In just one year’s time, the Chicago White Sox went from a probable bottom-five system to the border of the top 10 thanks to a great draft and two enormous hauls in trades of major leaguers, giving them the strongest farm system they’ve had in well over a decade.
Carson Fulmer and Zack Collins were the only two players the South Siders could point to in the Top 100. Fast forward a year, and the White Sox now have six of the top 100 prospects with a Jose Quintana trade still very much a possibility. If that happens, the team will have at least eight of the top prospects in all of baseball.
Here’s a good breakdown, by John Sickels of SB Nation, of the talent they have worked hard to acquire: Top 20 White Sox Prospects.
Top 10 Farm System
Just yesterday, ESPN’s Keith Law released his personal farm system rankings and to no one’s surprise, the White Sox came in at No. 10 overall. Perhaps a little low in the eyes of the White Sox faithful, but Law provides the following justification:
Well, once you get past those eight guys, it falls off fast. Of their top 10 from last year, No. 1 graduated, and the next nine guys all had poor to lousy seasons. Some of the younger guys on the list still have promise but just haven’t performed. There’s no sugarcoating the lack of progress — which I think made Rick Hahn’s decision to rebuild all the smarter, given what was on the way. And perhaps the infusion of older prospects will let the White Sox give some of their youngest prospects more time in low- or high-A to develop physically and mentally.
Now, if Quintana is in fact traded, you can expect a haul that will undoubtedly vault the White Sox near the top of the best farm systems in baseball.
Eight prospects in the top 100 is almost unheard of in today’s MLB; however, come February, when MLB.com comes out with new rankings, the Sox might find one more player creep into the top 100.
His name?
Luis Alexander Basabe.
Basabe was the “throw-in” part of the Chris Sale deal. Although, calling him a throw in might be selling him short. A potential five tool player, Basabe has plus speed and a plus arm, while profiling average to slightly above average in the field, along with decent power. If he can fine tune his swing and start to generate more hits and raise his OBP, there is no reason to think that this kid can’t crack the top 100 and be the team’s center fielder of the future.
Future Looks Bright
All White Sox fans are in unfamiliar territory right now. Having so much young talent has not happened on the South Side since, well, ever to be honest. If even half of these prospects pan out the way they are projected to, the White Sox shoulld be in the postseason once again in a few short years.
Let’s focus on seven White Sox pitchers, all age 23 or younger. Three were acquired this offseason, the other four early in the past three drafts:
- Lucas Giolito, 22 (acquired via Adam Eaton trade)
- Reynaldo López, 22 (acquired via Adam Eaton trade)
- Michael Kopech, 20 (acquired via Chris Sale trade)
- Carlos Rodon, 23 (drafted No. 3 overall, 2014)
- Carson Fulmer, 22 (drafted No. 8 overall, 2015)
- Zack Burdi, 21 (drafted No. 26 overall, 2016)
- Alec Hansen, 22 (drafted No. 49 overall, 2016)
These pitchers have two things in common to varying degrees: Outrageous raw stuff, and a scouting report that ends with “… if he can throw strikes.” — The Ringer
As Law said, “everything’s coming up roses on Chicago’s South Side right now, but there’s still more work to be done.”
