The collision between Yoan Moncada and Willy Garcia was tough to watch for White Sox fans. Whenever your number 1 prospect goes down, it’s easy to go into panic mode and think worst case scenario. Luckily, Moncada only suffered a right knee contusion that sidelined him for a few games. Willy Garcia was not as fortunate, however, fracturing his right jaw, which is expected to keep him out for 4-6 weeks. For the White Sox, this was a tough break after already losing Avi Garcia to the DL with a sprained right thumb. However, there are perks to having the top farm system in baseball. Several prospects at Triple-A Charlotte are starting to show they are deserving of a roster spot at the Major League level, giving the White Sox some options should a player have to miss time due to an injury. Nicky Delmonico was one of those major-league ready prospects, and he has been making the most of his opportunity since being called up on August 1st.
In his first game, the excitement of the call-up could be seen on Delmonico’s face as he soaked in the experience. Despite striking out on three pitches in his first plate appearance, Nicky did not let this affect his performance in his later at bats. He was able to make good contact with the ball and in the eighth inning, he turned it into a base hit for the first of his career.
Welcome to the South Side, @Nicky_Delmonico! pic.twitter.com/vhUaQlQPEP
— Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) August 2, 2017
With six games now under his belt, Delmonico is hitting .348 with 8 hits, 4 runs, 5 RBI, and 2 walks. Also, the new left fielder has reached base in all six of the games he’s played, a nice streak to begin your career as a Major Leaguer! Now of course, his time with the Sox has just begun and this is a very small sample size. However, you have to be excited to see a prospect having early success and showing that he has the potential to be a productive player at the Major League level. During this past weekend, Delmonico even welcomed himself to Boston, in style, with a three-run home run to right field.
HE HUNG IT! HE HURT IT!@Nicky_Delmonico hits his first Major League home run. pic.twitter.com/0TGissVZ8R
— Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) August 4, 2017
The biggest question now for Nicky Delmonico, will this production at the plate be sustainable? Only time will tell for the left fielder, who could be seeing a decent number of at bats during the next few weeks, with multiple outfielders on the DL. For now, we’ll see if he can continue his hot streak against one of the best teams in baseball, the Houston Astros, in this week’s upcoming series.
