With Spring Training underway, we are officially unveiling our 2024 preseason White Sox Top 30 prospects list! This season, we have more White Sox prospects to highlight than we have in a while, so this week we will break down every prospect you need to know about heading into the 2024 season.
Making our way through the rankings, we now discuss those prospects who ranked in the middle 10 of our top 30 White Sox prospect list!
In case you missed it:
20. Jose Rodriguez
Jose Rodriguez made his MLB debut in 2023 but didn’t receive an at-bat. He did, however, score a run during his time with the White Sox. Rodriguez has been in the White Sox system since 2018 and has produced at pretty much every level, despite being younger than the average at each stop.
After a slow start, Rodriguez went on a dominant stretch at the plate for the Birmingham Barons before his cup of coffee at the MLB level. He eventually moved up to Triple-A Charlotte, where he unfortunately couldn’t keep up quite the same results. Still just 22 years old, Rodriguez should be back in Charlotte this season, where he could be called upon as depth if he adjusts to the more advanced pitching.
19. Ky Bush
At 6’6 240 lbs, Ky Bush is an imposing presence on the mound. Acquired alongside Edgar Quero in the Lucas Giolito trade, Bush is a polished left-handed pitcher who could very well be in the White Sox starting rotation sometime in 2024. While he isn’t expected to be a front-line starter, he can be a very effective backend pitcher who eats innings and keeps games winnable.
Bush has a full arsenal of usable pitches, with his fastball consistently sitting in the 92-94 range. His best pitch is his slider, which at its best can be a true out pitch. He also uses a curveball and a changeup effectively. While his control has been a bit shakier as of late, he is generally very good at pounding the strike zone and attacking hitters head-on. After an inconsistent 2023, the 24-year-old lefty will look to get back on track in 2024.
18. Prelander Berroa
Berroa was acquired in a trade along with Zach DeLoach that sent reliever Gregory Santos to the Mariners. While he has lacked control throughout his minor league career, he possesses elite stuff with a fastball that can hit triple digits and a wipeout slider. This past season, he held a strikeout rate of nearly 14 K/9, although he also walked 39 batters in just 65.1 innings. He had two appearances at the major league level, where he didn’t allow a run and fanned 3 batters in 1.2 innings, although he walked the same amount of hitters during that brief stretch. He will have a chance to earn a spot in the bullpen shortly during the 2024 season.
17. Terrell Tatum
Terrell Tatum has looked like a steal since the Sox took him in the 16th round in 2021. Last season, he showed the ability to impact the game at the plate, in the outfield, and on the basepaths. He was excellent in High-A Winston Salem, producing a 143 wRC+ largely due to his incredible 21% walk rate. His on-base abilities have also allowed him to showcase his plus speed, swiping 32 bases at the High-A level in 2023. His speed also gives him plenty of range in center field.
He was productive enough to force the White Sox’s hand in giving him a promotion to Double-A Birmingham, where he ran into some struggles but still held his own. Entering the 2024 season at 24 years old, Tatum needs to prove he can continue his production in the upper levels to have a future as a starter in the MLB. However, his ability to get on base plus his dynamic athleticism still projects him to at least fill a role as a backup outfielder who can be used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement.
16. Tanner McDougal
Despite being drafted back in 2021, Tanner McDougal was pitching in his first full professional season in 2023, as he missed most of 2021 and all of 2022 due to an injury that required Tommy John Surgery. While his results this past year were inconsistent, the most important thing is that he was pitching on a regular starter’s schedule.
At his best, McDougal sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and posts elite spin rates with his breaking pitches. Even with the 2023 season being a build-up year, he still posted impressive strikeout numbers, with a K/9 rate over 10. This year will be the true testament to where McDougal is as a prospect, but for now, at just 20 years old he is still one of the more intriguing arms in the White Sox organization.
15. Ryan Burrowes
Ryan Burrowes was a surprise breakout star in the White Sox organization last year, generating many fans in scouting circles during his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League. While he didn’t break out quite as many were hoping, there is still plenty of reason to be excited about what he could develop into. A 6’2 shortstop, Burrowes is a fantastic athlete who is dangerous on the basepaths and has solid range defensively. He is a patient hitter who is willing to draw walks and wait for his pitch, although his strikeout numbers spiked this past season. While he has only produced minimal power numbers, he has very good bat speed and a frame that can easily add strength to give him 20 home run power at his peak. He has also been praised as a high-character player and teammate and has the mental makeup to work toward honing his craft.
14. Seth Keener
The White Sox selected Seth Keener in the 3rd round of the 2023 draft. The 21-year-old has a three-pitch mix which highlights his slider as his best pitch. He also has a fastball ranging from 91-97 miles per hour and a changeup that he mainly uses against left-handed hitters. He was dominant in 6 innings at the Arizona Complex League and finished the season throwing another 6.2 innings for Low-A Kannapolis, where his 7.11 ERA could be excused due to some bad luck, which a 3.42 xFIP can back up.
Keener’s ability to keep his WHIP low was one of the main standouts for him in college at Wake Forest. Keener has all of the ability to develop into a big-league starter but will need to work on building up his arm to go deeper into games. If he were to make a move to the bullpen, his slider should allow him to be an effective one.
13. Dominic Fletcher
Acquired from the Diamondbacks in exchange for pitching prospect Cristian Mena, Dominic Fletcher became the favorite to be the opening-day right fielder for the Sox as soon as the trade was made official. He had a solid stint at the MLB level for the D-Backs last season, slashing .301/.350/.441 in 28 games, although there are signs that luck was on his side.
His calling card is his defense, where he reads the ball well, has plenty of range, and possesses a very strong arm to be an asset in the outfield. That alone could make him an above-replacement-level player, but if he can be at least average at the plate, he should provide solid regular play for a club that hasn’t had consistency in right field for quite some time.
12. Grant Taylor
Before sustaining an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, Grant Taylor was generating first-round buzz heading into the 2023 collegiate season for LSU. Instead, the White Sox snagged him in the second round, where they believe they drafted a premium arm.
Although he spent the bulk of his collegiate career as a reliever, Taylor pitched extremely well as a starting pitcher at the Cape Cod league, firmly putting himself on the map in the eyes of scouts. When healthy, he throws a mid-upper 90’s fastball with life, and a curveball that generates elite spin rates. He also mixes in a slider and changeup that are at least average, and he throws from a high three-quarter arm slot.
11. George Wolkow
A 6’7 outfielder, George Wolkow was selected in the seventh round in the 2023 draft at just 17 years old and signed for a $1 million signing bonus (equivalent to second-round value). Wolkow has experience playing both right and center field, but projects to the corner spot long-term. Due to his size and raw power, he has drawn comparisons to Giancarlo, although those are rather lofty expectations to put on him at this point. Wolkow is a left-handed hitter who, due to his size, raises some concerns about having a longer swing. He would’ve most likely been a first-round pick in the 2024 draft but decided to reclassify to get a head start on the competition.
Wolkow has natural power at his size, and as he develops should begin turning that into in-game over-the-fence production. He has one of the highest ceilings in the system right now due to his age and massive raw power, and will certainly be an exciting prospect to follow heading into next year.
Follow along as we continue to unveil the rest of the top 30 White Sox prospects list throughout the week! Tomorrow, we finally wrap up the top 30 with the prospects who ranked #10-1.
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Featured Image: @MLBPipeline / X
