2023 Draft: Inside the White Sox War Room
Several White Sox scouts weigh in about their signees.
With every baseball draft there is a renewed sense of hope among the fan base. Will their home team’s first rounder become the next Mike Trout? Will the late round senior signee have the competitive spirit of Mark Buehrle and develop at a rate that far exceeds his draft slot and signing bonus? In the coming months and years fans can look forward to this year’s draft class answering these questions with their on-field performances. As the current batch of White Sox signees begin their assault on the minor leagues, I reached out to several scouts who weighed in about the strengths and key areas of development for their picks.
Jacob Gonzalez / X: jakegonzalez717
Pos: SS
6’2” 200
Bats: L Throws: R
Age: 21
Signing Bonus: $3.9 Million
Draft round: 1
Scout: Warren Hughes
What the scout says:
“He came in as a really good player. He was very good as a freshman, he was comfortable at shortstop, he can hit and has a really advanced approach, it’s a quality bat and the power is continuing to come.”
Hughes believes Gonzalez has the skill set to stick at shortstop, but offered that positions figure themselves out as players get closer to the big leagues. He added, “Gonzalez has the hands to play anywhere in the infield.”
“He’s got a really strong makeup, he’s very composed, he’s handled pressure well at both Ole Miss and with Team USA, he’s just a really solid player.”
Hughes feels that much of the first-round pick’s future value is driven by his offensive potential which offers a strong chance to hit for both batting average and power.
When evaluating Gonzalez game as a whole, the scout shares, “He plays steady defense at shortstop with a good offensive profile. He walks more than he strikes out, and shows power to all fields. There is a lot of upside and I think he’s going to keep getting better and better.”
Grant Taylor / X: GrantTay27
Pos: RHP
6’2” 230
Age: 21
Bonus: $1.659 Million
Round: 2
Scout: Warren Hughes
What the scout says:
“I love Grant Taylor, he absolutely wowed me in the fall. I had a group one follow on him coming into the spring.” Hughes suggested that early on in his collegiate career Taylor relied primarily on a two-pitch mix, but coming into the spring he had matured into a well rounded pitcher. “He had four quality pitches he could throw for strikes. He was throwing exceptionally well in the fall and into the spring, just before the season started and he went down. I was excited to see what he could do this year because he had become a different pitcher.” (Taylor is currently recovering from a Tommy John procedure he underwent in February)
When discussing the right-hander’s arsenal Hughes shares that Taylor’s fastball clocks in between 94-98 mph. He works his fastball from north to south, offering a two-seamer down and a four seamer at the top of the zone.
The curveball seems to be the great equalizer as the scout feels it makes the rest of Taylor’s arsenal play up. Hughes says of the curveball, “It’s a straight downer with velocity. Once a hitter sees that it makes it even harder for them to adjust to the pitches he throws at the top of the zone.” The slider? “His slider is good too… all really quality pitches.”
He cites an outing Taylor had in the fall against the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. “I saw his best appearance in the last week of the fall against ULL. Hitters had no chance, he was doing anything he wanted with everything he had. I love this kid. I think we got a big league starter there.”
Hughes pointed out that in his scouting region he had ranked Dylan Crews #1 and Paul Skenes #2 while Gonzalez and Taylor were his #3 and #4 respectively. He was excited to have the opportunity to sign both players with the Sox first two picks.
Seth Keener / X: SethKeener3
Pos: RHP
6’2” 195
Age: 21
Bonus: $834K
Round: 3
Scout: John Stott
What the scout says:
“I really liked Seth from the get go, I’ve seen him develop in his years at Wake Forest. He didn’t come into the program as a dude. He turned himself into what he is. Opening day they had an arm go down (Teddy McGraw) and Keener got the start. He showed a fastball 92-96, a plus slider, and a solid change.”
As the year progressed he went back to the bullpen before returning to the rotation to finish the season. Stott lauded the hurlers athleticism and the way he came down the mound. Additionally he felt that Keener’s slider looked like two distinct offerings as he could work it with either downward or sweeper action.
Stott continued, “He can throw his changeup to both right-handed and left-handed batters. I think he has a chance to be starter for us, either a mid rotation or back-end guy. I think he has a good chance to stay in that role.”
During the collegiate season Keener’s fastball sat 93-95 while touching 96 and he displayed an ability to hold that velo through his outings. The scout thinks it could wind up being a plus offering in the future.
His slider is thrown firmly and sat in a 82-87 velocity band with late break. Stott feels that the pitch above is above average right now.
The right-hander’s changeup is 85-86 with depth and tumble to the arm side. Stott shared, “It’s now stuff, and I think it’s going to continue to get better.”
He also commends his signee’s pitchability stating, “I think his strike throwing ability is plus. I think he was second to Paul Skenes in WHIP.”
As a North Carolina product Stott thinks his pitcher is excited to develop as a Sox product close to home and states, “He’s going to get a lot of support, his pass list is going to be long.”
Developmentally he believes the youngster needs to develop more consistency commanding his heater at the top of the zone. He feels that it can run away from his arm side when facing lefties. Additionally, he would like to see Keener land the slider for consistent strikes and expand it. “He’s going to have to work on that to get the guys that play on tv to chase it below the zone.”
His frame has room for more good weight and with it he expects him to add arm strength.
“He’s a loosely built kid, not tightly wound, I really like the way he moves. He works really fast and will have no problem with pitch clock; he gets it and goes.”
In Stott’s area he had ranked Keener as one of the top available arms.
Calvin Harris / X: Calvin_Harris33
Pos: C/OF/1B
6’0” 215
Bats: L Throws: R
Age: 21
Bonus: $600K
Round: 4
Scout: Warren Hughes
What the scout says:
Harris played for the White Sox area code team in high school so a lot of people in the organization had background information on him before he got to Ole Miss. Scout JJ Lally, who coached Harris during Area Codes shared, “In high school Calvin Harris was a really strong, athletic kid with an A+++ makeup, he’s tough as nails, everything you want in a catcher. He checks every box you’re looking for and comes from an excellent family.” Lally also quips when talking about Harris’ hands, “If you shake his hand it’s like grabbing a vice grip, he’ll bring you to your knees if you’re not careful.”
Harris arrived on the Ole Miss campus as a backup, but Hughes offers, “He put his head down and worked hard. He caught my eye his sophomore year. He does a great job defensively, he throws well, and keeps everything in front of him. He hits the ball well to all fields. He’s not just a pull guy, which gives him a chance to hit for average and power at the big league level.” Hughes describes Harris as a “perfectionist” that work really hard, handles a pitching staff well and plays with a passion for the game.
Developmentally the scout feels that the only thing Harris really needs is repetitions stating, “I don’t really think there are big holes in his game. He’s solid behind the plate, he’s a pretty polished guy right now. He’s closed up some gaps in his game offensively. When he came in he was focused on pulling the ball. Now he drives balls the other way and stays on everything, he hits the ball hard everywhere.”
Christian Oppor / X: Christian_oppor
Pos: LHP
6’2” 175
Age: 19
Bonus: $550K
Round: 5
Scout: Warren Hughes
What the scout says:
“He (Oppor) played all year as an 18-year-old (high school age) for a really good JUCO. He’s got a big arm (with a fastball touching 98) and is a really athletic kid.” Hughes shared that the left-handed hurler was a high jumper and sprinter for his high school track team.
Developmentally Hughes suggests that the southpaw wasn’t privy to a lot of high level pitching instruction before he entered the college baseball ranks. He feels that exposure to pro coaching and analytics will unlock new levels in the pitcher’s growth. “He’s got a fresh arm, the secondaries will need some polish. They (player development) will probably be firming up his changeup and slider.”
Hughes points out that Oppor’s delivery is similar to Chris Sale’s, but wanted to make it clear that he’s not comping the two pitchers. “He’s got a big fastball from a wider slot, it’s tough for left-handed hitters to stay on that and he can go away from righties and it just never gets to them.”
“You just don’t typically get an arm like this in the fifth round. He’s a lean kid with a great frame with room for some good extra weight. He’s not finished physically, not even close.”
Looking into his crystal ball Hughes sees Oppor as a potential starter and stated, “He’s a guy we all had higher on our lists then where he was drafted and we were thrilled to add him in the fifth round. At 21 I think this kid is going to be a lot stronger physically than Chris sale was when we drafted him. He’s got a long way to go but there is a lot to work with.”
George Wolkow / X: gwolkow19
POS: OF
6’7” 240
Bats: L Throws: R
Age: 17
Bonus: $1 MILLION
Round: 7
Scout: JJ Lally
What the scout says:
“In scouting terms by and large, this is a high ceiling guy. Because he’s 17-years-old, there is some swing and miss to his game. It’s part of the growth process, the tools are just ginormous. It would be crazy not to take a chance on a guy like this. If he reaches his ceiling we can’t just go out and buy a guy like him on the free agent market. He’s got 80-grade raw power, a bazooka for an arm, and he’s a 60-grade runner at 6’7” 240 pounds. When he’s done growing he’s going to look like Aaron Judge. We have a lot of confidence in our hitting program. This guy is going to have 500 at bats before he should have been drafted. Chris Getz negotiated the deal and got it done. We had first round grades on him.”
Discussing Wolkow’s athleticism Lally advised, “He played basketball, he was the Dennis Rodman of his high school team, he played defense and rebounded, his team went to state.”
The slugger’s genetics suggest athleticism is in his blood. Lally shared, “His dad is 6’5” and played football at Western Michigan. His mom is tall as well and played college volleyball. His Sister Gwen is a college volleyball player at Campbell and his younger sister Grace is also a volleyball player.
As a proving ground after the high school season, the youthful Wolkow played in the Northwoods League where Lally said he started out slowly but made strides and improved. Lally stated, “He cozied up to the college kids and got better. He’s open, he’s coachable, he wants to improve, he’s a sponge, far from a guy that thinks he has all the answers.”
Early reports suggest the White Sox college draftees at the Arizona Complex League have already taken a shine to the teenager. For his long-term development plan Lally offers: “He’s 17-years-old, a five year development plan gets him to Chicago at age 22; that’s a very reasonable expectation.”
Eddie Park / X: eddiepark__
Pos: OF
6’1” 192
Bats: L Throws: L
Age: 21
Bonus: $200K
Round: 8
Scout: Adam Virchis
What the scout says:
Virchis identified Park as his “gut-feel” guy and added, “This guy’s an animal, an extremely aggressive player.”
“Between late in his sophomore year and early in his junior year, he really made himself into a prospect.”
“He’s reliable, they call him “Everyday Eddie,” he doesn’t strike out.”
Strengths:
All fields hitting approach from foul line to foul line.
Plus bat-to-ball skills.
Excellent strike zone judgement and plate discipline.
“He doesn’t wow you with tools, he doesn’t have a lot of power. He’s a table-setter, a leadoff guy that always gets it done. To his opponents, he’s an annoying player that you don’t want to face, a Steven Kwan type.”
“He’s fun to watch in the box. He was a shift crusher. He hits it where they ain’t.”
Jake Peppers / X: jakepeppers
Pos: RHP
6’2” 185
Age: 21
Bonus: $178K
Round: 9
Scout: Warren Hughes
What the scout says:
“Peppers is another big arm. He’s got a lean athletic frame, his arm really works, we’ve seen big velocity out of him, up to 98 in the spring.”
Developmentally Hughes feels the consistency of the right-hander’s secondary pitches will need additional refinement. The scout said he feels that Peppers can make it as a starting pitcher, but there is some reliever potential in his profile. As a case for optimism Hughes offers that collegiately the hurler started for Jacksonville State and put forth some of his best efforts against the toughest competition. Specifically he cites a start against Auburn in which the power right-hander tossed five scoreless innings while fanning eight. He closed stating, “It’s in there with him, there is some inconsistency, but I think that gets better as he gets stronger with more innings under his belt.”
Zach Franklin
Position: RHP
6’1” 198
Bats: R Throws: R
Age: 24
Bonus: $10K
Round: 10
Scout: JJ Lally
What the scout says:
“Zach Franklin was a senior sign out of Missouri. He’s a little older at 24, but he’s got a good arm and I believe we have a chance to get a big leaguer out of him.”
Interesting tidbit: Lally used a similar strategy in signing right-handed-pitcher, Theo Denlinger as an older, money saving pick in the 2021 draft. Denlinger has since been traded to the Red Sox organization, but has flown through the minor league ranks and is currently in AAA.
Rikuu Nishida / X: A5D0l
Pos: 2B/OF
5’6” 160
Bats: L Throws: R
Age: 21
Bonus: $170K
Round: 11
Scout: Josh Krstulovich
What the scout says:
“Rikuu was the most fun player in college baseball, he’s only 5’6” 160, but extremely strong.”
Referring to Nishida’s two strike approach Krstulovich shares, “He’s in a full catcher’s squat.” The scout also cited that in college, his player went to the on deck circle with two bats and decided whether to use wood or metal based on how he felt just before stepping into the box.
His best tool is his bat-to ball skill which the scout describes as “off the charts.” Krstulovich added, “You can’t walk him or he will steal a base. His defense is overlooked because he moved around the diamond. His arm is good. He has incredible plate discipline. I think he hit .500 against fastballs that were thrown 93 plus and he runs 3.7-3.8 down the line.”
Interesting trivia: In Japan, Nishida attended Tohoku high school, the same high school as Yu Darvish. Although Nishida was captain of his high school baseball team the roster size was huge and created what he perceived to be a negative environment. He decided to come to the states and play at Mt. Hood Community College whose baseball team is part of an all wood bat conference. Nishida had a great season in which he hit .415 and stole 33 bases while striking out only nine times in 161 plate appearances. As an encore he played in the Cape Cod League where he was named to the all-star team. His efforts earned notice and set the stage for his transfer to Oregon.
Krstulovich shared, “He’s a spark plug guy at the top of the order. He was a huge contributor in nearly getting Oregon to Omaha (College World Series). His mother passed away unexpectedly in December, after experiencing this emotional trauma his family pushed him to come back to the states and pursue his dream. Watching him all season long you would have never known he experienced that kind of adversity. He’s got a super positive energy, he will become a fan favorite instantly.”
Writer’s note: If you aren’t sold on the prospects of an undersized, slap hitting second base prospect who played collegiate ball in Oregon please recognize that this wasn’t the fourth overall pick in the draft. As an 11th round flyer Nishida is going to bring so many intangibles to the system that his contributions will be felt whether he makes the big leagues or not. If you still aren’t all-in follow this link to his Oregon baseball page. His list of highlights and accomplishments is certain to promote optimism. https://goducks.com/sports/baseball/roster/rikuu-nishida/15755
Mathias LaCombe / X: LacombeMathias4
Pos: RHP
6’2” 185
Age: 21
Bonus: $450K
Round: 12
Scout: John Kazanas
What the scout says:
Kazanas describes the pitcher’s build as lean with broad shoulders and long limbs.
He lauds LaCombe for his ambitious goals: “Mathias wants to be the first drafted French player to pitch in the big leagues. He wants to achieve this goal, go back to France and be a role model, he wants to encourage kids over there to play baseball.”
Kazanas offered that LaCombe envisions himself “as the guy on the mound with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the bases loaded.”
The scout said he saw video of LaCombe top out at 88 as a college freshman which he considers to be rather normal for a JUCO pitcher. However, Kazanas adds, “Out of the pen this year his velo really took off. He sat 92-93 and was up to 97 with plus-plus life. His fastball was exclusively two seamers, He might add even more power if player development adds a four seamer to his repertoire.”
Additionally, Kazanas points out that the right-hander went almost a full year without walking anybody (from midseason last year to midseason this year.)
“It’s very difficult to find someone in the JUCO ranks with that kind of control.”
At Cochise college, working in a dual role as a starter and reliever, LaCombe punched out 97 hitters in 67.1 innings while surrendering only 14 walks and 47 hits. This effort helped him post a 5-3 record with a 1.74 ERA while notching two saves.
LaCombe’s pitch mix includes a fastball, slider and changeup. Kazanas suggests, “His slider has potential, but his velo and movement on the fastball make it his current best offering.”
As a developmental path, Kazanas sees LaCombe working as a starter in the minors to sharpen his pitches.
Mikey Kane / X: KaneMikey
Pos: 3B
6’3” 205
Bats: R Throws: R
Age: 22
Bonus: $150K
Round: 17
Scout: Josh Krstulovich
What the scout says:
“Mikey hopped on the scene really late, as a player who went from the College of the Canyons to Oregon State he’d been hidden. Because of his college transfer we didn’t really even know if he was eligible to be drafted until March. “
“He’s extremely strong and very athletic but very raw. He’s got good genetics, both of his parents were athletes.”
“He’s got some great contact skills, but there is some stuff in his swing that needs to be cleaned up.” Krstulovich cites that Kane’s hands and leg kick can get too loud at times. (Scout speak for exaggerated movement).
“He’s such a good raw athlete I feel like he’s going to jump out next year. He has a chance to stick at third base, maybe even at shortstop. His hit tool and the fact that he’s such a good athlete are going to carry him.”
Fans will be pleased to know his name is Michael “Patrick Kane.” Could he be destined for Chicago sports stardom?
Anthony Imhoff / X: anthonyy_imhoff
Pos: LHP
6’8” 190
Age: 21
Bonus: $150K
Round: 18
Scout: John Kazanas
What the scout says:
“Anthony is a narrow shouldered kid with long limbs. He was the staff ace at Pima Community College.”
In his last season with Pima, the southpaw went 10-5 striking out 108 while walking 35 and allowing 62 hits over 81 innings. His college coach, Brian Anderson told Kazanas that Imhoff was probably the team’s hardest worker in the weight room. Kazanas jokingly cites his player’s lean frame and shared, “Anderson said he put on 20 pounds, but I don’t know where it went if he did.”
Interesting trivia: Coach Anderson, the White Sox first round pick in 2003 was also a Kazanas signee.
Imhoff’s pitch mix includes a fastball that tops out at 92, a curveball and a changeup. But Kazanas looks toward the future and states, “If he can add 30 pounds, I would suspect he can pick up velo and arm strength. He’s a good projection guy. Looking at his arm slot, angle, downward plane, and height, he can improve his extension.”
Kazanas envisions Imhoff as a backend starter if things develop.
Interesting trivia 2.0: As the scout that signed Mark Buehrle in the 38th round, Kazanas seems to have a Midas touch with left-handed pitchers. 2019 signee Avery Weems was selected as a senior sign, money saver in his draft. Despite a bloated 7.15 ERA at Arizona, Weems established himself as a top prospect in the Sox organization, and was one of the pieces traded to Texas for Lance Lynn. Gil Luna Jr, a senior sign, money saver from the 2021 draft has worked his way up to Double-AA while averaging 13 strikeouts per nine innings throughout all of his minor league stops. Last year’s draft saw Kazanas bring Shane Murphy into the fold after Tommy John surgery limited him to only five innings pitched during his draft season. Murphy is thriving with the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in his first season back from the procedure. “The lefty whisperer” Kazanas is truly an oracle when it comes to finding these diamonds in the rough.
Garrett Wright / X: The_GWright
Pos: RHP
6’2” 220
Age: 21
Bonus: $150K
Round: 20
Scout: Torreon Woods
What the scout says:
“He’s a guy we got for incredible value in the 20th round. He’s got a plus fastball up to 98-99 when he’s really feeling it, could be a fast mover. He was a high leverage guy for TCU. He was a guy the coaches trusted on that pitching staff. He’s a good player, a fiery dude, a high-character kid, he’s never in a bad mood. If you need a guy on the mound with some fortitude, he’s the guy. He’s got that competitive spirit.”
“He’s mostly a two pitch pitcher: fastball/slider. His command can be kind of hit or miss, that’s the need in his development.”
“He has loud stuff, just the command needs to match the stuff.”
“He’s a guy we were lucky to get in the 20th round for sure.”