The Chicago White Sox managed to sign all their draft prospects as well as ten undrafted free agents. A few of those prospects are really good so it is about time that we take some time to look at these prospects closer.
The first prospect that we will take a closer look at is an undrafted free agent left-hand pitcher from the University of Iowa, Ben Beutel. Beutel has been a great prospect for the Hawkeye baseball team and he’s ready to start working his magic in the Minor Leagues.
Beutel hails from Davenport Assumption High School located in Davenport, Iowa. He came to Iowa from another couple of schools, Allen Community College in Burlingame, Kansas, and then from Bowling Green State in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Beutel is a left-handed pitcher and would be huge for the Sox one day as all lefties are improtant. They are bereft of left-handed pitching at the MLB level but Beutel has a long way to go to crack any lineup in the White Sox organization.
He’s talented enough that he could quite possibly be on the mound starting Major League games sometime in the distant future.
Ben Beutel could be a very smart signing for the Chicago White Sox.
What might have made Beutel so appealing to the White Sox? Well, first he has put up some strong numbers during his time at both the college level and with the Clinton (Iowa) LumberKings, a minor league affiliate of the Prospect League. He has quite a bit of experience.
His senior season at Iowa was a strong one. He pitched in a total of 29 games and had an earned run average of 1.47 which is pretty good by any standard. Beutel struck out 41 and walked six batters and even had four saves. For his solid play, he was named the winner of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award which is given to the best defensive pitcher in collegiate baseball.
Beutel delivers his pitches in a side-arm fashion. Mechanically he is sound. Another place he excels is the clubhouse and in the dugout where he has been said to be a bit of inspiration to his teammates. This kind of personality would go a long way in the Major Leagues.
While he may be a long shot to crack a Major League lineup, he does help enhance the White Sox’s ailing farm system by giving them a pitcher that might just do some damage in the Minors.
He has a strong base of talent and that should give him what he needs to learn and grow in the Minors and then maybe get his shot at the Major Leagues someday.
Don’t be surprised if you see Beutel gaining some steam at some point further down the road.