There is more optimism with this farm system heading into 2023 than there was a year ago. While the depth of the organization as a whole has some room for growth, the White Sox saw several breakout performances from their home-grown talent to bolster the overall strength of their farm system.
As Spring Training gets underway, here at Sox On 35th, we are getting you ready for the minor league season by revealing our top 30 White Sox prospects this week! Today, we start with the Honorable Mentions.
This first group of prospects in the White Sox farm system was, for one reason or another, unable to crack the top 30 prospects list. However, these prospects all deserve to be discussed for several reasons, whether they hold the potential to eventually develop into an impact prospect or they are on the cusp of filing a specific role for the major league roster.
Pitchers
Nick Avila RP
The White Sox clearly view Avila as an MLB-ready relief option, as they selected him in the Rule 5 Draft to pluck him out of the Giants organization. It is easy to see why they wanted him, as he is coming off a dominant 2022 minor league season where he held a 1.14 ERA in 55.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. He will be given every opportunity to prove the White Sox right this season as he likely has the inside track at a spot on the 26-man roster.
Caleb Freeman RP
Drafted back in 2019, The White Sox have developed Freeman as a reliever with high-leverage upside. Before 2022, he had produced solid numbers at pretty much every stop he made in the minors and proved his ability to produce strikeouts and limit runs. He dealt with injuries and only logged 17.1 innings in 2022, and struggled with his command when he was healthy. He will look to bounce back this season as he works his way into the conversation to join the bullpen at the major league level.
Tyler Schweitzer SP
Tyler Schweitzer was drafted in the 5th round of the 2022 draft out of Ball State and will make his debut in the Sox system in 2023. The lefty is expected to be developed as a starter, where he found plenty of success in college as the Pitcher of the Year in the MAC conference. He shows some upside with a mid-90s fastball and intriguing spin rates.
Tommy Sommer SP
Tommy Sommer has had a successful beginning to his professional baseball career. In his first full minor league season, Sommer made it to High-A Winston Salem, where he was able to keep a very respectable 2.64 ERA at the level. While his strikeout numbers dipped a bit after the promotion, he still showed enough promise in the 2022 season to keep an eye on in 2023 as he continues to climb the minor league ranks.
Luis Reyes SP
Luis Reyes is the top international signing of the White Sox 2023 class, singing for $700K. The RHP out of Venezuela was the 41st-ranked international prospect according to MLB Pipeline and has been described as a “power arm” by Marco Paddy. Reyes appears to be a prospect with relatively high upside, and will definitely be a name to watch as he makes his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League this season.
Jonathan Stiever SP
Once regarded as one of the top pitchers in the White Sox farm system, Jonathan Stiever’s stock has taken a major hit as he has battled injuries over the past couple of seasons. When healthy, he has shown the ability to strike opposing batters out and flashed the potential to be a regular in an MLB starting rotation. He appears to be on track to start the season healthy at Triple-A Charlotte and could work his way into the conversation as a spot starter this coming season.
Andrew Dalquist SP
Dalquist has fallen just about as far as any prospect in the White Sox system. Viewed as a relatively safe draft prospect out of high school, Dalquist has struggled to command his pitches since being drafted in the 3rd round in 2019. Last season was by far the worst of his professional career, holding a 6.49 ERA and walking nearly as many batters as he struck out between High-A and Double-A. This is the last year before he is eligible for the Rule 5 draft, so this could very well be a make-or-break season for Dalquist.
Jose Mendoza SP
While technically a member of the 2021 international free agent class, it wasn’t until 2022 that Mendoza made his professional debut in the White Sox system. He began his minor league career strong, as the 18-year-old from the Dominican Republic finished the season with a 3.72 ERA with 47 strikeouts through 38.2 IP in his professional debut season. He walked too many batters this past season, but he can miss bats and has some upside that the White Sox developmental staff will look to tap into in 2023, likely in the Arizona Complex League.
Infielders
Tyler Osik C/1B/DH
Tyler Osik garnered some attention with his bat this past season in High-A Winston Salem, holding a .310 batting average and a 135 wRC+. However, it was his fourth year in the organization (third if you don’t count 2020), and at age 25 he was well advanced for the league he was playing in. He struggled a bit in his first taste of the more age-appropriate Double-A Southern League, where he is likely to begin the 2023 season. It also appears that he is transitioning to playing more 1B, which may require him to tap more into his raw power to have a future role at the major league level.
Dario Borrero 1B
Dario Borrero has had no issues making contact to begin his professional career, holding a career batting average of over .315 in 180 ABs in 2021 and 2022. The surprising thing with Borrero is that he has yet to hit his first professional home run despite his 6’5 200 lb size and raw power. The home runs can still come, and the hit tool is clearly advanced considering Borrero’s age and experience. However, his bat will have to carry him through the system as a 1B/DH prospect.
Victor Quezada 3B
Victor Quezada was a sneaky breakout candidate coming into the 2022 season after a respectable debut season in the DSL where he showed off a combination of power and base-stealing ability. He initially seemed ready to deliver with 4 home runs in his first 8 games in Arizona, however, it turned into a bit of a nightmare season for Quezada after that. He finished with a .151 batting average and an ugly 48.9% strikeout rate. He still possesses some loud tools, but until he can drastically cut down on the strikeouts he won’t be able to tap into his potential.
Outfielders
Terrell Tatum OF
Tatum, a 16th-round draft pick in 2021, has opened some eyes so far in his early professional career. In the 2022 season, he held a 135 wRC+ between his stints in Low-A and High-A, and while his strike-out numbers are a bit high, he draws a lot of walks and has enough athleticism to make things happen on the base paths. Tatum’s season came to a crashing end in July, however, when he was hit with a 50-game suspension after testing positive for a banned substance.
Cameron Butler OF
Drafted in the 15th round out of high school in 2021, Cameron Butler was always viewed as a long-term project, making his struggles in his first season not surprising. In 2022, he could only manage a .201 batting average with his 42% strikeout rate at least partially to blame. He still possesses plenty of athleticism and upside, and his 14.2% walk rate is something to build on as he continues to develop.
Godwin Bennett OF
Godwin Bennett showed some promise in the DSL in 2021 but remained in the same league for the 2022 season. He proved to be well advanced for the league, as he put up a .306 batting average with 11 home runs and a 175 wRC+. He also is patient enough to draw his fair share of walks, however, he still needs to work on cutting down his 30% strikeout rate. If nothing else, he proved this past season that he doesn’t need a 3rd season in the DSL.
Come back Wednesday, when we will reveal prospects #30-16 on our top 30 list!
Follow us @SoxOn35th for more throughout the season!
Featured Image: Minor League Baseball / Twitter
