Chicago White Sox Draft: Biggest positional need this year
The injury to Yasmani Grandal has opened a weakness that, unfortunately, could be a problem for them the rest of the year. The Chicago White Sox could make a big trade to help if they wanted. That weakness is at catcher.
With Grandal out, that leaves behind Zack Collins who, while a decent defender, is not the ideal player you want to have at the plate swinging the bat. His offensive production is lacking. The White Sox need help in this area and they need it now.
The MLB draft usually doesn’t provide instant relief for teams. The players that get drafted are usually young and need to develop to face major league pitching. While a solid catcher might be a few seasons away, the White Sox can start looking for that help now and lock that player in while developing them for the future.
The Chicago White Sox could look for a catcher in the 2021 MLB Draft.
The White Sox will make the 22nd pick in the 2021 MLB Draft and there are going to be quite a few quality players at the catcher position when they get around to making their picks. Guys like Dubuque Wahlert’s Ian Moller, Joe Mack of Williamsville East (NY), and Matheu Nelson of Florida State would work nicely for the Sox.
The perfect catcher doesn’t exist, but you can find one with an equal balance of defensive capabilities along with a good offensive presence at the plate. You want a catcher that’s not going to let pitches get past him all the time or allow himself to interfere with the batter. They need to be smart to carry all those signals in their head and help call the perfect pitch. Finally, they need to be tough enough to take the beating that they will get behind the plate.
On offense, you want a catcher who is going to hit the ball and hit it hard. A hitter like Grandal, with his power, would be nice. The White Sox may not have a lot of time as their window to the World Series might be closing but this team has proven that their depth in the minors is good. If they can bring along a guy that’s going to develop and be strong in the future, they could solidify this needy position and make it a good one.
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Look for the White Sox to draft a catcher in the 2021 MLB Draft and develop him over a short period of time. Then, look for good things out of a position that will have depth, power, and solid defense. The White Sox really need that.