For the first time since September, Chicago has a top-tiered team.
The White Sox will showcase their highly ranked farm system in their spring breakout game against the Rockies on March 16.
Designed to display MLB’s finest young players, the Sox’s spring breakout roster is packed with talent. The roster ranks second behind the Red Sox, which is high praise considering Boston was recently marked the third-best farm system in the league, and higher than the Rays, who are known for having a sneaky-efficient farm system.
For a team in the early stages of a rebuild, it can’t get much better.
With six prospects from MLB’s top 100 prospects on the roster, the Sox are bound to give a dazzling performance.
Several players tabbed for the spring breakout game have already played this spring.
Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Braden Montgomery, and Edgar Quero will headline the lineup.
Downers Grove native George Wolkow, who is making quick progress through the Minor League, will also play.
Highly-regarded lefties Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz will take the mound against the Rockies. Winkelman Gonzalez will return to face the Rockies from Double-A, where he was optioned.
A few players from the Sox’s spring breakout roster have already found success in this early taste of spring training. Teel had a slow start in February but has swung the bat better lately. He is 4-9 with two home runs and six RBIs in March.
Braden has been consistent in his seven preseason games, slashing .400/.625/.400. Smith and Schultz have made commanding the mound look easy. Together, they have pitched six scoreless innings and fanned five.
It’s been a while since the Sox have been a good team, but spring breakout is their chance to bask in the top three. And they’ve earned it.
General manager Chris Getz has made some tough moves in the last six months, and Sox fans have certainly endured their fair share of frustration and distress. Although it hasn’t been easy, Sox fans - heck, the whole city of Chicago - should be proud of where the Sox are today versus where they were last year.