Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the The 2023 Prospect Digest Handbook here!
_______________________________________________________________________________________
1. Colson Montgomery, SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50/55 | 55 | 30 | 55 | 55 | 60 |
Background: When the lefty-swinging shortstop was selected in the opening round two years ago it snapped a nine-year streak of the organization taking college or JuCo prospects in the first round. Before that the last high schooler to join the franchise as a first round pick was toolsy, albeit flawed, outfielder Courtney Hawkins – the 13th overall pick in 2012. Montgomery, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound shortstop, turned in a solid, sometimes impressive debut in the Complex League during his debut in 2021, hitting .287/.396/.362 while showing an advanced approach at the plate. And it proved to just be a harbinger of things to come in 2022. Beginning the year with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in the Carolina League (A-ball), Montgomery made quick work of the older competition, posting a scorching .324/.424/.477 slash line through 45 contests. The front office bumped their top prospect up to Winston-Salem (High-A) for another 37 games and he capped off a wildly successful first full season with a 14-game cameo in the minors’ toughest level – Double-A. When the dust had finally cleared the Southridge High School product owned a .274/.381/.429 slash line with 17 doubles, two triples, 11 homeruns, and one stolen base – just for good measure. Per Weighted Runs Created Plus, his overall production topped the league average threshold by 25%.
Scouting Report: Arguably the deepest everyday position among any Top 100 list, Montgomery’s seemingly – almost frustratingly so – overlooked among his peers. But the lefty-swinging infielder showcased a little bit of everything during his phenomenal campaign in 2022 – despite playing against significantly older competition, including a 50-game on-base streak that extended through mid-July. With a swing reminiscent of a young Corey Seager, Montgomery showcases an average hit tool with matching contact rates and 50-grade power. The lone red flag: a slight, slight platoon split against lefties that which is hardly concerning. In terms of big league ceiling, think: .270/.340/.460.
Ceiling: 4.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Oscar Colas, OF
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50 | 60 | 30 | 45 | 50 | 55 |
Background: There are very few organizations, if any, that have had deeper roots to Cuban baseball than the White Sox. Cuban-born players to don the club’s uniform include: Hall of Famer Minnie Minoso, Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert, Yasmani Grandal, Jose Contreras, Alexei Ramirez, Orlando Hernandez, Dayán Viciedo, Yolbert Sanchez, Norge Vera, Bryan Ramos, and Yoelqui Céspedes. The club’s latest high profile import: first baseman / outfielder Oscar Colas, who took an interesting path to stateside ball. Born in La Habana, Cuba, Colas turned some heads as a 17-year-old mashing through the Cuban National Series in 2016-17, hitting .279/.370/.494 with nine extra-base hits in 23 games with the Avispas de Santiago de Cuba. After the year the government sent Colás, as well as lefty Liván Moinelo, to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as part of a player development program. Colás would spend the next couple of years bouncing between both countries. In late January last season the Sox signed Colás to a deal worth $2.7 million after defecting from his home country. The then-23-year-old outfielder made up for any lost time during his stateside debut last season, splitting time between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A as he slugged an aggregate .314/.371/.524 with 24 doubles, four triples, 23 homeruns, and a trio of stolen bases. Per FanGraphs’ Weighted Runs Created Plus, his overall production topped the league average mark by 37%.
Scouting Report: With regard to his production in Double-A, consider the following:
- Since 2006, only five 23-year-old hitters met the following criteria in a season (min. 200 PA): 135 to 145 wRC+, a 5% to 7% walk rate, and a strikeout rate of at least 20%. Those five hitters: Edwin Rios, Patrick Leonard, Jordan Patterson, Luis Barrera, and – of course – Oscar Colás.
A member of the 2022 Futures Game roster, Colas owns prodigious in-game and raw power. Broad shoulders wide enough to support a bridge, the Cuban outfielder handled lefties and righties equally well – though he did look uncomfortable against breaking balls from southpaws at times. He’s currently splitting time between rightfield and centerfield – though his lumbering speed will keep him in a corner spot at the big league level. There’s definitely going to be some swing-and-miss to his game and his walk rates will be subpar because he swings at everything, but there’s legitimate big league middle of the lineup production brewing in his bat. Big league ceiling: .265/.325/.500.
Ceiling: 3.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Bryan Ramos, 3B
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40/45 | 60 | 30 | 50 | 55 | 55 |
Background: One of the club’s larger acquisitions on the international market during the 2018 season. Ramos made his presence known in the Complex League during his debut – as a 17-year-old – a season later with a .277/.353/.415 slash line. After returning from the lost 2020 COVID season, the Cuban-born infielder spent the 2021 campaign with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in the Low-A East League with solid production for a teenager. He hit .244/.345/.415 with 23 doubles, six triples, 13 homeruns, and 13 stolen bases in 115 games. Last season the 6-foot-2, 225-pound third baseman mashed his way through 99 games in the South Atlantic League and spent the final few weeks in Birmingham in Double-A, the most challenging level for a prospect – at the ripe ol’ age of 20. In total, Ramos batted .266/.338/.455 with 19 doubles, one triple, and a career best 22 dingers in 120 games. His overall production, as measured by FanGraphs’ Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average mark by 14%.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only four 20-year-old hitters met the following criteria in a High-A season (min. 400 PA): 117 to 127 wRC+, a 14% to 18% strikeout rate, and an 8% to 10% walk rate. Those four hitters: Ramon Flores, Alen Hanson, Blake DeWitt, and – of course – Bryan Ramos. Flores, Hanson, and DeWitt all logged parts of several seasons in the big leagues during their career.
Ramos added considerable bulk to his once wiry frame, now tipping the scales at 225 pounds, 30 pounds heavier than previously listed. So it’s not surprising that the young infielder (A) who split the 2021 season between second and third bases has shifted over to the hot corner fully in 2022 and (B) saw a drastic decline in the stolen base and triples departments as well. Defensively, Ramos has the makings of an above-average – perhaps even borderline Gold Glove – third baseman. Offensively, the big swinging Cuban combines plus power potential and strong contact rates, a common trait among the club’s better hitting prospects. Easy power to all fields. Ramos, with a simple flick of the wrist, took a Peter Van Loon offering to the opposite field for a dinger in late June. I’m not entirely sold on the bat completely, but the other tools all suggest a league average starter – bare minimum. Big League Ceiling: .250/.330/.440.
Ceiling: 3.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Noah Schultz, LHP
| FB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 65 | 70 | N/A | 50 | 50 |
Background: Built like an All-NBA small forward, the 6-foot-9, 220-pound southpaw wasn’t always destined to tower over his peers – or anyone else for that matter. The once-diminutive 8th grader grew six inches during the summer heading into his freshman season at Oswego East High School. And the Illinois native shot up another six inches just a few months later, taking his subpar velocity into premium, high octane territory. After a dominating junior campaign for the Wolves, Schultz would miss nearly his entire senior season as he dealt with a bout of mononucleosis. Chicago drafted the behemoth left-hander in the opening round of the 2022 draft, 26th overall, and signed him to a deal worth a hefty $2.8 million. Prior to joining the White Sox organization Schultz was committed to Vanderbilt University – a.k.a. Pitcher University.
Scouting Report: Lefties with premium velocity are typically worth their weight in gold, so it’s not surprising to see the White Sox take a gamble on Schultz near the end of the opening round. And Schultz’s velocity, which will top out in the upper 90s, plays up even further thanks to his enormous wingspan. The big southpaw complements the plus-plus fastball with a plus slider with hard, sharp horizontal bite. He’ll also mix in a firm, average-ish changeup. He throws a surprising amount of strikes, especially considering his age and size, and he tends to hide the ball fairly well. Chicago hasn’t done well drafting and developing pitchers, but Schultz has a chance to be very good.
Ceiling: 3.0-win player
Risk: Moderate to High
MLB ETA: 2026
_______________________________________________________________________________________
5. Christian Mena, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 50/55 | 60 | 50/60 | N/A | 40/50 | 50 |
Background: As noted by a bevy of reports on MLB.com, the organization made their largest pitching investment with Mena during the 2019 signing period. Three years later, that $250,000 bonus is proving to be quite a bargain. Mena made his professional debut two years ago in a largely successful campaign in the Complex League – despite what his 7.82 ERA would lead you to believe. The then-18-year-old hurler posted a dominating 62-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in only 48.1 innings of work. Last season Mena started out in impressive fashion in the Low-A, averaging 11.1 strikeouts and just 2.5 walks per nine innings across 11 starts, then he held his own in 10 starts in the South Atlantic League (10.4 K/9 and 4.9 BB/9). He capped off the year with a three-game cameo with Birmingham in the Southern League. In total, Mena tossed 104.1 innings of work with 126 strikeouts and 38 walks per nine innings to go along with a 3.80 ERA.
Scouting Report: One of the most unheralded pitching prospects in the game – at least temporarily. Mena has everything you look for in a young arm: size (6-foot-2 and 200 pounds), athleticism, reasonable feel for the strike zone, at least one quality offspeed pitch (and in this instance two potentially plus breaking balls), and production against older competition. Mena’s fastball will sit in the low 90s but has some giddy up high in the zone. Prior to the year his trademark offering was a hellacious 12-6 curveball, but the young Dominican hurler added a slider with late, hard bite – though it lacks consistency at this point. He’ll mix in a below average / fringy changeup. He definitely seems to favor his newly found slider. Chicago hasn’t been overly successful in developing young arms, particularly starting pitchers so Mena – who has all the ingredients for a Top 100 pitching prospect – will prove to be a solid litmus test. Mena has the potential to develop into a mid-rotation caliber arm, maybe more if his fastball adds a couple ticks.
Ceiling: 2.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________________
6. Wilfred Veras, 1B / 3B
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40/50 | 50/60 | 35/30 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Background: As pointed out as part of his report on MLB.com, Veras has some rather notable bloodlines in the sport. Notably: his father Wilton Veras spent parts of two years with the Boston Red Sox near the turn of the century; his uncle (Fernando Tatis) and cousins (Fernando Tatis Jr. and Elijah Tatis) are also somewhat baseball famous. Signed out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for $300,000 a couple years ago, the younger Veras mashed his way through an impressive professional debut in the Arizona Complex League two years ago, slugging .322/.416/.533 with 16 doubles, two triples, and a quartet of homeruns in 46 games. Last season, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound corner infielder moved his way into full season action. And he continued to hit. In 101 games with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, Veras batted .267/.319/.454 with 19 doubles, two triples, and 17 homeruns to go along with five stolen bases (in five attempts). The front office threw caution to the wind at the end of the year and bumped the teenager straight up to Double-A for the last three weeks of the year. Veras promptly hit a nearly identical .267/.313/.533.
Scouting Report: One of my sleeper picks to be a consensus Top 100 prospect by the end of 2023. Veras, who slugged 20 homeruns in only 113 games last season, has only begun to tap into his prodigious raw power. Really good rotation throughout his swing with the natural leverage to fully take advantage of his thump. There’s some swing-and-miss to Veras’s game, though it hasn’t climbed into full blown red flag territory. Miscast as a third baseman, it’s only a matter time before Veras permanently shifts across the diamond to first. As a bat-only prospect, there’s little room for risk but don’t sleep on Veras. It’ll be interesting to see if the front office bounces Veras back down to High-A at the start of 2022 or if he’ll start the year back up in Double-A.
Ceiling: 2.5-win player
Risk: Moderate to High
MLB ETA: 2024
_______________________________________________________________________________________
7. Jose Rodriguez, SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50/55 | 45 | 60 | 45 | 45 | 50 |
Background: One of just two 21-year-olds to receive enough qualifying at bats in the Southern League in 2022. Rodriguez continued his rapid ascension towards the Sox’s big league lineup. Signed out of Valverde, Dominican Republic in mid-February 2018, the young shortstop vaulted up the prospect charts after a stout showing in the Arizona Summer League during his second season as he slugged .293/.328/.505 with 19 extra-base hits in only 44 games. After a return from the lost 2020 season, Rodriguez rocketed through three stops along the minor league path, going from Low-A all the way to Double-A as a 20-year-old. Last season, the promising middle infielder squared off against the minors’ toughest challenge for a longer look. And he came away victorious. In 104 games with the Birmingham Barons, Rodriguez batted .280/.340/.430 with 21 doubles, 11 homeruns, and career bests in triples (six) and stolen bases (40). Per FanGraphs’ Weighted Runs Created Plus, his overall production was 3% better than the league average.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only four 20-year-old hitters posted a wRC+ total between 100 and 110 with a sub-15% strikeout rate and a walk rate between 6% and 9% in a Double-A season (min. 400 PA): Freddy Galvis, Albert Almora Jr., Kean Wong, and Jose Rodriguez.
The power’s been the most intriguing part of Rodriguez’s toolkit – only because it was graded so lowly when he signed with the organization. It’s not overly impressive, but it’s enough to keep pitchers and defenses honest. Plus speed and a hit tool that can turn into a perennial .290 threat. Rodriguez has never been overly patient at the plate – his 7.9% walk rate in 2022 was a career high by a rather wide margin – so there’s some skepticism that he’ll be able to approach those marks in future years. Rodriguez has a lot of similar offensive tools / traits as longtime big league veteran Jean Segura, though the glove quite isn’t up to that level. He plays shortstop with a pair of stone hands.
Ceiling: 1.5- to 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________________
8. Sean Burke, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 60 | 50 | 55/60 | N/A | 40/50 | 45 |
Background: The University of Maryland’s become a bit of an interesting baseball school over the past couple of seasons, graduating nine players to pro ball since the start of 2018 – eight of whom, by the way, received six-figure bonuses. Chicago drafted Burke from the land of the Terrapins in the third round, 94th overall, two years ago, and handed him the third largest bonus in school history ($900,000). Essentially limited to just one college season courtesy of the COVID pandemic, Burke quickly made up for any lost time last season as the big right-hander made a jaunt through three levels of the minor leagues, going from Winston-Salem (High-A) all the way to Charlotte (Triple-A) in 2022. In total, the Massachusetts native made 27 appearances, 26 of them coming via the start, throwing 108.0 innings with 137 strikeouts (11.4 K/9), 48 free passes (4.0 BB/9), and a 4.75 ERA. Burke was a two-time Southern League Pitcher of the Week (6/05/2022 and 8/28/2022), as well as the Southern League Pitcher of the Month for August.
Scouting Report: Even further removed from his 2019 Tommy John surgery. Burke is the type of pitcher that would be exceptionally successful in a pitching savvy organization like the Dodgers or the Guardians or the Mariners or the Rays. So it’ll be interesting as to whether the White Sox can help the right-hander take the final step towards the club’s rotation. The key: throwing his recently tuned slider more frequently. While the curveball has noticeable shape and downward bite, Burke’s slider consistently missed bats and generated plenty of weak contact. Above-average fastball that was sitting 96 mph late in the year, Burke will also mix in a rare, almost non-existent changeup. Along with more slider usage, the command is another potential deal breaker. It’s a firm 40 with hope that it eventually creeps into 45-grade territory. Still only entering his age-23 season, thanks to a late birthday, Burke likely has two years to show an improved feel for the strike zone before he drifts into a potential seventh or eighth innings relief role.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________________
9. Lenyn Sosa, 2B / 3B / SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50 | 50 | 35 | 40 | 55 | 45 |
Background: Coming off of an up-and-down 2021 year in which he (A) was a league average bat with Winston-Salem and (B) looked utterly overmatched during a 35-game stint in Double-A, it’s unsurprising that Sosa found himself back with Birmingham to start last season. And he looked like the second coming of Nomar Garciaparra. Sosa slashed a scorching .331/.384/.549 in 62 games. The young Venezuelan infielder spent the remainder of the year yo-yoing between Triple-A and the big leagues. He would finish his fifth minor league season with an aggregate .315/.369/.511 with 22 doubles, two triples, and a career best 23 homeruns. Per Weighted Runs Created Plus, his overall production topped the league average mark by 31%.
Scouting Report: Cut from a similar cloth many of the top prospect bats in the system, Sosa still (A) doesn’t swing-and-miss much, (B) walk all that frequently, and (C) flashes surprising pop for a smaller, up-the-middle hitter. Defensively, Sosa has the chops – maybe not the arm strength – to stay at shortstop. The problem, of course, is that he’s locked in behind Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada at the big league level and he falls behind Colson Montgomery, Bryan Ramos, and Jose Rodriguez on the prospect depth chart – all of whom are likely to see some time at the game’s pinnacle level in 2023. He’s best suited for a super-sub role on a contending team. Big League Line: .255/.300/.400.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________________
10. Jonathan Cannon, RHP
| FB | CB | CU | CH | Command | Overall |
| 50 | 50 | 55/60 | 55 | 55 | 40 |
Background: For just the second team in franchise history the Chicago White Sox drafted a Georgia Bulldog. The first being former middle infielder Gordon Beckham, the eighth overall pick in 2008 who would make the big leagues less than a year later. The second, of course, is right-hander Jonathan Cannon. The 6-foot-6, 213-pound hurler spent his final two seasons in the Bulldogs’ rotation, posting similar results. As a spry sophomore, Cannon averaged 8.1 strikeouts and just 1.8 walks per nine innings across 12 starts and one relief outing. And he followed that up by posting averages of 7.8 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in 78.1 innings of work as a junior. After the organization selected him in the third round, 101st overall, the two sides agreed to a deal worth $925,000. Cannon made four brief appearances in the low levels of the minors, throwing another 7.1 innings with four punch outs and three free passes.
Scouting Report: With regard to his work as a junior last season, consider the following:
- Since 2017, there are only seven instances in which a SEC hurler posted a walk rate below 1.5 BB/9 in a season (min. 75 IP): Casey Mize (who accomplished the feat twice), Chase Dollander, Garrett Stallings (twice), Sam Finnerty, and Jonathan Cannon. Now the bad news: Cannon owned the third lowest K-rate between Finnerty, who went undrafted last season after five years at Alabama, and Stallings, who first accomplished the spectacular walk rate as a freshman and later did so with a significantly improve K-rate.
Cannon’s a phenomenally interesting pitcher. He’s an extreme strike thrower that doesn’t miss many bats – which would suggest a lackluster / mediocre repertoire. But there’s a workable foundation in place. Cannon shows a 90- to 93-mph fastball, which he commands well. He’ll throw his low 80s average curveball at any point in the count. He’ll mix in above-average, hard-fading mid-80s changeup. His best offering, though, is an upper 80s / low 90s cutter / slider with plenty of late movement. Chicago will need Cannon to focus throwing his cutter / slider more frequently. Otherwise, he’s going to have to pitch backwards because his fastball / curveball combo is going to prove to be too hittable.
Ceiling: 1.0- to 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
_______________________________________________________________________________________
All statistics were provided via the following website: Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, TheBaseballCube, BaseballProspectus, ClayDavenport.com, and Baseball America.
