Chicago White Sox: Andrew Vaughn having promising spring

The Chicago White Sox have been able to see first hand what one of their top prospects could bring them in the future this spring training.

Andrew Vaughn has had a very strong spring training and it certainly is turning some heads.

Vaughn, 21, is 5-for-12 with one home run, two doubles, and three RBI so far in the first spring training of his young career. Not only has he been hitting, but he’s only struck out one time and walked three times.

In his first professional season, the right-handed slugger hit .278/.384/.449 with six home runs and 36 RBI while playing across three levels of the minor leagues, finishing his season at High-A Winston-Salem.

The first baseman is currently ranked the 16th best prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline and is the second-best in the White Sox’s system, only behind Luis Robert who is set to graduate to the big leagues on Opening Day.

Chicago certainly has a lot of first base options in the near future as the team has Jose Abreu currently starting there and under contract for three years (Spotrac) while Yasmani Grandal could also see time at the position.

In addition, Edwin Encarnacion is the team’s DH in 2020 and also is capable of playing first base while Gavin Sheets could make his MLB debut this season, as I explained in an article recently.

Nonetheless, if Vaughn is as talented as the organization and people around the game believe he is, the White Sox will find room for him on the South Side.

Vaughn is the type of bat that transforms a team’s lineup and the idea of having him, Robert, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, and Nick Madrigal in it together is something most teams can only dream of.

For the White Sox, though, it is a potential reality that could, possibly, set this team up to be one of the powerhouses in baseball over the long haul.

Given that Vaughn ended his season in High-A, it is likely that the first baseman won’t be making his MLB debut this season, but nobody should rule it out either given that he’s a college bat and he ascended through the early portion of the minors very quickly in 2019.

Michael Conforto and Kyle Schwarber both found themselves in the major leagues in 2015 after getting drafted the year prior so it is certainly possible that the third-overall pick in last year’s draft could spend some time at the major league level this season.

That being said, it would appear unlikely that the team would rush him given the fact that they have so much depth at first base right now.

Nonetheless, the Chicago White Sox have a lot to be excited about with Andrew Vaughn going forward.