A quick glance at the top-six Chicago White Sox prospects
The Chicago White Sox have a pretty good farm system. It isn’t what it was a few years ago when it (at different times) had guys like Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert, Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, Eloy Jimenez, Andrew Vaughn, and Michael Kopech amongst many others. All of those guys are now at the MLB level and looking like legit stars.
Most of those players that made their farm system so good have hit at the MLB level which has been outstanding to watch. The system will naturally take a hit when all of these guys get to Major League Baseball within a few years of each other. That is a good problem to have.
Now, it is up to the organization to keep it going. Between the MLB Draft and international prospect-free agency, the White Sox should be able to keep their farm strong as long as they do their homework. So far, it seems like they have.
MLB Pipeline has yet to update its prospect rankings for each team following the 2022 signing period for the international prospects. The White Sox were very active in that market and will continue to be for a long time.
The Chicago White Sox are hoping to keep a great farm system filled with talent.
As a result, you have to think about where these guys fit in on your own. The top six White Sox prospects can be argued in many different orders but this is the order that probably makes the most sense:
1. Colson Montgomery
2. Yoelqui Cespedes
3. Oscar Colas
4. Jake Burger
5. Wes Kath
6. Jared Kelley
The only player on this list that has seen time at the MLB level is Jake Burger. The only reason that he didn’t stick is because of the fact that he was blocked on the roster when it was healthy in 2021. It will be interesting to see if he is able to carve out a role in 2022. With his history, it is easy to root for him to make it.
Yoelqui Cespedes and Oscar Colas are the top two international free agent signings that the White Sox have made in the last two years. Each of them brings something different but hopes to be something special once they reach MLB.
Colson Montgomery and Wes Kath were the first two picks (rounds one and two) that the White Sox made in the 2021 MLB Draft. Montgomery is a shortstop and Kath is a third baseman. Of course, they have a long way to go but it is interesting when you think about the current roster of the White Sox with Anderson at short and Moncada at third.
Jared Kelley was the second-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. Garrett Crochet, the first-round pick in the same draft, has played a full MLB season and has been very good. Kelley has the ability to follow in those footsteps thanks to his flamethrowing arm.
As mentioned before, it isn’t a top-five farm anymore but those six players should be really good one day. Despite a few of them being blocked by starters (for now), they should all be given an opportunity when an injury or something like that comes up. It is exciting to think about what these guys might be able to do one day to help the White Sox win baseball games.