The Chicago White Sox aren’t doing much of anything in the majors right now other than losing. As of the start of their series with the Boston Red Sox, they have lost 14 straight games. Their fans are upset, the media is unhappy and the players have to be mad themselves.
Nothing can go right for the White Sox right now.
However, if you take a look at the lower-level teams in the White Sox farm system, you might see a different story. Some of the White Sox affiliates are having a decent go of it. Some of the individual players down in the minors are doing well and better than expected.
We have already seen a small number of them make their way up to the big leagues to play. Danny Mendick, Bryan Ramos and Oscar Colas have come up and made an impact on the big-league Sox.
There is one player that will likely get called up and never go back down again. That player is Colson Montgomery. Montgomery has been a lightning rod for the White Sox in the minors and it would appear as if he is going to make his way up to the majors yet this season. Right now, he would have to be better than Paul DeJong and DeJong is playing some decent baseball. So, DeJong is keeping Montgomery in the minors.
For now.
Another player to keep an eye on is Noah Schultz. The gigantic 6’9” 20-year-old left hander has been having a decent season down with the AA-Affiliate Birmingham Barons. With an ERA of 3.09 and a WHIP of .77 Schultz is doing his best to make a case to eventually head up north to Chicago to play for the White Sox. It probably won’t happen this year but maybe next year he’ll be in the big leagues.
When it comes to winning, the White Sox AAA-Affiliate Charlotte Knights are sitting at the bottom of the International League East standings. They have been a turn style, of sorts, for the White Sox as several of their players have gone up to the majors and come back down to the minors. Zach Deloach, an outfielder, is the latest to head up to Chicago.
The White Sox AA-Affiliate, the Birmingham Barons have been at the top of the Southern League North Standings for a while now and are playing some decent baseball. The AA Barons have a possible future major league starter at catcher in Edgar Quero. He has 39 RBI’s and eight home runs at the time of this writing. Imagine him and Korey Lee at catcher for the Sox. It would be a deadly combination.
The High-A Winston Salem Dash are currently third in the South Atlantic League – North standings. Left Fielder Shawn Goosenberg has been the leader there with seven home runs, 30 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Look for him to move up sometime soon should he keep playing like he has been.
Finally, the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers are leading the Carolina League – North. The team has a couple of good players who will look to move up in the near term. One of them, left fielder, Caden Connor has 43 RBI right now. Someone that you may not have heard of yet, but will in the future who is playing well is Rikuu Nashida. Nashida has stolen 18 bases and has 51 runs. This is a guy we might be seeing a lot of in the upper echelons of the Sox farm system.