Chicago White Sox: 3 prospects who could replace Jake Lamb

Seby Zavala

Seby Zavala is always an option as a Chicago White Sox call-up right away.

Ever since he was drafted in the 12 round by the White Sox in 2015, Seby Zavala has quietly been a solid prospect. His OPS has consistently been above .820 throughout his journey to the show but his low batting average and high strikeout rate have caused many to look over him.

In 2018 at Double-A Birmingham, Zavala had a .830 OPS. Due to a pile-up of injuries, he was called up to the White Sox in 2019 where he recorded one hit in 12 at-bats with nine strikeouts. That is not very impressive. In Triple-A Charlotte in 2019, it seemed that  Zavala was on a downward trend. He finished with career worsts in many categories with a .222/.296/.471 slash and a .767 OPS. Strangely, he hit 20 home runs which were second to his career-high 21. That secret power would foreshadow what’s to come.

Maybe Zavala needed a break to step back and reassess because he hit the ground running in 2021. In 44 plate appearances, Zavala is batting a .300/.364/.675 slash with an OPS of 1.039. Of his 12 hits, three are doubles, and four are home runs. He does have 19 strikeouts but he also has eight more hits than Jake Lamb.

Adding a fourth catcher to the major league roster is odd but likely. Zavala has even started 20 games at first base in his two seasons at Triple-A Charlotte so he is not limited to catching. He was a full-time left fielder as a freshman at San Diego State but that was way back in 2014. The last time he got the call he underperformed but Zavala’s hot start as a Knight could earn him a second chance at being a White Sox.