White Sox: Where does Blake Rutherford Fit in the Future?
By Matt Manetti
Blake Rutherford is another top 100 prospect in the White Sox system. Despite his struggles where does he fit in the future?
Blake Rutherford is the Chicago White Sox eighth-ranked prospect according to Baseball America. Still, his numbers have been less than stellar. He has five career home runs and some scouts felt he’s not the offensive talent the Yankees thought he was. Still, at just 20 years old, he seems to deserve the benefit of the doubt.
Rutherford is an intriguing prospect. His age makes you think he can still develop into a five-tool player. However, he really hasn’t shown that in the minors. And many feel that’s why the Yankees were willing to include him in their trade last season with the White Sox. The White Sox aren’t ready to give up on him, though.
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It’s not uncommon for youngsters to struggle to find their power stroke. At 6’3″ he has the frame to generate power. He just needs to get more at-bats. Once his frame fills out, he should be in better shape as well.
It’s not crazy to think Rutherford could be a future corner outfielder for the White Sox. They do have a logjam of outfield options, but they do need a left-handed bat, and badly.
Obviously, he shows some promise or he wouldn’t be the 99th best prospect in the game according to mlbpipeline.com. That shows that there’s people out there who are still high on him. And we all know the organization is high on him.
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It may take some time but fans shouldn’t give up on Rutherford yet. If all goes according to plan he could be a key cog in their outfield, alongside Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert. That would be ideal as the White Sox continue to look towards the future.