The Chicago White Sox will have some high upside prospects starting their seasons in the Arizona Complex League this year. 18-year-old outfielder George Wolkow will be one of the highlights of the club. Last year’s international class provided some offense with contributions from outfielder Abraham Nunez Jr, catchers Angelo Hernandez and Stiven Flores and a big breakout performance from 18-year-old Venezuelan infielder Javier Mogollon.
On the pitching side, 2023 second rounder Grant Taylor has been working back from Tommy John surgery and stellar reports from the backfields in Arizona have been provided to FutureSox. Taylor is expected to make his debut in Arizona. Fellow draftees Christian Oppor and Mathias LaCombe will join him for the beginning of the Complex League season as well.
Will Schedule Affect the White Sox?
Major League Baseball made some scheduling alterations to the rookie leagues in Arizona and Florida for the 2024 season. In the past, the Arizona Complex League season would get underway in early June and culminate with a league championship in late August. With the new change, rookie ball will begin in both locations on Saturday May 4 while finishing up on July 25. JJ Cooper highlighted the change and elaborated on what it all means for Baseball America back in February.
One big change to the schedule is the earlier end date. Due to that decision, players who will be drafted this July won’t be playing in the Arizona Complex League this year. Extended spring training type environments will be created to close out the year so that younger prospects can get their work in throughout while college draftees likely report to Low-A after joining their respective organizations.
The Arizona Complex League is a rookie-level league that has operated in the Phoenix area since 1988. There are 18 teams in the league and they play at the spring training homes of their parent clubs. There are 15 organizations located in the desert and they make up the rosters of the 18 clubs. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants each have two rookie league teams. The alignment of the divisions is as follows:
East: ACL Angels (Los Angeles), ACL Diamondbacks Black (Arizona), ACL Diamondbacks Red (Arizona), ACL Giants Black (San Francisco), ACL Giants Orange (San Francisco), ACL Rockies (Colorado)
Central: ACL Athletics (Oakland), ACL Cubs (Chicago), ACL Brewers Blue (Milwaukee), ACL Brewers Gold (Milwaukee), ACL Guardians (Cleveland), ACL Reds (Cincinnati)
West: ACL Dodgers (Los Angeles), ACL Mariners (Seattle), ACL Padres (San Diego), ACL Rangers (Texas), ACL Royals (Kansas City), ACL White Sox (Chicago)
White Sox in the Desert
The White Sox reside in the West Division and play their home games at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona which doubles as the franchise’s spring training home. Due to scorching hot temperatures, the ACL is often referred to as the “Fire League”. Games also aren’t heavily populated, with crowds represented by scouts, front office personnel and family members. Games are also free to attend.
There are currently — players on the first version of this roster with more likely to join throughout the season. The club is comprised of 23 pitchers, five catchers, six infielders and six outfielders. The club will be managed by Danny Gonzalez once again. Gerardo Olivares and Jacob Dorris will serve as the hitting and pitching coaches respectively. Veteran staff member Mike Gellinger will assist the hitters and serve as bench coach as well. Nausel Cabrera will be the Development Coach while Jeremy Kneebusch will handle the role of Athletic Trainer and Siera Weathers will be the Performance Coach.
(Ages in parentheses)
Outfielders
- Alvaro Aguero (21)
- Leandro Alsinois (19)
- Erick Hernandez (19)
- Abraham Nunez Jr (18)
- Arnold Prado (19)
- George Wolkow (18)
The White Sox selected Downers Grove, Illinois native George Wolkow in the 7th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The 18-year-old slugger is really young and reclassified from the 2024 high school class. The outfielder turned away South Carolina and received a $1 million bonus to start his professional career. The 6-7, 240 ponder has drawn comparisons to Spencer Jones of the Yankees and longtime big league Joey Gallo. The left-handed hitter possesses top of the scale raw power and he’s very physical.
Wolkow has been playing center field in Arizona but he likely moves to right field long-term. Depending on the success this season and how the development process goes, his 2024 could eventually include a move to full season ball in Low-A. In reality though, he just needs plate appearances and reps in the outfield. Wolkow hit .225/.392/.325 over the course of 13 games in the Arizona Complex League last season. The local product ranked #12 overall on our pre-season top 30 prospect list.
Abraham Núñez was the biggest bonus teenager signed during the 2023 international period by the White Sox. The 6-2, 175 pounder has played center field but could profile in either corner as well. After signing for $700,000 out of the Dominican Republic, the now 18-year-old slashed .299/.427/.442 with a 136 wRC+ in the Dominican Summer League. In 44 games, the left-handed hitting outfielder posted an 18% walk rate while hitting three homers in 44 games.
Núñez is an athletic outfielder with good bat speed, plus control in the zone and strike zone judgment. He’s also an average runner that performed well in tournaments leading up to his eventual signing date. He participated in instructional league and immediately becomes someone to focus on during the Arizona Complex League season in 2024. 19-year-old Dominican outfielder Leandro Alsinois will play in the desert after two productive seasons in the DSL as well. The 5-10, 175 pound right-handed hitter slashed .301/.422/.390 with a 17% walk rate in 45 games.
Dominican outfielder Erick Hernandez and Venezuelan outfielder Arnold Prado hold spots on this opening roster as well. Hernandez is a 6-0, 170 pound outfielder who signed for $1 million back in 2022. Lauded for his plate discipline and hitting ability at the time, he’s really struggled as a professional to date. The rough times started in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and they gor progressively worse last summer in the Arizona Complex League. He’ll repeat the level and hope for better times this season.
Prado plays all three outfield spots and he posted a 155 wRC+ in 29 games during the Dominican Summer League season in 2022. The 19-year-old is a 6-3, 195 pounder and he possesses on base ability and can run. He also struggled in 42 games in Arizona last year. Aguero is in his third professional season and the 21-year-old even played five games with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in Low-A earlier this year.
Infielders
- Dario Borrero (20)
- Ryan Burrowes (19)
- Adrian Gil (18)
- Javier Mogollon (18)
- Guillermo Rodriguez (19)
- D’Angelo Tejada (18)
Mogollon ranks as the #23 overall prospect in the White Sox’s system according to MLB Pipeline. The 18-year-old looks to be the best prospect signed in their 2022 international class and they nabbed him out of Venezuela for just $75K. The 5-8, 160 pounder hits from the right side and he clubbed ten homers in his Dominican Summer League debut.
Venezuelan infielder Javier Mogollon really burst onto the scene in his first professional season. The infielder hit .315/.417/.582 with a 156 wRC+. The Venezuelan has displayed hitting ability and power potential with frequent exit velocities over 100 mph. He has a quick right-handed stroke and he often barrels the baseball. He can really drive the ball in the air and he profiles at second base. Dominican infielder D’Angelo Tejada struggled offensively in his debut in the DSL last year after signing. The 18-year-old plays a solid shortstop.
Another Venezuelan infielder who had success in his first professional season was Adrian Gil. He’ll make his stateside debut in the Arizona Complex League after posting a 170 wRC+ last year in the Dominican Republic. The 18-year-old hit .340/.481/.517 and smacked 15 homers in 45 games. 20-year-old Venzuelan Dario Borrero stands at 6-5, 190 pounds but his tools haven’t shown in games to this point. 19-year-old infielder Guillermo Rodriguez is a great defender who will be repeating rookie ball once again.
Ryan Burrowes seemed slated to start the season in Low-A but he’ll begin his 2024 campaign repeating the Arizona Complex League. After being hit by a pitch during spring training, Burrowes broke his hand and he’s now worked his way back. The 19-year-old Panamanian is a universally ranked top 30 prospect in the White Sox system after posting a 120 wRC+ in the Dominican Summer League back in 2022.
The 6-2, 170 pound infielder struggled in Arizona last year but flashed his tools while playing stellar defensively. Burrowes has shown plus speed and has frequently registered exit velocities over 100 mph. The shortstop has a compact, right-handed swing and has shown a solid arm at shortstop. Burrowes possesses bat speed but his approach was far too aggressive in his rookie ball debut last summer.
Catchers
- Stiven Flores (18)
- Ivan Gonzalez (27)
- Manuel Guariman (20)
- Angelo Hernandez (18)
- Dominic Tamez (23)
Stiven Flores and Angelo Hernandez were both signed out of Venezuela during the 2022 international signing period. Hernandez is a 6-1, 200 pounder who has been known for his defensive skills. The 18-year-old backstop possesses defensive polish and strong catch and throw skills. Hernandez controls the running game, moves well behind the dish and shows an above-average arm as well. After signing for $500K, he hit .232/.436/.304 with a 20% walk rate and posted a 121 wRC+ in 21 Dominican Summer League games. The catcher has 20 homer potential.
Flores signed for $250K and started hitting immediately upon entering the organization. The 5-11, 180 pounder hits from the right side and clubbed one home run with 33 RBI in 37 games last year. The 18-year-old has an average arm but the bat is his carrying tool with big power and significant offensive upside. Flores hit .391/.456/.477 with a 10.2% walk rate and posted a 152 wRC+ in the DSL last season.
Manuel Guariman is another recent international signing. The Venezuelan catcher is also known for his defensive chops but he flashed some offensive potential in the DSL back in 2021. The 20-year-old has spent the last two seasons struggling in Arizona however. He’ll receive another opportunity this year. 27-year-old Ivan Gonzalez will be rehabbing in Arizona as well before reporting to an affiliate and 23-year-old Dominic Tamez is on the roster as too.
Pitchers
- Ben Beutel (LHP, 24)
- Ricardo Brizuela (20)
- Sean Burke (24)
- Jordany Chirinos (18)
- Shane Drohan (LHP, 25)
- Jeremy Gonzalez (LHP, 19)
- Daniel Gonzalez (LHP, 22)
- Zachary Hammer (23)
- Carlos Hinestroza (21)
- Anthony Imhoff (22)
- Carson Jacobs (22)
- Mathias LaCombe (21)
- Maximo Martinez (19)
- Jose Mendoza (20)
- Christian Oppor (LHP, 19)
- Carlton Perkins (21)
- Pedro Redman (20)
- Luis Reyes (18)
- Cody Sedlock (28)
- Tristan Stivors (25)
- Grant Taylor (21)
- Marcelo Valladares (19)
- Norge Vera (23)
Multiple pitchers from the 2023 draft class are slated to start their seasons in the Arizona Complex League. Grant Taylor (2nd round), Christian Oppor (5th round), Mathias LaCombe (12th round), Carlton Perkins (15th round) and Anthony Imhoff (18th round) were all selected in 2023. The highest ranked prospect of the group is Grant Taylor and recent reports suggest that he’s pumping fastballs in the 97-100 mph range consistently in the desert.
The 21-year-old righty was excellent on the cape and with LSU during fall practice but he tore the UCL in his elbow and missed the 2023 season. The White Sox selected him in the second round and might’ve nabbed an overall top 20ish talent in the class. The 6-3, 230 pounder worked 93-96 mph consistently with his fastball but velocity reports from Arizona have indicated more than that this spring. He also has shown a plus low 90’s cutter while possessing a curveball and slider as well.
Taylor is known for being very analytical in nature and numerous players and coaches have described him as a “multiplier” out on the back fields. We don’t expect him to be in Arizona for long.
The White Sox were enamored with southpaw Christian Oppor dating back to his time as a Wisconsin prep who pitched and excelled on the basketball court. They were planning to select him on day three of the 2022 MLB Draft and they finally were able to do so in 2023. The lefty signed for $550K after being selected in the fifth round last year. The 19-year-old was pitching for Gulf Coast Community College at the time and he ended up throwing 7.2 innings in Arizona last fall as well. Oppor struck out nine and walked just two in his brief stint and posted a 1.17 ERA.
The 6-2, 175 pounder has added mass this off-season but he’ll still need to improve his changeup to start on a consistent basis. He possesses a high 90’s fastball with a sweeper like horizontal slider that both profile as plus pitches.
Mathias LaCombe has goals of being the first French-born pitcher to reach the big leagues after being selected in the 12th round of the MLB Draft last summer. He signed for $450K which tells us what the organization thinks of the upside he possesses. The 6-2, 185 pounder posted a 1.74 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 67.1 innings for Cochise Community College in Arizona. He has displayed a mid to high 90’s fastball with a low 90’s sinker as well. He’s added in a slider and changeup to show a full four pitch mix.
LaCombe was impressive during instructional league and he just needs to amass some innings in 2024. Carlton Perkins and Anthony Imhoff both possess some upside after being selected out of Junior Colleges as well.
The White Sox acquired Venezuelan right harden Maximo Martinez from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for international bonus pool money at last year’s trade deadline. The 19-year-old threw 26.2 innings for the Dodgers but never pitched for the Pale Hose. Martinez has yet to make it out of the complex league but the 6-2, 185 pounder possesses lots of upside still. His fastball regularly gets into the high 90’s and he’s displayed a plus breaking ball as well. Venezuelan righty Marcelo Valladares will make his stateside debut as well after posting a 2.93 ERA in 46 innings in the DSL last year. The 6-4, 190 pounder needs to improve the command and drastically reduce the walk rate.
Luis Reyes was one of the White Sox’s top signings from the 2023 international class and he was heralded as one of the best Dominican pitchers available in the signing period. The 18-year-old signed for $700K at the time and the organization loved his extensive history of stateside tournament play. Reyes’ fastball gets up to 96 mph with a low effort delivery and extension. Struggles were aplenty as Reyes got hit hard in his initial foray into the Dominican Summer League. The righty got better as the season went along and while he walked way too many batters, Reyes did strike out 49 hitters in 37.2 innings.
18-year-old Venezuelan Jordany Chirinos posted a 4.12 ERA with 43K and 15BB in 39.1 innings in the DSL last year as well.
Sean Burke ranked #26th overall on our preseason top 30 list and he’s been battling shoulder injuries over the past year. Burke was drafted in the third round out of Maryland back in 2021 and he showed some promise. He’s on the comeback trail currently and his season is expected to start in Arizona. In a similar vein, Rule Five pick Shane Drohan appears to be active for the Arizona Complex League White Sox as well. The southpaw is on the 40-man roster but currently resides on the 60-day injured list.
Former Baltimore first rounder Cody Sedlock was signed recently and he’s listed on this initial roster along with Cuban righty Norge Vera and a rehabbing Tristan Stivors. Ricardo Brizuela, Zachary Hammer, Carlos Hinestroza, Carson Jacobs, Jose Mendoza and Pedro Redman should get some innings from the right side. Ben Beutel, Jeremy Gonzalez and Daniel Gonzalez are the rest of the southpaws on this roster.
The rookie league White Sox will open the season on Monday May 6th at Peoria against the San Diego Padres.