For the final entry in the off-season article series here at FutureSox, we’ll discuss the starting pitching prospects in the White Sox’s farm system. There were a plethora of interesting arms to choose from and we settled on ten names rather easily from this deep group. All ten including one bonus name were listed on the mid-season top 30 prospect’s list.
The list is highlighted by a Cuban signee that has shown athleticism and top of the rotation upside. Multiple recent draftees of the prep variety litter this group as well. Some familiar faces return to the list along with the arrival of a teenager from the Dominican Republic and a recently added former day three draft pick onto the 40-man roster.
Here are the top ten starting pitching prospects in the system:
1. Norge Vera-5th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; DSL (R)
In their recent update, Baseball America ranked Norge Vera as No. 3 overall prospect in the system. The publication notes the right-hander’s 70 grade fastball that hit 101 mph this year. Vera also shows a “slurvy breaking ball” that sits 78-82 with “short, late movement”. The pitch could be a real weapon in the future. A changeup is present as well and they call it a “work in progress”. He also possesses an “easy, fluid athletic delivery from a high-three-quarters arm slot”. The Cuban righty recently participated in an interview with our friend Jordan Lazowski of Sox on 35th as well.
The 21-year-old was the best pitcher available during the most recent international signing period and the White Sox signed him for $1.5 million after his defection from Cuba. Listed at 6-4 and 185 pounds, franchise icon Jose Contreras told James Fegan of The Athletic that it’s more like 6-6 and 210 pounds now. Contreras is a friend of Cuban legend Norge Luis Vera who happens to be the father of the White Sox’s prospect. Fegan noted that Contreras was working with Vera and called him “fearless and poised” in addition to tinkering with a forkball. Fegan joined Mike Rankin and myself on the FutureSox podcast and talked extensively about Vera’s prospects.
Vera showed a fastball in the 91-94 mph range after a long layoff when pitching at showcases with the purpose of enticing major league clubs. The righty oozed projection while showing an upper 70’s curveball and low 80’s slider as well. In 19 innings in the Dominican Summer League in 2021, Vera pitched in eight games while posting a 0.00 ERA and 0.94 FIP.
He struck out 34 hitters and walked just five. He was stuck in the Dominican due to bonus related issues that have been well documented, but he’s expected to make his stateside debut in 2022. He’s already in the United States now and he should be able to handle High-A Winston-Salem to start next season. He’s the highest ceiling pitcher currently in the club’s minor league system.
2. Jared Kelley-8th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Kannapolis (Low-A)
Jared Kelley was universally seen as a top 25 prospect in the 2020 draft. The White Sox successfully floated the former Texas prep star to their selection in the second round at 47th overall and they paid him $3 million to sign. The 6-3 230 pounder from Refugio, Texas earned positive reviews at the alternate site and during instructs after he was drafted. The big righty went on to struggle mightily during his professional debut with Low-A Kannapolis however. Kelley battled injuries to his shoulder and forearm and was lifted early from starts multiple times due to the organization’s 30 pitch per inning rule.
Kelley only threw 23.2 minor league innings in 2021 and he posted a 6.86 ERA with a 5.64 FIP for the Cannon Ballers. He struck out 27 batters and walked 26. Baseball America ranked the former second rounder as the eighth overall prospect in the system currently. In Bill Mitchell’s write-up, he noted that Kelley “flashes premium stuff” with a fastball that touches 99 mph. The righty also shows an above average 85-88 mph slider with “late tilt and has more cut to it at higher velocities and more sweep and depth when thrown slower”. Kelley also “generates fastball velocity with little effort and gets late run on the pitch”. The changeup is also known for being a plus pitch and tunnels well with his fastball.
The publication notes that Kelley “needs to get leaner and more athletic” and conditioning is definitely something that the player will be working on. Some outside evaluators see the right hander as a “hard-throwing reliever” in the future but the White Sox still view him as a starter long-term. Kelley has recovered from his injuries and the 20-year-old pitched during fall instructional league. James Fegan of The Athletic talked to Director of Player Development Chris Getz and the evaluator was focusing on the raw elements in spite of the rough statistical debut.
External scouts have raved about Kelley’s plus changeup but Getz told Fegan that Kelley and the development staff are working on “sharpening a reliable slider” and creating “more consistent shape on a 95-97 mph fastball”. It will be imperative for Kelley to control his fastball, get his conditioning in order and stay healthy enough to accumulate an innings base in 2022. He’s been compared to Lance Lynn but he has to be available to pitch going forward. The White Sox tinkered with the right-hander’s delivery and arm slot and some evaluators believe that it contributed to some of the injury issues that riddled his season. It’s back to square one for Kelley and he’ll likely do it with Winston-Salem in High-A to begin the 2022 campaign.
3. Matthew Thompson-7th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Kannapolis (Low-A)
The White Sox drafted Matthew Thompson in the second round of the 2019 draft and paid him $2.1 million. The prep righty out of Cypress Ranch High School in Texas struggled during his senior year after excelling on the showcase circuit prior. It didn’t deter the organization from adding the 6-3 195 pounder. The now 21-year-old is coming off an uneven year in Low-A and he has lots of questions to answer in 2022. Thompson is the best athlete in the White Sox’s system but his athleticism hasn’t always translated into results on the field.
Baseball America recently ranked the athletic hurler as the No. 10 overall prospect in the organization. The publication notes that Thompson’s velocity fluctuates frequently which presents an issue for him. Sometimes his fastball sits in the 94-96 mph range and touches 98 while other teams it dips below 90 mph. There’s not much deception on the fastball either and he struggles to throw strikes with his curveball. The former Texas prep sensation throws a changeup and a slider as well. He has struggled to repeat his high-three quarter delivery at times as well and some evaluators project him as a future reliever due to his health, inconsistent velocity and command issues.
Thompson dealt with a hip flexor strain that limited him to 73.2 innings last season. He threw 71.2 innings in Kannapolis with the Cannon Ballers and he posted a 5.90 ERA with a 4.85 FIP. He averaged 9.7 K/9 and 4.77 BB/9 during the season as well. Thompson threw two innings in his draft year and followed that up with some alternate site work in 2020. Chris Getz told James Fegan of The Athletic that the organization wants Thompson to “incorporate his changeup more early in starts” and he also praised an 11 inning stretch of success after coming off the injured list. The White Sox are optimistic that Thompson is ready to take off and he likely begins 2022 in Winston-Salem with the Dash.
4. Andrew Dalquist-9th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Kannapolis (Low-A)
Andrew Dalquist takes the ball every fifth day and has four quality pitches. The White Sox drafted the prep righty out of Redondo Union High School in California in the third round and paid him an over-slot bonus of $2 million after making a similar selection in Thompson. The 6-1 175 pounder possessed a fastball that sat in the 90-94 mph range but oozed projection as an 18-year-old deciding on his future. The fastball now sits in the 94-96 mph range and even hit 97 in starts for Kannapolis.
Baseball America is the highest on Dalquist when choosing among the troika of White Sox’s throwers and they ranked him as the No. 6 overall prospect in the system currently. The publication noted that the 21-year-old is beginning to grow into his projected velocity gains. Lauded for his advanced mix of four pitches, Dalquist regularly displays all of them. There’s an 81-83 mph slider with “two-plane depth that flashes plus”, a downer curveball that possesses late bite and a mid 80’s changeup that could be above average in the future. Like the other pitchers in Low-A, his starts were greatly affected by poor defense but he walked too many hitters averaging over six BB/9 for the Cannon Ballers.
He made 23 starts and threw 83 innings total in Kannapolis while posting a 4.99 ERA with a 4.54 FIP while averaging almost nine strikeouts per nine. He threw three innings professionally in his draft year and spent 2020 throwing at the alternate site. The biggest current issue with Dalquist is that he struggles to keep his delivery in sync. Getz has told the local media that Dalquist bounces out of his delivery and scouts wonder how much weight and strength he can realistically add to his frame. There are lots of positives with Dalquist and there’s a high floor here but not as much ceiling as Thompson or Kelley. He will pitch the 2022 season in High-A with the Winston-Salem Dash.
5. Sean Burke-13th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Kannapolis (Low-A)
Sean Burke was a standout basketball player as a high school athlete in the state of Maryland before deciding to focus on baseball. The 6-6 230 pounder underwent Tommy John surgery as a freshman with the Terrapins and made it back for four starts as a redshirt sophomore in 2020. The righty became Maryland’s top starter last year and struck out 107 hitters which put him second in the Big Ten. The White Sox selected the hurler with the 94th overall pick in the third round of the 2021 draft and paid him $900K to sign.
Baseball America ranks Sean Burke as the ninth overall prospect in the system. BA calls Burke an “athletic righty with pitchability and a large athletic frame”. He has feel for all four of his pitches and displays a “low effort, athletic delivery with clean arm action”. The fastball generally sits in the 93-94 mph range consistently but he touched 96 in his professional debut. It was also noted that the right hander “generates good carry on the four seamer with easy velocity”. In addition to his 60-grade fastball, the former Terrapin throws an above-average 12-to-6 curveball that sits in the 78-80 mph range along with an 83-84 mph two-plane slider with depth, tight spin and power. A low 80’s changeup is mixed in as well.
Burke needs to improve his control but he could move quickly through the system as an innings eater if he does. After signing, the third rounder was stellar in three dominant innings in the Arizona Complex League. Finishing up his first professional season in Kannapolis, Burke threw 14 innings over the course of five games while posting a 3.21 ERA with 20 strikeouts and ten walks. Back in September, signing scout John Stott told James Fegan that Burke really worked on his body and pitch design in 2020 during the lost season. Burke should start the 2022 season in Winston-Salem and finishing in Double-A with the Barons is a very real possibility.
6. Jonathan Stiever-12th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Charlotte (Triple-A)
Jonathan Stiever tore his lat late in the Triple-A season and underwent surgery. He should return sometime in 2022 but likely not in time for spring training. Stiever is a member of the 40-man roster and he has thrown 6.1 big league innings. Prior to getting injured, the 6-2 210 pounder was averaging 10.70 K/9 and 3.41 BB/9 in hitter friendly Charlotte in Triple-A. In 17 starts, he posted a 5.84 ERA with a 4.45 xFIP. In 2019, the former fifth rounder posted a 2.15 ERA with a 2.89 xFIP. The White Sox have never wavered however and feel like the former draftee is a starter with a major league future.
In the midseason update at MLB Pipeline, Stiever ranked as the No. 14 prospect in the system. The 24-year-old signed with the White Sox after being drafted out of Indiana in 2018. His stuff really ticked up in the minor leagues but it had fallen back a bit prior to the serious injury that he’s since suffered. His fastball peaked around 98 mph with Winston-Salem back in 2019. He also throws a low 80’s slider with a low 70’s spike curveball and both are solid offerings. There is a decent changeup as well.
Stiever repeats his delivery well and throws strikes. He was a great athlete in high school and was an All State football player in Wisconsin. Stiever has a bit of an arduous process ahead of him but should make a full recovery. He likely returns to Charlotte to pitch in Triple-A but he’ll be counted on as big league depth for a contending White Sox’s club in 2022. There is still lots of upside here but it could ultimately be in relief instead of as a member of the starting rotation.
7. Jimmy Lambert-14th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Charlotte (Triple-A)
The 27-year-old righty was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft out of Fresno State and quickly ascended throughout the club’s farm system. The 6-2 190 pounder threw 13 innings in the majors in 2021 and made three starts. Lambert posted a 6.23 ERA but his stuff looked solid in the big leagues. When he wasn’t with the White Sox, he was pitching with the Charlotte Knights in Triple-A. In 64.1 innings, the right hander posted a 4.76 ERA with a 4.25 xFIP while averaging 11.47 K/9 and 4.48 BB/9 in 19 starts. He made his big league debut in 2020 out of the bullpen and looked stellar in two appearances before missing the remainder of the season with a forearm strain.
Lambert was pitching very well in Birmingham in 2019 prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery. He possesses a high spin rate fastball and curveball that compliments a four pitch mix. The righty works up in the zone with a low-to-mid 90’s four seam fastball. His curveball lands in the mid 70’s with depth and he also throws a fading low 80’s changeup and a slider with lateral break. He’s an athletic hurler that repeats his delivery well and throws lots of strikes. Lambert was ranked as the 13th overall prospect in the system at MLB Pipeline prior to their upcoming ranking.
As a member of the 40-man roster, Lambert is currently locked out with the rest of the major league players. He’ll likely serve as primary pitching depth for the White Sox in 2022. He’s probably slated to start the year back in Charlotte with the Knights but he’ll likely earn some opportunities in Chicago as well. He’ll participate in big league spring training as well, whenever that actually takes place.
8. Tanner McDougal-18th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Arizona (R)
After the club drafted Tanner McDougal in the fifth round in 2021 and paid him $850K to become a professional baseball player, I spoke with scouting director Mike Shirley on a conference call and he spoke glowingly about the 18-year-old right hander. “Tanner McDougal is a high upside right handed starter who has elite metrics,” Shirley explained in a conference call. “His breaking ball has 3,000 spin so it’s this elite weapon that the science of the modern game says is unique. It’s athletic, it’s 6-foot-5, its’ a starter.” “He has a weapon that is unique. We saw him at the draft combine and he jumped out at us again. How easy he gets to his velocity, the strikes he throws. There are parameters that we think can be better so we think we bought a big time front line possible starter and we paid for it in the 5th round. He didn’t get the normal slot money. We invested money in him and he’s an exciting piece of the puzzle for us.”
The 6-5 185 pounder pitched for a Las Vegas area high school and is the son of former professional pitcher Mike McDougal. He was inconsistent in high school but performed well in showcase settings and stood out at the inaugural draft combine where his pitching metrics really stood out. His fastball sits in the low 90’s and touches 96 with plenty of projection left. The pitch also features big vertical break with great spin rates and riding life. The other offerings are a mid 70’s curveball and upper 70’s slider. McDougal needs to add strength and consistency. There’s some reliever risk in the profile and he’ll eventually need to add feel for a changeup.
After signing, the young righty threw 9.2 innings in the Arizona Complex League, striking out 17 and walking five with an ERA over nine. He left his final start with some arm issues and it was announced in October that the righty underwent Tommy John surgery. He will likely miss the 2022 season but he could be full go for fall instructional league late in the year. There’s never a good time to have elbow surgery but the club was going to be very careful with him in general and they’ll be extra careful with him now.
9. Jason Bilous-20th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Birmingham (Double-A)
Recently added to the 40-man roster and protected from the Rule Five draft, Bilous could make his big league debut in 2022 in some capacity. The No. 18 prospect in the system according to MLB Pipeline has really ascended over the past two years and could be a legitimate option to remain in a starting role going forward. The 6-2 185 pound righty was one of the best pitchers to come out of the state of Delaware prior to attending Coastal Carolina. Bilous underwent Tommy John surgery as a high school senior and turned down $600K from the Los Angeles Dodgers to attend school.
The White Sox selected the right hander in the 13th round of the 2018 amateur draft and paid him $185K. The 24-year-old has been plagued by control issues throughout his career and they were the main reason for his availability on day three of the draft. After struggling to throw strikes in college, it was assumed that the White Sox might try to expedite the process and allow the stuff to play up in a relief role but that hasn’t been the case. Bilous threw his fastball in the mid 90’s regularly in college and while he no longer a flamethrower, the pitch does sit in the 93-95 mph range.
The right hander also throws a low 80’s slider and shows a curveball with depth that’s often used as a chase pitch. Developing a changeup has also been a focus for the organization as a weapon to attack lefties. In 2021, the Delaware native threw 14.2 innings in High-A with the Dash, posting a 2.45 ERA and 0.63 FIP while averaging 15.9 K/9 and 1.23 BB/9. After a promotion to Double-A Birmingham, the righty posted a 6.51 ERA with a 4.14 xFIP in 65 innings over the course of 17 starts averaging 11.08 K/9 and 4.15 BB/9. Bilous has significantly reduced his walk rate to the degree that he could make it as a back end starter. A relief opportunity where his stuff could really tick up in smaller bursts is a possibility as well.
10. Cristian Mena-23rd Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Arizona (R)
Cristian Mena is a 19-year-old Dominican righty that never pitched in the Dominican Summer League. He made his debut this summer in the Arizona Complex League where he made 12 starts, throwing 48.1 innings while averaging 11.54 K/9 and 3.91 BB/9. Mena’s ERA was 7.82 but he compiled a promising 4.41 xFIP. The 6-2 170 pounder was one of the youngest starters in the league and he showed the potential for a solid three-pitch mix despite the uneven results.
In the last update at MLB Pipeline, Mena was ranked as the No. 26 overall prospect in the system. He was originally signed in 2019 for $250K and was the top pitcher signed in the White Sox’s international class. Last January, Ben Badler of Baseball America raved about Mena’s ability on the FutureSox podcast. Mena’s best pitch is a downer curveball that grades as plus. He has a frame that bodes well for future velocity gains according to the publication. There is some feel for a changeup in his arsenal. Mena works in the low 90’s generally with an athletic and repeatable delivery. Plenty of strikes are thrown but his command needs to improve going forward. He could earn an assignment to a full season affiliate for 2022 and likely pitches at Low-A Kannapolis to start the year.
Honorable Mention: Kade McClure-19th Ranked Prospect. Last Level; Charlotte (Triple-A)
There was reportedly interest in McClure leading up to last year’s Rule Five Draft after he put in some quality work during instructional league in 2020. He wasn’t selected and remained in the White Sox’s organization. This off-season, the 6-7 220 pound righty was again left off the 40-man roster and he’s eligible to be taken in the Rule Five Draft once baseball’s offseason resumes. The No. 19 overall prospect in the system over at MLB Pipeline was drafted in the sixth round in 2017 out of Louisville.
The 25-year-old missed most of his first season in the organization and he was underwhelming in 2018. Something clicked during instructional league in 2020 however and he put himself on the prospect map. He’s throwing his fastball in the 92-95 mph range with a low 80’s power slider and a decent curveball with a fringy changeup. The large righty has always struggled with lefties but he does create extension in his delivery. McClure profiles as a back of the rotation starter or long reliever but he’s close to the big leagues. Making nine starts with the Charlotte Knights in Triple-A, McClure posted a 4.82 FIP but had an ERA well over six. His strikeout rate also took a dip while his walk rate increased in 37 innings.
Pitching in Charlotte is difficult and the league was tough on the right hander in his first go at it. McClure was much better in Double-A with Birmingham over the course of 68.1 innings. He posted a 3.82 ERA with a 3.41 xFIP in 15 starts while averaging 10.14 K/9 and 2.63 BB/9. He posted a 3.39 ERA in Winston-Salem in 2019 as well. McClure should participate in big league spring training if he’s still with the franchise and serve as major league depth while pitching in Charlotte in 2022.
Photo credit: Michael Guariglia/FutureSox
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