Four Chicago White Sox prospects crack Baseball America Top 100

By now, baseball fans know how good the Chicago White Sox are set up to be. They are set up to be good for a long time as well which is very exciting. It is probably the most set the team has been for long term success in the history of the franchise. Well, according to Baseball America, they have four guys that are top-100 prospects. They have had a lot of those in recent years but the MLB roster is now great in addition to all of the organizational depth.

According to Baseball America:

Andrew Vaughn is the top Chicago White Sox prospect sitting at number 21.

Andrew Vaughn was the third overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. The White Sox were bad enough in 2018 to have this high of a pick and they clearly took advantage of it. Vaughn is a top-notch power-hitting prospect that is going to be good for a long time. We don’t know exactly when he is going to make his MLB debut but it is going to be soon. You can bet that we will see him on the Major League roster sometime in 2021.

If they don’t sign another DH before the offseason is over, that makes it even more likely that we see him sooner than later. He is polished and good enough to start developing more in the Major Leagues. He is probably going to have his ups and downs but he should be able to put that power on display regularly. Even with Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, and Luis Robert graduating to the big leagues, it is awesome to see the White Sox still have a top prospect as high as 21.

Michael Kopech has made his Chicago White Sox debut and sits at number 24.

The player that Chicago White Sox fans are waiting for the most is Michael Kopech. He made his MLB debut at the end of 2018 but missed all of 2019 with Tommy John surgery. He then opted out of the 2020 season that was shortened due to COVID-19. He ranks as the number 24 player on Baseball America’s ranking and that can be deceiving.

He shouldn’t be on this anymore but some bad luck has caused it to be that way. The good thing is that he still has the potential to be the best pitcher in the organization. It seems weird to say because they have so many great pitchers but his stuff is that awesome. He throws the ball hard with a tremendous amount of movement and has some good breaking pitches. It is going to be fun seeing Kopech on this team in 2021.

Nick Madrigal has already made his Chicago White Sox debut as well and he is very important.

Nick Madrigal is one of the most unique players the Chicago White Sox have ever had. He was the fourth overall pick in 2018 so we always knew he had talent. He is Baseball America’s 40th best prospect. He played a lot in 2020 but he didn’t play enough to graduate from being a prospect. He is going to be a huge part of the 2021 team and keep it going for many years.

He has little to no power but he makes great contact. He might not necessarily be a game breaker but he gets on base by hitting the ball at a nice rate which will help the hitters that come behind him. He won’t hit a lot of home runs but his average of .340 was really nice. It is strange that it was part of a slash line of .340/.376/.369 but that is what makes him unique. The White Sox are lucky to have him.

Garrett Crochet is the final Chicago White Sox player here at number 74.

Garrett Crochet is like a younger version of Michael Kopech. He throws the ball very hard and can get some nice movement on his other pitches. He is a lot less polished than Kopech, at least you would think because he was just drafted in 2020. However, he was allowed to come in and pitch some innings for the Sox this year and he was awesome. It is untraditional to play in your draft year but the lack of a Minor League season made things a little unusual.

In 2021, it has been said that Crochet will be a big part of the team. We don’t know if he will end up being a starter or a reliever in the long or short term but he will be good no matter what. His delivery is very unique and one that will help him succeed in the MLB. Hopefully, he continues to rise up the ranks this season.

2021 Outlook:

All four of these players have a chance to be key contributors to the White Sox in 2021. That could mean that they all graduate from this list. Does that mean that the White Sox will have no top-100 prospects next preseason? Well, it certainly might a little bit thinner but that is what happens when the prospects you do have turn out to be great.

It is up to Rick Hahn to keep stocking the cupboard. Players like Yoelqui Cespedes and Jared Kelley could make that jump after this season as well so there is a lot to be excited about if you are a White Sox fan. These players are on the rise and they hope to eventually bring a championship back to the South Side.