White Sox 2018 Draft Preview 2.0
With the draft less than a month away, the Sox are ramping up their efforts to bring in another future piece of their championship squad.
While the 2018 White Sox are struggling on the field at the major league level, there is plenty of hope and optimism behind the scenes. The upcoming MLB draft on June 4 will give the Sox another top-rated prospect to add to their already impressive farm system.
So, who’s on the short list of prospects the Sox are eyeing next month? Some new names have popped up since earlier mock drafts came out just a few months ago. Mostly position players but if one of the top-rated college pitchers falls to them, they would be hard-pressed not to add to their top-rated pitching stable. Here’s a quick look at a few names:
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Nick Madrigal 2B/SS: Considered by many to be the best college bat in this year’s draft. Had a wrist injury earlier this year but has come back strong without skipping a beat. Don’t let his short stature (5′ 7″) fool you, this guy can hit. All mocks have him picked in the top five at worst. This would also fill a definite hole in the Sox farm system as they don’t have any middle infielders in their top 20 prospect lists.
Jonathan India 3B: India is a new name on the board that has risen rapidly in recent weeks. He has gone from a lower first-round choice to a top pick with his performance this season at the University of Florida. Plays third base and would provide great depth and another choice at the hot corner should Burger not come back as well as expected from his injury.
Alec Bohm 3B: Another good hitting college bat that plays third base. Yes, the Sox selected Burger last year while eyeing him as the third baseman of the future, but, it never hurts to have more bats in the system. Bohm has good power and controls the strike zone well. Defensively, he may have to move to first base at some point.
Travis Swaggerty OF: A .300 hitting center fielder from the University of South Alabama, Swaggerty has also moved up the boards a good deal since the season started. He bats from the left side and has the defensive tools to play center field. Considered a little more of a long shot selection with the number four overall pick. However, if the three names above are gone, he could be the next best option.
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Position players are still a weakness in the Sox system so the odds are that they again look at a college bat this year. Two names that are no longer as high on the list from the last round of mocks are high schoolers Brice Turang and Nander de Sedas. While still considered first-round talent, their stock has fallen just a little.
I’ll look at the pitching prospects that the Sox will be eyeing in the next post.