2013 White Sox Spring Training Preview: The Outfield

It's a great feeling that spring training is only a month away.  To get ready for spring training, I'm starting previews by position.  Leading off is the outfield.  The players are broken down into two categories; players on the 40-man roster and players that have received non-roster invitations.

40-man roster:

Jordan Danks, Alejandro De Aza, Alex Rios, Dayan Viciedo, and DeWayne Wise - I'm not going to spend time talking about these guys.  We all know who they are and what they bring to the team.  All of these players are going to be in the White Sox uniform at one time or another.  De Aza, Rios, and Viciedo will be the starters on Opening Day and Wise has the slight edge to be the 4th OFer.

Jared Mitchell - If you've read this blog, you'll know that I'm not as high on Mitchell as some others are.  He's got plus athleticism, nice speed (it isn't what it was pre-injury), and does have a higher ceiling.  However, his stats haven't been much in recent years and Mitchell has really struggled to make contact, striking out over 30% of the time in the past two years.  He's behind Wise, Tekotte, and Danks on the depth chart for me.

Blake Tekotte - In one of Rick Hahn's first moves, the Sox traded RHP Brandon Kloess for OF Blake Tekotte from the Padres.  Tekotte was a top 20 prospect in San Diego's organization last year according to some.  Injuries have slowed Tekotte down and he had an average year in 2012 in the minors, batting .243 in AAA.  However, he does bring some value to the Sox.  First, he is left-handed which the Sox could use.  Also, in 2011, Tekotte stole 36 bases.  Tekotte can challenge Danks for his 4th OF spot in camp or be called up later in the year from Charlotte in case of injuries. 

Non-roster invites:

Trayce Thompson - This is Thompson's first spring training.  Thompson is undoubtedly a top prospect in the White Sox system heading into 2013.  Thompson has great power (25 homers in 2012) and is also a threat on the base paths (21 SBs in 2012).  Hopefully he continues to improve his plate discipline like he did in the Arizona Fall Leauge.  Thompson isn't going to crack the Opening Day roster or move past Tekotte, Danks, Mitchell, and Wise, but he can further solidify himself as a top prospect in the organization.

Stefan Gartrell - Gartrell is back again with the club that drafted him in the 31st round in 2006.  Last year, with the Braves organization, he hit .251/.335/.452 in AAA.  He's got some pop and has hit 20+ HRs in each season in the minors since 2009.  At 29-years old, Gartell has never made it to the majors and barring a string of injuries, probably won't leave Charlotte this year.  However, Gartrell is a nice AAA player and Charlotte will benefit with him.

Keenyn Walker - Like Thompson, this will be Walker's first spring training too.  What Walker brings to the table is his speed.  He has plus-plus speed which helped him steal 56 bases last year and also has potential for some power.  Nobody is going to actually give Walker any chance of making the White Sox lineup this year, but like Thompson, he can show his value as a top prospect especially coming off an offseason surgery.

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2013 Minnesota Twins Prospects Preview

Top Twins prospect, Miguel Sano. (FoxSportsNorth.com)

Minnesota Twins prospect expert Seth Stohs, of Twins Daily, was kind enough to take some time and answer my questions about the Twins farm system.  We talk about Minnesota's top two prospects, prospects that Sox fans will see see in 2013 with the Twins, underrated/overlooked prospects, and Minnesota's minor league system as a whole.  Again, check out Seth's work over at Twins Daily and keep up with our AL Central rivals by following him on Twitter.

Pale Hose Prospectus: You, and many others, have 3B Miguel Sano as the top prospect in the Twins system. Can you give White Sox fans a little scouting report on Sano? How high is his ceiling? Are the Giancarlo Stanton comparisons warranted?

Seth Stohs: Sano has immense power potential. He had 28 homers in the Midwest League as a 19 year old. He is huge. He is about 6-4 and probably 240 pounds, very strong, very athletic. The question remains about whether he will be able to remain at 3B. I think he can, with a lot of work, but most think he'll move to RF or 1B at some point. He has Stanton-like power, no question. Will he make enough contact, we shall see.

PHP: The Twins spent the #2 overall pick last year on high schooler Byron Buxton from Georgia. You rank Buxton second in your top 30 list. From reports, it seems that Buxton can legitimately be a five-tool player. What else can you tell us about Buxton?

SS: Buxton is a tremendous athlete with tools that are off the charts. His speed is on par with the fastest players in baseball, including Bill Hamilton. He has tremendous range in centerfield and a very powerful arm. In high school, he pitched his team to the state champion with a 98 mph fastball. He is long and lanky, resembling BJ Upton, but he does have power and the belief is that he will develop more power. He will need to make more contact (although we shouldn't make too much of his first season in pro ball) to be able to hit for average. He has a chance to be pretty special, and there are a lot of people who have Sano and Buxton flip-flopped atop the Twins ranking.

PHP: Are there any prospects right now that Sox fans can expect to make an impact with the Twins in 2013?

SS: There are actually several prospects that the Twins and their fans will see in 2013. Aaron Hicks and Joe Benson will both be given a shot to be the Twins starting centerfielder on Opening Day. Both are tremendous athletes with great speed and range and very strong arms. Benson was hurt throughout 2012 which cost him his season. Hicks finally put up numbers that filled the stat line. Also, Oswaldo Arcia was the Twins minor league hitter of the month. He hit well in 2012 at Ft. Myers, but was even better when he moved up to AA New Britain. The right fielder is a pure hitter with power to all fields. We should see him sometime in the middle of the season. On the mound, Kyle Gibson returns from Tommy John surgery and it will be interesting to see how the Twins bring him back. Will he start the season in the bullpen? Will he start the season as a starter and be shut down late in the season like Stephen Strasburg? I guess we'll see. Late in the season, we might see recent acquisitions, RHPs Alex Meyer and Trevor May.

PHP: Are there any prospects that don't get a lot of attention that you really like?

SS: I love the power potential of 1B Kennys Vargas who looks the part of David Ortiz on the field. I've always been high on SS Daniel Santana as a speed, glove, range guy. I think that BJ Hermsen has been undervalued because he doesn't strikeout many batters or hit high velocities, but he is very smart and very successful. Finally, I'm intrigued by the Twins 2012 college relief pitcher draft picks. Some are very hard throwing (Zack Jones) and several will be given an opportunity to start (Luke Bard, Mason Melotakis, Tyler Duffey). How they progress is what intrigues me the most.

PHP: Finally, how do you feel about Minnesota's farm system overall? John Sickels just ranked the system 7th overall, do you agree with that?

SS: I don't really pay attention to the other organizations as thoroughly, so I can't tell you if 7th is about right or not. That said, I haven't been this excited about a group of Twins prospects in at least a half-dozen years. The acquisitions or Alex Meyer and Trevor May to go along with guys like Gibson, JO Berrios and Hermsen give the Twins some pitchers to be excited about. Those 2012 picks are very exciting. But to have a Top 10 that starts with guys like Sano, Buxton, Arcia, Meyer, Hicks, Gibson, Berrios and Eddie Rosario is exciting, and there are a lot more players who look like potential role players in the big leagues too. The system is definitely much improved!

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Scouting Report: Kevan Smith

Kevan Smith (MiLB.com)

Position:  C

Height/Weight:  6'4/240

Bats/Throws:  Right/Right

Birthday:  June 28th, 1988

Hometown/School:  Harmony, PA - University of Pittsburgh

STATS

Smith was drafted out of the University of Pittsburgh in the 7th round in 2011.  He was originally recruited by Pitt to play quarterback and he did.  He started three games for the Panthers and then decided to switch to baseball.  In the three years at Pitt, he batted over .360 each year.  In his first year with the White Sox (2011), he batted .355/.448/.626 and slugged over 1.000 with Great Falls and Bristol.  Last year, he came back down to Earth with promotions to Kannapolis and Winston-Salem.  Still, he combined to hit .281/.338/.434 and had an OPS of .772 along with 10 HRs.  Those numbers earned him a spot on the South Atlantic League All-Star roster.  While he has been hot in his first two years in the minors, remember that he did go to college and is 24-years old.

Obviously, Smith is very athletic having played QB on a BCS-level team.  Defensively, Smith allowed 11 passed balls last year and posted a .993 Fld%.  With Smith's background as a college QB, Smith possesses a strong arm which threw out 33% of base runners.  While Kevan Smith is older for the level he is playing at (A and A+ last year), Smith's production makes him an intriguing prospect.

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Scouting Report: Rangel Ravelo

Rangel Ravelo (CPR Photography)

Position:  3B

Height/Weight:  6'2/210

Bats/Throws:  Right/Right

Birthday:  April 24th, 1992

Hometown/School:  Hialeah, FL - Hialeah HS

STATS

Ravelo was taken by the White Sox in the 6th round back in 2010.  After batting .254 in 48 games with Bristol in 2010, Ravelo had a great season in 2011, batting .338/.381/.415 along with a .795 OPS combined with Bristol and Kannapolis.  Ravelo got off to another hot start in 2012, but cooled down later in the season.  Still, he batted .290/.343/.397 with an OPS of .739 in 76 games and was named a South Atlantic League All-Star.  However, in early July he left the team because of personal reasons and never returned.

Rangel Ravelo will be back with the White Sox this year according to FutureSox.  While Ravelo has put up some great numbers and a 1.9 SO/BB ratio, there are some concerns surrounding Ravelo (besides him leaving the team).  First, Ravelo has only hit 3 homers so far in his career (187 games).  Defensively, Ravelo committed 15 errors last year which leaves some to believe he will eventually move from third to first base.  If Ravelo can develop some power (usually the last tool to develop for prospects) and cut down on the errors, he can become a very nice prospect in the White Sox organization because it seems that the bat is there.

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Top 5 White Sox Pitching Prospects

Simon Castro (MiLB.com)

1. Erik Johnson - RHP- Johnson seems to be the unanimous choice for the top pitching prospect in the Sox system.  Johnson was drafted in the second round of the 2011 draft out of Cal.  Johnson only appeared in 2 games with Great Falls in 2011, but made 17 starts in 2012 with Kannapolis and Winston-Salem.  He only had a record of 6-5, but had a 2.53 ERA, a 1.202 WHIP, and a 8.5 KO/9 rate.

At 6'3/240+, Johnson has a body built for him to become an innings eater.  Johnson possesses two plus pitches in his arsenal; his fastball and slider.  Projections on Johnson seem to differ, I've seen reports that see him as a #4 starter and some as high as a #2 starter.  Either way, expect to see Johnson on the South Side in the next year or two.

2. Scott Snodgress - LHP - Snodgress was taken in the 5th round (2011) out of Stanford where he had an underwhelming career.  Snodgress worked out of the bullpen when he was with the Cardinal, but the White Sox gave him a chance to start.  Snodgress has made the most of the opportunity.  The 6'5 lefty posted a 7-3 record last year with Kannapolis and Winston-Salem along with a 3.00 ERA, a 1.248 WHIP, and a 8.2 SO/9 ratio.

His fastball is in the low-90s and his breaking ball, which he has been developing, has been superb.  Whether Snodgress can continue down the path of a starter or return to the bullpen remains unknown.  However, a 7-3 record in his first full year as a starter is great start.

3. Andre Rienzo - RHP - It seems that I've talked about Andre Rienzo more than any other player so far on this blog.  2012 was the Brazilian's best and breakout year which has seen him explode up the rankings in the White Sox organization.  His stats from last year with Winston-Salem, Birmingham, and a start with Charlotte: a 7-3 record, a 2.53 ERA, and a 1.161 WHIP.  He also put up some great numbers in the AFL this past fall except for one really, really bad inning.

He has a mid-90s fastball, a good curveball, and a developing curveball in his repertoire.  Of course, before his big year, Rienzo had to serve a 50-game suspension for PED usage which he denies.  Like Snodgress, whether Rienzo is a back-end starter or a reliever is unknown.

4. Simon Castro - RHP - Castro was part of the Carlos Quentin trade.  While with San Diego, Castro was considered to be one of the top prospects in the organization and a top 100 prospect overall.  After a disappointing 2011, Castro had a nice first year with the Pale Hose in 2012.  With Bristol, Birmingham, and Charlotte he recorded a 7-5 record, a 3.85 ERA, and a 1.291 WHIP.

Castro primarily uses his fastball/slider combination.  The 4-seam fastball can touch 95, but is usually in the low-90s and the slider, his best pitch, is big league ready right now.  He also works in a 83-85 MPH changeup.  Like Johnson, his projection varies from a back-end starter up to a #2 starter.

5. Chris Beck - RHP - Many thought Beck was going to be a mid-first round selection in the 2012 draft, Beck fell back to 76th overall after a mediocre year with Georgia Southern.  With Great Falls last year, Beck had a 4-3 record, a 4.69 ERA, a 1.562 WHIP, and a 8.0 SO/9 rate.

There was some concern that Beck may have lost some velocity on his fastball after bulking up, but he is back to touching 95 MPH.  He also has two pretty good breaking pitches in a slider and a changeup.  Most see Beck as a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher with the Sox.

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Scouting Report: Jefferson Olacio

Position:  LHP

Height/Weight:  6'7/230

Bats/Throws:  Left/Left

Birthday:  January 16th, 1994

Hometown:  Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

STATS

Olacio will be an intriguing prospect to follow over the next couple of years.  He signed with the Sox back in 2010 for $125,000.  His measurables are through the roof.  As a 19-year old, he possesses a great build at 6'7/230+.  Already his fastball reaches 94-95 MPH.

Olacio, like just about every other 19-year old, is extremely raw and it shows in his numbers.  Last year with Bristol and Kannapolis, he had a ERA north of 5.00, a 1.708 WHIP, a nice SO/9 at 8.3, but a 6.0 BB/9 rate.  Obviously those stats aren't good, but don't pay too much attention to them.  The potential is there and Olacio has plenty of time/room to improve his command.

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Scouting Report: Marcus Semien

Position:  SS

Height/Weight:  6'1/190

Bats/Throws:  Right/Right

Birthday:  September 17th, 1990

Hometown/School:  El Cerrito, California - California

STATS

Semien was drafted by the White Sox twice, once back in 2008 in the 34th round and then in 2011 during the 6th round.  Semien played his college ball at Cal where he was teammates with top White Sox pitching prospect Erik Johnson.

In 2011, Semien appeared in 60 games with Kannapolis in 2011 where he batted .253/.320/.376 while adding 3 HRs.  In 2012, Semien was promoted to Winston-Salem where he improved on his numbers and showed some pop.  Semien's numbers from last year include a .273/.362/.471 line, 14  HRs, 11 SB (5 CS), and a .137 improvement in OPS.

By reports, Semien's glove and range is solid for him to stay at shortstop.  Below is about the only excerpt about Semien I could find after his 2012 season.

John Sickels:

Another solid infielder, showed surprising pop in High-A and was very hot in the second half. Steady glove.

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