After the minor league season comes to a close for Double-A and Triple-A at the end of September, the baseball season doesn’t necessarily end for minor league players who teams deem as candidates for additional development. The Arizona Fall League allows six teams made up of prospects from all 30 clubs to compete with one another and showcase their skills to their respective teams.
This year’s rosters were announced over the weekend, and the White Sox will have seven players on the roster: Adam Hackenberg, C; Moises Castillo, SS/2B; Declan Cronin, RHP; Sammy Peralta, LHP; Lane Ramsey, RHP; Chase Solesky, RHP; Terrell Tatum, OF.
Here are some stats for each of the White Sox’s representatives to get you familiar:
- Hackenberg (A+, AA): .223/.317/.332, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 9.5 BB%, 22.7 K%, 82 wRC+
- Castillo (A+, AA): .254/.353/.320, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 12.7 BB%, 17.8 K%, 89 wRC+
- Cronin (AA, AAA): 2-2, 3.71 ERA, 51 IP, 16.7 K%, 8.8 BB%, .260 BAA
- Peralta (AA, AAA): 4-3, 3.63 ERA, 57 IP, 29.5 K%, 8.0 BB%, .230 BAA
- Ramsey (ACL, A, AAA): 1-2, 6.75 ERA, 21.1 IP, 23.8 K%, 13.9 BB%, .276 BAA
- Solesky (A+, AA): 4-8, 4.10 ERA, 116.1 IP, 18.0 K%, 6.9 BB%, .269 BAA
- Tatum (A, A+): .267/.405/.415, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 18.5 BB%, 29.2 K%, 132 wRC+
Here is what MLB Pipeline had to say about the White Sox’s representatives:
“One of the better defensive catchers in the White Sox system, Hackenberg also owns solid raw power but needs more consistency a the plate after batting .221/.316/.324 between High-A and Double-A in his first full pro season. Armed with a low-90s fastball and a low-80s breaking ball, Peralta logged a 3.70 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 56 Double-A innings.“
– MLB Pipeline
Previously, Sox On 35th conducted an interview with Lane Ramsey, which you can read here.
The White Sox historically have not put their top prospects into the AFL, choosing not to extend their season that, for many of them, already represents the most baseball they’ve ever played in one year. Colson Montgomery, for example, has been playing fewer games recently in an attempt to conserve a player who is playing at his third level this season with the most organized baseball he’s ever played in this span. Additionally, many of the above prospects were aggressively promoted to AA as part of the “Project Birmingham” experience, so their statistics are a bit skewed because of that.
Each of the prospects in this league, however, has some sort of identified talent that the White Sox would like to see further. Perhaps some of them need more innings/at-bats, especially in the cases of Terrell Tatum and Lane Ramsey. For others, it’s an attempt to continue to get them looks against advanced pitching, in the cases of Adam Hackenberg and Moises Castillo. For all, however, it’s an exciting additional opportunity to showcase their talents to the team.
The league will begin, as mentioned, on October 3 and run through mid-November. The annual Fall Stars Game will take place on November 6 and will be aired on MLB Network at 6 PM CT. The AFL Championship Game will also be broadcasted on MLB Network on November 12 at 6 PM CT.
Follow us @SoxOn35th for more updates throughout the season!
Featured Image: Southern Intrigue Photography (Charlotte Knights) / Twitter
