November 17, 2009

Future Shock

White Sox Top 11 Prospects

by Kevin Goldstein

Four-Star Prospects
1. Daniel Hudson, RHP
2. Jared Mitchell, OF
3. Tyler Flowers, C
Three-Star Prospects
4. Jordan Danks, CF
5. Dayan Viciedo, 3B
6. Brent Morel, 3B
7. Clevelan Santeliz, RHP
8. Trayce Thompson, OF
Two-Star Prospects
9. Santos Rodriguez, LHP
10. David Holmberg, LHP
11. C.J. Retherford, 2B

Four More:

12. Jhonny Nunez, RHP: Nunez has a 93-95 mph fastball and a very good slider, both of which should fit in a big-league bullpen, though he falls short of being the late-inning type.
13. Josh Phegley, C: The 2009 draftee is the rare college catcher with power and patience, but there are way too many questions about his defensive prowess.
14. John Ely, RHP: Ely has consistently gotten minor league hitters out, but on a pure scouting level, he has merely average stuff and command.
15. Nathan Jones, RHP: Standing 6-foot-5, he's projectable as all get out and dialed up heat clocked up to 97 mph this year; he'll also be 24 in January while having yet to get out of A-ball.

1. Daniel Hudson, RHP
DOB: 3/9/87
Height/Weight:6-4/220
Bats/Throws: R/R
Drafted/Signed:5^th round, 2008, Old Dominion University
2009 Stats: 1.23 ERA (22.0-15-2-30) at Low-A (4 G); 3.40 ERA (45.0-31-13-49) at High-A (8 G); 1.60 ERA (56.1-37-10-63) at Double-A (9 G); 3.00 ERA (24.0-22-9-24) at Triple-A (5 G); 3.38 ERA (18.2-16-9-14) at MLB (6 G)
Last Year’s Ranking: Not Ranked

Year in Review: Though Hudson was initially a moderately obscure fifth-round pick, he was the breakout pitcher of the year in the minors, pitching for five teams, beginning the year at Low-A and finished it in the big leagues.
The Good: Hudson combines plus stuff with well above-average command. His 92-94 mph fastball can touch 96 and features good tailing action, and he throws strikes to both sides of the plate with it. His best secondary offering is a plus changeup that is a true swing-and-miss pitch, which lessens the concerns about his slingy, low three-quarters arm action.
The Bad: Hudson's slider flashed average, but it is inconsistent. He'll need to establish it more as a starter in the big leagues. He tends to work up in the zone and gives up fly balls. Despite the enormous leap forward, many scouts think he's maxed out projection-wise.
Ephemera: Hudson's 295 strikeouts rank second in Old Dominion history behind Tigers ace Justin Verlander, who punched out a remarkable 427 batters in his three years with the Monarchs.
Perfect World Projection: Even with Hudson's tremendous growth in 2009, some scouts don't see room for much more, seeing him as a good third starter at best. Others think he'd be even better as a late-inning reliever.
Path to the Big Leagues: If he's not fully big league-ready, Hudson is awfully close.
Timetable: Hudson's 2010 will be determined by the White Sox' offseason. He could begin the year in the big-league bullpen as the team's sixth starter, or he could get more refinement with some starts back at Triple-A.

2. Jared Mitchell, OF
DOB: 10/13/88
Height/Weight: 6-0/195
Bats/Throws: L/L
Drafted/Signed: 1^st round, 2009, Louisiana State University
2009 Stats: .296/.417/.435 at Low-A (34 G)
Last Year’s Ranking: Not Ranked

The rest of this article is restricted to Baseball Prospectus Subscribers. Not a subscriber? Click here for more information on Baseball Prospectus subscriptions or use the buttons to the right to subscribe and get access to the best baseball content on the web.

Cancel anytime. That's a 33% savings over the monthly price! That's a 33% savings over the monthly price! Already a subscriber? Click here and use the blue login bar to log in.