Toy Cannon
03-26-2004, 07:38 PM
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page=mlb/news/aan3124601.htm
By Jonathan O'Konis (Minor League Baseball Editor)
The Sports Network
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Chicago White Sox have done a good job of drafting players, but unfortunately have used some of their top prospects as tools for trades. Some of those deals have proven to be beneficial in the short term, but some have not worked out for the long haul. Recently, the Sox traded good young players for older athletes, who are on the downside of their careers. This off-season general manager Kenny Williams brought in Ozzie Guillen to manage the team. In trying to buy a winner last year, Williams traded some of his top prospects for players like Roberto Alomar and Carl Everett. Both of those players are now off the White Sox, as Alomar was signed by Arizona and Everett was inked by Montreal. The White Sox have some good prospects left in their minor league system, but they may have to wait until at least 2005 before making an impact.
1) Jeremy Reed, OF. Reed exploded onto prospect lists by leading all of minor league baseball last season with a .373 combined average at Double-A Binghamton and Winston-Salem (A). What's more impressive is that he actually hit better after being promoted to Double-A, where he batted .409 in 242 at- bats. Reed has the ability to get the bat on the ball as often as anyone. He also has great plate discipline, working pitchers for 70 walks while only striking out 36 times. Reed did have 50 extra-base hits last season and may develop more power as he gets more experience, but he still projects more as a leadoff hitter. On top of that, Reed has very good speed, stealing 45 bases last season. However, he was also caught stealing 19 times, meaning he still needs to work on when to steal a base. The White Sox currently have him playing center field after playing mostly first base at Long Beach State. His defense will improve as he gets more experience. The only knock on Reed defensively is that he doesn't have a good throwing arm. All in all, Reed is one of the top five prospects in baseball.
2) Kris Honel, RHP. Honel will be a legitimate front of the rotation starter for the White Sox. A local kid the White Sox drafted out of high school in 2001, Honel has impressed everyone with his poise and knowledge of pitching. He has a tremendous knuckle-curve that can strike anyone out. His fastball tops out at 89-92 mph, but the White Sox expect the 6'5, 180-pound Honel to add even more velocity as he puts on more weight. His minor league career numbers are impressive, 25-19 with an ERA of 2.97 and a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 118-359. Honel still leaves the ball up in the zone too much, but his excellent control helps make up for that. He needs more time to develop and shouldn't be rushed to the big leagues. Honel will start the year at Double-A Birmingham and he should be in the White Sox starting rotation in 2005.
3) Neal Cotts, LHP. What does it say about the White Sox when Neal Cotts is the only positive aspect of last year's trade of Keith Foulke for Billy Koch? While Koch has been a bust for the White Sox and Foulke was the AL saves leader last season, Cotts has developed into a premier prospect for the Sox. Cotts has a lot of potential, but his control is a big problem. In his major league stint last season, Cotts walked 17 in 13 innings while striking out 10. His combined numbers for last season were 10-8 with an ERA 2.66 and a walk-to- strikeout ratio of 73-143. He'll strikes guys out, but his fastball tops out at only 91 mph. His changeup is his best pitch, but it's not an out pitch. Cotts is a good prospect, but he wouldn't rate this high in most organizations. It's possible that Cotts could start the season in the rotation, but it's more likely he'll be at Triple-A Charlotte. He should be ready for the majors in 2005.
4) Ryan Sweeney, OF. Sweeney is only 18-years old, but he has the athleticism that will help him develop quickly. Sweeney is a good hitter for average and has good control of the strike zone. He hit .326 at Bristol and Great Falls (both rookie leagues) and walked nine times compared to 13 strikeouts. He has yet to develop his power hitting (only seven extra base hits in 101 at bats last year). The power should come, but he projects to be a John Olerud type hitter. He has to work on his fielding, but he has a good arm. Simply put he's young and he's raw. He has the tools to develop into a fine player, but he needs time. He'll start this season in Single-A Kannapolis and should be ready for the big leagues in 2007.
5) Ryan Wing, LHP. Wing doesn't throw hard, usually in the 87-89 mph range and doesn't have great control with 67 walks compared to 107 strikeouts last season. But Wing does win. He was 22-14 over three years in the minors with an ERA of 3.38. A slight pause in his delivery and deceptiveness help to disrupt a hitter's timing. He has a very good slider and will pitch inside if it's needed. He's also good at holding runners on. Wing doesn't have a big upside, but as long as he keeps winning the White Sox will continue to send him out to the hill. Wing will start the year at Double-A Birmingham and won't be ready for the majors until 2006.
6) Brian Anderson, OF. Another good athlete, Anderson has all the tools necessary to succeed in baseball. He has a very good arm and it looks like he has decent strike zone discipline. He runs well and is also good on defense. His numbers last season (.388 AVG, .492 OBP, .592 SLG) were good, but they came at Great Falls, the White Sox Rookie League team. Anderson, who attended the University of Arizona, was 21-years-old last season. Most Rookie League players are 18 or 19. So it's not surprising that Anderson hit well there. Most good college players don't go to the Rookie League; so the question is why did the White Sox send him there? Anderson has potential, but he's still far away from the big leagues. He should start the season at Single-A Winston- Salem and could be ready for the majors in 2007.
7) Joe Borchard, OF. Think Drew Henson. Like Henson, Borchard turned down a chance to be a quarterback in the NFL to sign a big contract with a major league team. Like Henson, Borchard might be rethinking his decision. He seems to be getting worse instead of better. Borchard has always been prone to strikeouts (332 over the past three years), but what really concerns the White Sox is the fact that his walk totals have been getting progressively worse. In 2001, Borchard walked 73 times, but last year, Borchard walked only 32 times. He's a good athlete and has very good power batting from the left side of the plate. However, he's an awful hitter from the right side. Borchard will start at Triple-A Charlotte for the third straight year. If his plate discipline improves he could be in the big leagues by 2005. If it doesn't, he could be in the NFL by 2005.
8) Jon Rauch, RHP. Rauch and Borchard were two of the White Sox's biggest prospects last year, but now the spotlight is off of both of them. An injury has upset Rauch's progression to the majors, as he was once the team's top pitching prospect. Shoulder surgery in 2001 dropped a couple of miles off his fastball and the velocity still hasn't returned. In 2000, Rauch was 16-4 with an ERA of 2.67 and a walk-strikeout ratio of 49-187. In two minor league seasons after the injury Rauch has posted a 14-9 record with an ERA of 4.19 and a walk-to- strikeout ratio of 78-191. In a telling move, when the White Sox needed a pitcher down the stretch, they left Rauch at Triple-A Charlotte. Rauch will probably be converted to a reliever at some point. Most likely he'll start the season at Charlotte again, but he could be up in the majors at some point this year.
9) Arnaldo Munoz, LHP. Munoz has one of the best curve balls in the minors and a decent fastball. He's a relief pitcher because he lacks the stamina to start. He averaged over 10 strikeouts per nine innings so he can be dominating when he enters a game. He had a rough year as he was tired from having pitched in the Dominican League, where he was the Pitcher of the Year. Overall he was 4-3 with an ERA of 4.75 and a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 27-63. He has the potential to be a good reliever if he develops a pitch to get righties out. He dominates lefties. Only 21, he'll likely spend 2004 at Charlotte unless there's an injury.
10) Roberto Valido, SS. The only non-outfielder or pitcher on this list. Valido is very young (18), but he shows a decent bat, hitting .307/.364/.479 at Great Falls. He's also an excellent defensive shortstop, who should develop more power, possibly becoming a 20-20 guy. Expect Valido to begin this season at Single-A Winston Salem. He won't be ready for the big leagues until 2007.
By Jonathan O'Konis (Minor League Baseball Editor)
The Sports Network
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Chicago White Sox have done a good job of drafting players, but unfortunately have used some of their top prospects as tools for trades. Some of those deals have proven to be beneficial in the short term, but some have not worked out for the long haul. Recently, the Sox traded good young players for older athletes, who are on the downside of their careers. This off-season general manager Kenny Williams brought in Ozzie Guillen to manage the team. In trying to buy a winner last year, Williams traded some of his top prospects for players like Roberto Alomar and Carl Everett. Both of those players are now off the White Sox, as Alomar was signed by Arizona and Everett was inked by Montreal. The White Sox have some good prospects left in their minor league system, but they may have to wait until at least 2005 before making an impact.
1) Jeremy Reed, OF. Reed exploded onto prospect lists by leading all of minor league baseball last season with a .373 combined average at Double-A Binghamton and Winston-Salem (A). What's more impressive is that he actually hit better after being promoted to Double-A, where he batted .409 in 242 at- bats. Reed has the ability to get the bat on the ball as often as anyone. He also has great plate discipline, working pitchers for 70 walks while only striking out 36 times. Reed did have 50 extra-base hits last season and may develop more power as he gets more experience, but he still projects more as a leadoff hitter. On top of that, Reed has very good speed, stealing 45 bases last season. However, he was also caught stealing 19 times, meaning he still needs to work on when to steal a base. The White Sox currently have him playing center field after playing mostly first base at Long Beach State. His defense will improve as he gets more experience. The only knock on Reed defensively is that he doesn't have a good throwing arm. All in all, Reed is one of the top five prospects in baseball.
2) Kris Honel, RHP. Honel will be a legitimate front of the rotation starter for the White Sox. A local kid the White Sox drafted out of high school in 2001, Honel has impressed everyone with his poise and knowledge of pitching. He has a tremendous knuckle-curve that can strike anyone out. His fastball tops out at 89-92 mph, but the White Sox expect the 6'5, 180-pound Honel to add even more velocity as he puts on more weight. His minor league career numbers are impressive, 25-19 with an ERA of 2.97 and a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 118-359. Honel still leaves the ball up in the zone too much, but his excellent control helps make up for that. He needs more time to develop and shouldn't be rushed to the big leagues. Honel will start the year at Double-A Birmingham and he should be in the White Sox starting rotation in 2005.
3) Neal Cotts, LHP. What does it say about the White Sox when Neal Cotts is the only positive aspect of last year's trade of Keith Foulke for Billy Koch? While Koch has been a bust for the White Sox and Foulke was the AL saves leader last season, Cotts has developed into a premier prospect for the Sox. Cotts has a lot of potential, but his control is a big problem. In his major league stint last season, Cotts walked 17 in 13 innings while striking out 10. His combined numbers for last season were 10-8 with an ERA 2.66 and a walk-to- strikeout ratio of 73-143. He'll strikes guys out, but his fastball tops out at only 91 mph. His changeup is his best pitch, but it's not an out pitch. Cotts is a good prospect, but he wouldn't rate this high in most organizations. It's possible that Cotts could start the season in the rotation, but it's more likely he'll be at Triple-A Charlotte. He should be ready for the majors in 2005.
4) Ryan Sweeney, OF. Sweeney is only 18-years old, but he has the athleticism that will help him develop quickly. Sweeney is a good hitter for average and has good control of the strike zone. He hit .326 at Bristol and Great Falls (both rookie leagues) and walked nine times compared to 13 strikeouts. He has yet to develop his power hitting (only seven extra base hits in 101 at bats last year). The power should come, but he projects to be a John Olerud type hitter. He has to work on his fielding, but he has a good arm. Simply put he's young and he's raw. He has the tools to develop into a fine player, but he needs time. He'll start this season in Single-A Kannapolis and should be ready for the big leagues in 2007.
5) Ryan Wing, LHP. Wing doesn't throw hard, usually in the 87-89 mph range and doesn't have great control with 67 walks compared to 107 strikeouts last season. But Wing does win. He was 22-14 over three years in the minors with an ERA of 3.38. A slight pause in his delivery and deceptiveness help to disrupt a hitter's timing. He has a very good slider and will pitch inside if it's needed. He's also good at holding runners on. Wing doesn't have a big upside, but as long as he keeps winning the White Sox will continue to send him out to the hill. Wing will start the year at Double-A Birmingham and won't be ready for the majors until 2006.
6) Brian Anderson, OF. Another good athlete, Anderson has all the tools necessary to succeed in baseball. He has a very good arm and it looks like he has decent strike zone discipline. He runs well and is also good on defense. His numbers last season (.388 AVG, .492 OBP, .592 SLG) were good, but they came at Great Falls, the White Sox Rookie League team. Anderson, who attended the University of Arizona, was 21-years-old last season. Most Rookie League players are 18 or 19. So it's not surprising that Anderson hit well there. Most good college players don't go to the Rookie League; so the question is why did the White Sox send him there? Anderson has potential, but he's still far away from the big leagues. He should start the season at Single-A Winston- Salem and could be ready for the majors in 2007.
7) Joe Borchard, OF. Think Drew Henson. Like Henson, Borchard turned down a chance to be a quarterback in the NFL to sign a big contract with a major league team. Like Henson, Borchard might be rethinking his decision. He seems to be getting worse instead of better. Borchard has always been prone to strikeouts (332 over the past three years), but what really concerns the White Sox is the fact that his walk totals have been getting progressively worse. In 2001, Borchard walked 73 times, but last year, Borchard walked only 32 times. He's a good athlete and has very good power batting from the left side of the plate. However, he's an awful hitter from the right side. Borchard will start at Triple-A Charlotte for the third straight year. If his plate discipline improves he could be in the big leagues by 2005. If it doesn't, he could be in the NFL by 2005.
8) Jon Rauch, RHP. Rauch and Borchard were two of the White Sox's biggest prospects last year, but now the spotlight is off of both of them. An injury has upset Rauch's progression to the majors, as he was once the team's top pitching prospect. Shoulder surgery in 2001 dropped a couple of miles off his fastball and the velocity still hasn't returned. In 2000, Rauch was 16-4 with an ERA of 2.67 and a walk-strikeout ratio of 49-187. In two minor league seasons after the injury Rauch has posted a 14-9 record with an ERA of 4.19 and a walk-to- strikeout ratio of 78-191. In a telling move, when the White Sox needed a pitcher down the stretch, they left Rauch at Triple-A Charlotte. Rauch will probably be converted to a reliever at some point. Most likely he'll start the season at Charlotte again, but he could be up in the majors at some point this year.
9) Arnaldo Munoz, LHP. Munoz has one of the best curve balls in the minors and a decent fastball. He's a relief pitcher because he lacks the stamina to start. He averaged over 10 strikeouts per nine innings so he can be dominating when he enters a game. He had a rough year as he was tired from having pitched in the Dominican League, where he was the Pitcher of the Year. Overall he was 4-3 with an ERA of 4.75 and a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 27-63. He has the potential to be a good reliever if he develops a pitch to get righties out. He dominates lefties. Only 21, he'll likely spend 2004 at Charlotte unless there's an injury.
10) Roberto Valido, SS. The only non-outfielder or pitcher on this list. Valido is very young (18), but he shows a decent bat, hitting .307/.364/.479 at Great Falls. He's also an excellent defensive shortstop, who should develop more power, possibly becoming a 20-20 guy. Expect Valido to begin this season at Single-A Winston Salem. He won't be ready for the big leagues until 2007.