaluate a September call-up. Hudson was probably getting a lot of his strikeouts in the minors by getting hitters to chase with 2 strikes. That won’t work in the Majors, but Hudson has the ability to be a solid Major League starter down the road. If he doesn’t get traded, he will probably enter 2010 as the favorite for the 5th starter spot.

The other candidate for the 5th starter spot in 2010, Carlos Torres, has had control problems in the Majors that look more like a long-term concern. He was barely on the prospect radar to start 2009, but had a spectacular season for Charlotte. I think he will be a future long reliever type, but watching him walk 4 in 6 innings today against the Indians doesn’t make you think he can start in the bigs. You simply can’t walk 17 in 27.1 innings and expect to succeed in the Majors. Sure, he could get better, but it’s really hard to see a major improvement. Still, Torres had a great 2009 to put himself in this discussion and you can never have enough pitching options.

The four mentioned so far all are with the big league club currently. Others lower in the minors have had successful years as well. Brent Morel had a strong second half while playing at high-A in his first full professional season. C.J. Retherford continues to prove people wrong and will have another chance in the Arizona Fall League. The system still isn’t top tier, especially after two in-season trades, but the depth is improving after being one of the worst systems in baseball in 2007.

The Birmingham Barons were one of Minor League Baseball’s best teams this year and their 92-47 record was the best in the team’s history. Their roster at the start of the season was stacked with many of the organizations top prospects including Gordon Beckham, Tyler Flowers, Brandon Allen, Dayan Viciedo, Aaron Poreda and John Shelby, and as you would have expected, they made light work of opposing Southern League teams. Promotions, trades and call-ups removed many of their best players from the first couple of months of the season but they were replaced, and replaced well, by players such as Christian Marrero, Jordan Danks and Charlie Shirek, added to that, mainstays such as John Ely and C.J. Retherford ensured that the Barons didn’t skip a beat in the second half. Now ready to make a run for the Southern League crown, the Barons will start their best of 5 series with Jacksonville Suns on Thursday.

The Winston-Salem Dash make their way into the playoff largely thanks to playing in a very weak Carolina League South. You may think that’s a little unfair, saying they’re only in the playoff due to playing in a weak division, but when you have a 4.30 ERA (2nd worst in the CAR) and are just midpack in runs scored, it’s unlikely that you were a good team. The Dash actually allowed more runs (642) than they scored (626). Winston-Salem’s offense has been led by a personal favourite of mine, Seth Loman, and postseason All-Star at 3B, Brent Morel, they also have Carolina League manager of the year Joe McEwing in their corner as well as a rotation led by Justin Edwards and Dylan Axelrod. The Dash will play their first postseason game tomorrow night against the Salem Red Sox, who are expected to start Daisuke Matsuzaka, and while anything can and often does happen in the playoffs, don’t expect the Carolina League crown to be coming the Dash’s way.

The Kannapolis Intimidators’ season has been all about their fantastic second half, in which they have a 45-24 record and a .652 winning percentage. Pitching was this team’s M.O. as they led the whole of the South Atlantic League with 530 runs allowed thanks to a rotation fronted by two of this organizations more intriguing starters, Charlie Leesman and Stephen Sauer (having Dexter Carter and Dan Hudson for a time didn’t hurt either). Even with losing one of it’s better arms, Charlis Burdie to the Dash, the Intimidators have one of the most formidable bullpen’s in the Minors, backed by Dan Remonowsky, ’09 draftee Kyle Bellamy and late season promotion Santos Rodriguez. Other ’09 draftees have played large parts in this team’s second half run, most notably two early round picks Jared Mitchell and Josh Phegley but also one later round pick, Joe Serafin. The Intimidators will play their first postseason game tomorrow against the Lakewood BlueClaws, with Charlie Leesman getting the start.

The final Sox affiliate to make the playoffs are the defending Pioneer League champions Great Falls, who swept their way past the Orem Owlz in the 2008 championship series behind the arms of Dan Hudson and Dexter Carter. This years Voyagers have been led by a steady dose of pitching and offense where the rank 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Pioneer League. The Voyagers have an old team for a rookie ball affiliate and as it stands Trayce Thompson is the only teen on their roster, he’s also roughly 2 ½ years younger than anyone else on the team, and it is partly for this reason that they don’t appear to be brimmed with future Major Leaguers. The Great Falls Voyagers will call upon it’s offensive stars Jose Vargas, Nick Ciolli, Johny Celis and Kyle Colligan to lead the team to victory when they start their playoff run against the Missoula Osprey’s this Saturday the 12th.

I want to talk about character this week. It may not be important as a scouting tool for minor league players, but I think it’s underrated. Over the years I’ve gotten familiar with the character of many ballplayers who’ve come through Birmingham, as Barons or with the opposing teams. I’ve taken a lot of flack for being such a big fan of David Cook. He may not be a prospect to many, but he would bring a lot to any team he plays for. He applies to the old cliché of doing things that don’t show up in the box score. On top of the fact that he’s unflappable, he may as well be nicknamed “Iceman.” He may consider himself an organizational guy and just be happy to be playing affiliate ball, but in my opinion it would be a tragedy if he never got a shot in the Majors, regardless of the team.

Thankfully, there have been more good guys than bad over the last few seasons. I’ll always be a fan of Gio Gonzalez. If you ever had a chance to meet him, you couldn’t help but be a fan. He could run for mayor in whatever city he plays in and win. Not many ballplayers come up to you and shake your hand and ask you how you’re doing. He goes out of his way to earn your fanhood. Speaking of going out of his way, players like Micah Schnurstein and the recently traded Aaron Poreda qualify for that. I’ll always be a fan of Micah Schnurstein, even though it seems that he’s retired, because he personally gave me one of his $250 baseball gloves. In his words, I deserved it because I showed up every night to support the team. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled a year ago when he turned down a demotion to Winston-Salem and was released. Aaron Poreda did the same thing for a kid who’s always out at Regions Park shortly before he was promoted to Chicago. Fernando Hernandez and Brian Omogrosso have also shown exceptional friendliness towards myself and other fans. I can speak to the quality of the character of players like Chris Getz, a baseball rat in the truest form, the recently traded Adam Russell, who’s nicer than you’d expect, Clevelan Santeliz, the class clown of the Barons, John Shelby III and many others.

Unfortunately, there are some jerks and bums along the way too. Many of you will be happy to know that Chris Young and Jerry Owens were not very nice at all. Nobody will be surprised to know that Robert Valido was known as the “Butcher of Birmingham.” He had more attitude than talent. I’m sure that the fans in Bowie have soured on him. He would be out of baseball if he was older than 24. Watching him play for parts of three seasons took it’s toll on me. Thomas Collaro seemed annoyed by loyal fan support. Of course, he didn’t earn the nickname “Mongo” because he hustled and was a smart player. Good luck in the Atlantic League, Tommy. The one player who boiled my blood to no end was Chris Kelly. The worst third basemen I’d ever seen. If he could strike out on two pitches, he would. He was the last player to get his uniform dirty, he had stone hands, lead feet and a thick head. I bit my tongue for three months in an attempt not to heckle him. I even held it at the end of the last game in 2007. I had to listen to his parents bicker behind me for a week and a half, his dad making excuses for his poor play while his mom got on him about it. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found out he wasn’t returning for the 2008 season. He’s toiling away in the Can-Am League now.

It may seem like I’m rambling on, but I think it is important to pass along to all of you the guys you should root for and hope for their success. If you need any more convincing, I think Gordon Beckham had exceptional character, especially on the field. He went all out 100%, not like a guy holding back until he got to the show. Even if he is a player with the ladies…

Next time on JPNese…well, I’ll take suggestions on Soxtalk this week for that.

Cheers,
JPN

However, the team has a new look to it than it did on Opening Day and throughout most of the first half. It started with Gordon Beckham getting promoted in late May to AAA Charlotte. Then, a couple weeks later, Aaron Poreda made his way to the big leagues. In mid-June, Brandon Allen was moved up to Charlotte and a couple weeks ago Tyler Flowers received the same fate, though Allen has since been traded. That leaves currently only three of the original seven top prospects remaining on the team, but that isn’t to say the Barons aren’t still the most talented team in the Sox farm system.

Despite more notable departures from Brian Omogrosso and Lucas Harrell, the Barons have been able to reload through the high-A Winston-Salem Dash, who also won their first half division title. Along with Danks, Christian Marrero, Dan Hudson (who started in Kannapolis this season) and Charlie Shirek joined the Barons to replace the departed prospects.

Overall, that’s a lot of movement, but nothing extraordinary. So who cares? We often ignore wins and losses at FutureSox. Let’s change that for now. The Barons were 48-21 in the first half and have gone 18-11 in the second half. They have cooled down, clearly missing some of the sparks of the departed Barons, but are still just one game out of first place in their division in the second half.

Looking at where they have lost their production, it’s mostly in the lineup. Hudson, Shirek and Justin Cassel (demoted from Charlotte in a swap with Harrell) have more than matched the production of Poreda, Omogrosso and Harrell. Hudson and Shirek have both been able to put themselves on the long-term radar of the big league club and should get a look next spring. Whether or not they will be competing for a spot on the team is another story. First they need to survive the last week before the trade deadline and the offseason without getting traded, not a lock with Ken Williams as GM.

Getting back to the Barons, they haven’t been able to replace the production of Beckham, Flowers and Allen. Receiving David Cook from Charlotte after a short promotion will help bolster the middle of the lineup, but it’s tough to replace a good hitting shortstop and catcher. The Barons will need Dayan Viciedo to continue to improve (or start improving again?) and John Shelby to get it going if they are going to succeed in the Southern League playoffs. Of course, the team may have another new look by then.

Anthony Mazzuca: Name 1 sleeper in the Sox’s system that isn’t a top 5/10 prospect.
Kevin Goldstein: Just talked to a scout today who saw Dexter Carter over the weekend and really liked what he saw — big, very athletic, low 90s with a very good breaking ball, and I still like John Shelby.
AM: Seems like Shelby has sort of taken a step back after a nice 2008…
KG: Yeah, Double-A has proven to be a bit much, but he can still play all three outfields, has a good approach, a bit of speed and pop. I wish he was LH, he’d have a surefire future as a 4th OF.
AM: Did you expect more out of Jon Gilmore (.600 OPS at Kanny) this season?
KG: I did, but I really don’t anymore. That Kannapolis lineup is really ugly, not much to talk about there.

AM: Let’s jump to the draft, then come back to some individuals. How did you rank the Sox’s draft? Best pick and the worst pick?
KG: I didn’t do a ranking of the drafts specifically, but in general, I was a big fan of their selections, especially Mitchell and Thompson. I thought they took Phegley too high, but if they believe he really can catch, it’s understandable. I think what you saw was the continuing shift to tools and upside, a philosophy that Sox officials confirmed to me before the draft.
AM: How far away is Jared Mitchell? For a polished college player, there seems to be talk of a rather large learning curve.
KG: He’s a raw, toolsy college player with a ton of upside, but it will require patience. He’s certainly not going to move like Beckham, for example.
AM: Incredibly early, but what is the most realistic ETA you could put on it, if everything went right?
KG: Late ‘11? Something around there. He’s a tools guy, and those guys sometimes just click, and when the explode, they move very, very quickly, or it just never happens.There are certainly aspects of his game that need to improve.
AM: Anything in particular?
KG: Well, there’s a lot of swing and miss in him. You’re never going to turn him into Ichiro, but they do need to be curbed, and that’s going to come with a better plan, and better pitch recognition.
AM: Staying with the overall system, What effect has Buddy Bell had?
KG: It’s really hard to give credit (or blame) to any one guy. Success and failure in scouting and player development is really an organizational thing, and you are literally talking about hundreds of people. That said, Bell is very well respected.
AM: It just seems like the organization, after the 2006 draft, which was a disaster, have really taken a new approach to things, as you touched on earlier.
KG: Yeah, and that’s system wide. There’s been changes in personnel and philosophy, and both have been good things.
AM: Staying with the system as a whole, If you were doing a mid-season rank of where the minor league systems are, where would the Sox rank? Just for an idea of where they are, give me a number with and w/o Beckham and Poreda, two guys up with the team right now.
KG: Well, I had them 24th entering the year. Clearly, they’re up from there. If you include Beckham, Poreda, they’re definitely in the upper half, a top 15 system, but without them, and now with Allen gone, they more somewhere in the middle, but that’s for all of the right reasons.

AM: What is your view on the Brandon Allen trade? Too much for Pena, or have Sox fans maybe overrated what Allen really is?
KG: It’s funny, when the trade happened, I went through my notes and found three different scouts who had seen him this year. One thought he was an above-average every day big league first baseman. One thought he was more of a second division player. One thought he was a platoon player at best. So the reviews were really varied.
AM: Could it be a move to open up a spot for Viciedo at 1B?
KG: It was a move to get a dependable power righty in the pen, I don’t think they thought much about how it effected other prospects, and Viciedo at first would be pretty troubling, as he’s not even hitting enough for a third baseman right now.
AM: Any views on Pena himself?
KG: I do wonder if he’s really the answer. On a pure scouting level, he’s always shined, but the results have always been inconsistent. I saw it as only a minor upgrade, but you take what you can get.
AM: I just brought him up, so will stick with him. What kind of future in baseball do you project for Dayan Viciedo?
KG: Honestly, reviews have been very disappointing. Still a bit out of shape, swing at anything approach, not much power. Because of his age and where he’s coming from, you have to give him more time than others to make adjustments. If anything, I think it’s possible that they just started him at too high a level.
AM: Has there been any talk of the culture change playing a role, or just totally overmatched at the plate?
KG: Specifically on Viciedo, I haven’t heard that, but with the Cubans, it really is a different kind of culture shock than you get with most international players, and it really does need to be taken into account. It’s a massive, massive change in everything about Viciedo’s world. But as far as pure baseball goes, the approach is the biggest thing — he’s chasing everything.

AM: Overall, should White Sox fans be generally excited for what is in store for the future, or should we temper our excitement? With the way the farm system has produced in the last 5 years, this looks to be the best crop of prospects the Sox have had in quite some time…
KG: Sure, but it was kind of nowhere to go but up, no?
AM: Very true. I feel like there are a good amount of Sox fans maybe overrating the system because they aren’t used to having some high end prospects in the system.
KG: Look, I think they should be excited for Beckham alone — how often to teams develop true stars? It’s really pretty rare, but yes, I’d be much happier than I was. It’s not an elite system, but there’s some good stuff here.
AM: Tyler Flowers. Should he be close to untouchable? Is he going to stay behind the plate?
KG: You know, I’ve never been a fan of the term untouchable. Is anyone REALLY untouchable? If the Jays wanted him in Halladay deal, wouldn’t you want the Sox to do that?
AM: That’s why I wont say totally untouchable. If Pujols was offered for Beckham, he isn’t untouchable anymore.
KG: I think the catching future is still debatable, he’s just so huge a sluggish back there. That said, there has been some progress — they’ve shortened his release a bit, and the results are encouraging.
AM: Would his bat alone still project him to be a plus major league hitter?(if he had to move out of catcher)
KG: Yes, the bat is going to play.

AM: Whats your take overall on the Halladay news over the last 48 hours?
KG: Well, it makes sense for the Jays certainly, with this year AND 2010 under contract, his value is about as high as it can be, and he’s going to leave Toronto, so I do think there’s a good chance he’ll get moved.
AM: Will the Sox be in it, even with Williams comments yesterday about lacking attendance?
KG: I would saw they’re in the race, but not a favorite.
AM: What type of package would it have to be?
KG: It would be a ton. I think they’d ask for Beckham for sure, but if that was off the table, they would probably need at least two, maybe three of Poreda/Flowers/Danks.
AM: If you are the Sox, do you pull the trigger on a deal with those 3?
KG: Would I? Probably.
AM: Take on Jordan Danks?
KG: What’s not to like? Big, athletic, good approach, gap power, good runner, plays a nice CF. I don’t think he’ll ever be a true power guy, but I think he’ll be a solid every day center fielder, which is pretty good for an organization that has been absolutely desperate for one for a long time now.
AM: Top of the order guy?
KG: Yeah, could be an ideal No. 2 hitter type.

AM: Changing the topic a bit, How do professional organizations view your publication? What feedback have you received?
KG: They all read us, and like anything else, some like us, some don’t. We’re certainly a highly respected name in the industry, I think our work speaks for itself, and teams take my calls, so there’s that. I talk to tons of scouts on an anonymous level (pretty much every day) about what they’re seeing and what they think.
AM: What is your relationship with the Sox in general?
KG: Solid. I talk to White Sox scouts and front office people on a regular basis.
AM: That actually should just about do it from my end. Can’t thank you enough for taking out the time.
KG: More than happy to help.

We again would like to thank Kevin Goldstein for providing us with some great information on the entire White Sox organization.

My defensive abilities are pretty good across the board. I think I have decent range and enough arm to make the deep throw from shortstop. I’m going to make the routine plays and make a great play every once in awhile. I think every player is inherently different so I don’t think there is a need to compare myself to anyone. I play the game my way, that’s all I know.

Your draft stock went through the roof after a strong performance at the prestigious Cape Cod league. In fact, it was reported that your power performance was the best in the Cape Cod since Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay). Tell us a bit about your experience in the league and how you believe it helped you better prepare for your junior season as well as life in professional baseball (ie, getting to adjust to wood bats, etc).

The cape really helped me understand what I needed to do to be successful. I did not try to do too much up there and by taking the pressure off, I actually did more than I thought I would. Wood bats magnify every mistake you make with your swing, so it is important to do less with your body.

Who was your favorite team growing up. And how much do you know about the White Sox organization?

The funny thing about this question is I never had a favorite team. People have asked me all my life who I liked and I never had a good answer. I guess I was a Braves fan, but only because they were the team in the city I lived in. I don’t know a ton about the White Sox yet. I do know that I want to be a white sox player from the moment I make the big leagues to the moment I finish my career. The white sox have placed a lot of stock in me and I want to return that commitment to them.

Your swing compares, especially with the kick, to that of Alex Rodriguez. Did you intentionally try to model your swing after his, or has it been the same all your life?

When I was little I would go into my backyard and try to hit tennis balls over my house. So what you see in my swing is what I’ve been doing my whole life. The leg kick just comes naturally. If I’m half the player A-Rod is then I would say I’ve had a good career ha ha. I just hope I don’t get booed when I make an out. I feel awful for that guy because he is so good and he gets booed when he doesn’t deliver. Baseball is a cruel game, once you think you have it figured out, it will humble you quickly.

Many guys struggle to hit in the cold, which is a big part of Chicago baseball, including April, May, some of September, and then October. Do you think it’ll be an issue, especially with wood?

Obviously I would rather not hit in the cold. But everybody has to deal with the conditions. I try to control the controllables. If you worry about anything else, you’re destined to fail. So I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

In the minors, a lot of times the game is more about individual numbers than playing for “the team”. Is that style of play going to change anything for you?

This is something that I have struggled with lately. I’m used to playing for my team, fighting for the guys around me as much as myself. But Minor league ball is different because it is highly individualized. I’m trying to get used to it. But until I’m up in Chicago playing for a pennant, its going to be tough to get into that mindset.

Why do you have Your Love by The Outfield play when you come to bat?

Great question. Your love by the Outfield is my favorite song. I like to have a song that lights me up inside. I like a song that gets me excited and ready, but keeps me relaxed at the same time. I chose that song when I was a freshman in college and used it for three years. That song has kind of attached itself to me and the University of Georgia. I get messages late at night from friends who hear it in the bar and call me just to tell me it’s on. I’ve walked into places in Athens where they would see me and then play the song. And the girls enjoyed it too. They would actually finish the verse when it would cut off when I stepped into the box. Best of both worlds I guess.

With you about to be a very rich man, what is the big thing you want to buy?
Being rich should not make you stupid. I am planning on putting all the money in the bank. I don’t have anything I really want to buy so I’ll put it in the bank and buy something big down the road. Maybe I could get some suggestions from people.

How has the adjustment been from playing in the College World Series on ESPN to Single A Ball? Any culture shock?

Serious culture shock. One day I’m in the White Sox clubhouse and the next day I show up to a low A clubhouse. Its very different from what I’m used to but that’s all part of what I’m doing now. I’m just getting my feet wet. I’m just trying to experience a little bit of pro ball now before I head to the fall league.

How closely have you followed the big club in recent weeks?

Well I have Oney Guillen on the team so I get updates everyday. I have been following them basically through Oney and Sportscenter. They are going to make the playoffs. I know that because they are such a great group of guys from what I know. They were just joking around the day I met them. Good guys that have fun don’t get denied.

Are you a stat nut?

I try not to be. But who are we kidding; this is baseball, its all about the stats.

How do you compare the SEC to the minor leagues? You have only seen A ball, but is SEC Ball better than Single A? Maybe High A?

The SEC is tough. So far I have not felt over-matched by anyone I’ve faced. I am going through a stretch right now where I’m getting myself out. I would say depending on who your playing, the SEC is in the middle of High A and Low A.

How stressful were negotiations.
I hated negotiations. That’s why I did not wait till 11:59 on the 15th. I could have done that and made everyone sweat a little and probably got more money, but it’s just not my personality. I’m big on relationships, and I wanted the relationship between the White Sox and me to get off to a good start.

Favorite Food: Dads steak and baked potatoes.
Hobby outside baseball: Hunting. My dad and I own 900 acres in Middle Georgia. Its honestly my favorite place in the world, especially in the fall.
Last thing you listened to on your Ipod: The Lost Trailers. They are a southern rock band that I really enjoy. They are not too well known but I would do anything the watch those guys in concert.

Here is a quick look at how each of our top 25 is doing so far this season as well as what direction they would be moving on the list as a result of what we’ve seen in April and May. FutureSox will be posting updated rankings at the midway point of the season.

1. Gordon Beckham (White Sox) Pos: IF Bat-Throw: R-R Stock up
Beckham did well enough in AA Birmingham to earn a promotion to Charlotte in late May and got off to a hot start with the Knights. His Major League debut came after just 7 AAA games. You could argue his stock is up since the start of the season, even though he was already the Sox top prospect by a wide margin, since he got to the big league club a lot sooner than originally expected. He switched to 3B with the Knights and will play a bit there with the Sox, for now. The move doesn’t seem like a natural fit for Beckham, whose arm has been in question, but it got him to the Majors sooner.
T-2. Dayan Viciedo (AA Birmingham) Pos: 3B B-T: R-R Stock unchanged
At 20 years old, holding your own in AA is impressive and that’s what Dayan has done so far. He hit just .234 in April, but showed significant improvement in May, posting a .297 batting average. Patience and power have not come yet (just six walks and 11 extra-base hits in over 200 AB), but as long as steady improvement remains evident it appears Viciedo is on track to do what the Sox thought he would.
T-2. Brandon Allen (AA Birmingham) Pos: 1B B-T: L-R Stock unchanged
The 6′2″ 235 pound slugger has done more of the same that we’ve seen from him the last two seasons. Allen has a batting average hovering around .300, a decent eye at the plate and notable power so far in his transition to AA.
4. Aaron Poreda (AA Birmingham) Pos: LHP Stock unchanged
The flame throwing lefty has done well in Birmingham dating to his mid-season promotion to the Barons last year. The White Sox are taking it slowly with him, but he likely will make his Major League debut this season in some fashion. The strikeouts are still there (better than one per inning), but his walks are up which is a concern. It still remains uncertain whether or not he will be a starter or a reliever in the Majors, but the Sox will give him every chance to be a starter.
5. Tyler Flowers (AA Birmingham) Pos: C B-T: R-R Stock unchanged
Despite a less than spectacular batting average, Flowers has a .439 OBP. It’s hard not to love that from a catcher, especially with a lot of power to go with it (15 XBH in 148 AB).
6. Jordan Danks (AA Birmingham) Pos: CF B-T: L-R Stock up
The younger Danks overcame a high strikeout rate when he started the season at Winston-Salem to earn a promotion to join the prospect-laden Barons. He’s hit for a high average and drawn a lot of walks for both clubs. Also, Jordan is hitting for the power scouts worried might never show up for him. The extremely athletic, slick fielding outfielder is now looking at an ETA of early or mid 2010 instead of 2011.
7. John Shelby (AA Birmingham) Pos: OF B-T: R-R Stock down
Shelby is still hitting for power and is drawing more walks, but is hitting just .246 in AA. The lack of contact is worrisome, but he has been hitting better in the last several games.
8. Dexter Carter (low-A Kannapolis) Pos: RHP Stock unchanged
The 6′6″ righty put up staggering numbers for Great Falls (89 K in 68.2 IP with a 2.23 ERA) after being drafted in the 13th round of last year’s draft. So far this year it’s more of the same for the Intimidators. The strikeouts are still coming in bunches and his walks are even down a bit from last season.
9. Jack Egbert (AAA Charlotte) Pos: RHP Stock down
Egbert got called up to the Sox in late April and got roughed up in two outings from the bullpen. Quickly he was sent back down and his numbers in AAA have not been encouraging. Recently he was put back into the Knights’ rotation for the first time since being a full time starter last year. The results have been better so far.
10. Jeff Marquez (AAA Charlotte) Pos: RHP Stock down
Four awful starts preceded an injury that has kept him out of action since April 28. It doesn’t look like Marquez has much of a future, which is a quick change from the Spring Training rumblings. If he can get healthy there might be hope, but it’s hard to like Marquez’s prospects right now.
11. Brent Morel (high-A Winston-Salem) Pos: 3B Stock unchanged
The Sox 3rd rounder last year has struggled with contact, but has brought some power and good defense. He’s not a top tier prospect, but adds some depth in the system at the hot corner.
12. Dan Hudson (high-A Winston-Salem) Pos: RHP Stock up
Along with his former Old Dominion teammate, Carter, Hudson put up sparkling numbers at Great Falls after being drafted in the 5th round last year. He started this year for the I’s and had a jaw dropping 30-2 strikeout to walk ratio in 22 innings. That was good enough to get him moved up to the Dash, where he has been less impressive. So far he has walked 10 in 24 innings, which is odd considering the great control he showed between two levels as a pro.
13. Eduardo Escobar (low-A Kannapolis) Pos: SS B-T: S-R Stock down
Escobar has to be one of the biggest disappointments of the young season in the White Sox system. A hot start at Great Falls earned him a promotion to Kannapolis last year with below average results. At only 20 years old, he got some attention on the prospect radar, but this season he has regressed. Escobar got rave reviews for his defense, but will have to hit better for his glove to carry him if it is as good as advertised.
14. Lucas Harrell (AA Birmingham) Pos: RHP Stock down
More of the same for Harrell, good production with mediocre peripherals. He has bounced back decently from his shoulder injuries that cost him all of 2007 and two months in 2008. Still though, it’s hard to see Harrell as much of a prospect, but if he continues to pitch like this he has a slim chance at getting a look as the last guy in the bullpen down the road a la Egbert or Wes Whisler.
15. Jose Martinez (low-A Kannapolis) Pos: OF B-T: R-R Stock unchanged
Martinez has been hurt all year.
16. Justin Cassel (AAA Charlotte) Pos: RHP Stock down
Justin is 1-6 so far for the Knights. It’s too soon to completely write him off, but several guys have passed him on the White Sox depth chart.
17. Jon Link (AAA Charlotte) Pos: RHP Stock up
After leading the minors in saves last year with 35, Link is doing ever better this year for the Knights. With a sub 2 ERA and a K-BB ratio over 3 to 1, he should at least be on the radar of the White Sox.
18. Steven Upchurch (extended Spring Training) Pos: RHP Stock unchanged
Upchurch will likely pitch for Great Falls after pitching for Bristol last year.
19. Brian Omogrosso (AA Birmingham) Pos: RHP Stock up
Omogrosso has been converted into a full-time starter this season. His ERA is below 4, but he is walking far too many to be considered a good prospect as a starter. It’s not unthinkable that he has a moderate future as a reliever though. His mid 90s fastball keeps him on the Major League radar.
20. John Ely (AA Birmingham) Pos: RHP Stock up
Ely has transitioned well to AA this year. He’s not blowing away the competition, but he is outperforming a few other Barons’ starters.
21. Lance Broadway (Mets organization) Pos: RHP
Broadway was traded to the Mets for catcher Ramon Castro after splitting time between the Knights and the Sox. It seems like a good return for Broadway, who has a limited future in the Majors.
22. Jon Gilmore (low-A Kannapolis) Pos: 3B B-T: R-R Stock unchanged
This far down the list, expectations aren’t that high, but Gilmore has big upside. He’s been streaky this season and has shown improvement as the season has gone on, but his overall numbers still remain poor.
23. Nathan Jones (high-A Winston-Salem) Pos: RHP Stock up
Another high upside guy towards the bottom of our rankings, Jones has Major League stuff with no control. The control has been improving this season and he earned an early promotion from Kannapolis. He has given up just two hits and no walks in his first 7.1 IP for the Dash. Hopefully Jones has begun to figure it out.
24. Charlie Shirek (high-A Winston-Salem) Pos: RHP Stock unchanged
Shirek is replicating his Kannapolis stats from a year ago. If he continues this at AA next season, he will shoot up the prospect rankings.
T-25. David Cook (AA Birmingham) Pos: OF B-T: R-R Stock unchanged
Cook isn’t hitting for a high average, but his OBP and power remain high. He is barely a prospect as is because of his age (27), but he keeps performing well.
T-25. C.J. Retherford (AA Birmingham) Pos: IF B-T: R-R Stock up
Retherford has hit well at every level, especially so far this season with the Barons. It might be time to think about him as a possible utility player in the Majors.

The 22 year old Beckham went 3-of-5 in his last game for Charlotte on Wednesday night. In just seven games in Triple-A, Beckham hit .464 with a 1.127 OPS. Beckham was the top draft pick for the Chicago White Sox in last year’s amateur draft.

Beckham is expected to receive starts around the infield, but will likely bounce between second and third base. With Chris Getz suffering from injury, Beckham’s best bet may be to play at second. Long-term, he projects as a middle infielder, but with the struggles of Josh Fields, he will likely start out at third.

The 6-foot-0, 190-pounder combined to hit .326 (57-175) with 23 doubles, four home runs and 25 RBI in 45 combined games this season between Class AA Birmingham and Class AAA Charlotte.  He appeared in 32 games at shortstop, eight at third base, four at second and one at designated hitter. 

Six of his seven starts at Charlotte were at third base. Beckham hit safely in all 7 games he played for the Knights, leaving with a 3 for 5 performance with a pair of doubles.  Beckham hit .464 (13-28) with 6 doubles and 3 RBI’s with Knights. 

Beckham began the season with Birmingham, batting .299 (44-147) with four homers, 17 doubles, four homers and 22 RBI in 38 games to earn a promotion toCharlotte on May 28.  He hit safely in all seven of his games with the Knights, going 13-28 (.464) with six doubles and three RBI.

Beckham, a career .322 hitter (75-233) in 59 minor-league games, will be the third member of the 2008 draft class to reach the major leagues, joining Detroit’s Ryan Perry (No. 21) and Arizona’s Daniel Schlereth (No. 26), and the first position player. 

Beckham, the top pick of the White Sox in the 2008 draft, has long been seen as on the fast track to the majors. With the recent struggles of Sox third baseman Josh Fields, Beckham has received an opportunity to get a few starts at third base for the Barons.

This move likely means that the Sox still feel they are in the race, and are prepared to promote Beckham to the big leagues to start at third base. While his offensive numbers, rare at the shortstop position, may not fit the typical power profile of a third baseman, his average would be a boon to a lineup ranking near the bottom of the American League.