The Chicago White Sox are next on our Players Likely to Debut series. In case you missed it, we have already rolled out the AL and NL East.
AL East: Red Sox — Yankees — Orioles — Blue Jays — Rays
NL East: Marlins — Braves — Phillies — Mets—Nationals
Below, you will find a list of three prospects from the respective organization. Each prospect will have a number score next to their name — this number will represent the estimated amount of time we anticipate that player seeing at the big-league level. Players that have already made their big-league debut will not be included on this list.
BREAKDOWN OF TIME ON ROSTER SCORES:
1 — September call-ups / guys that are likely to see less than 20-25 games on the roster
2 — 1/4 of the season (roughly 40 games on roster)
3 — 1/2 of the season (roughly 80 games on roster)
4 — 3/4 of the season (roughly 120 games on roster)
5 — Full season on the MLB roster
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Position — Name (Time on Roster Score)
1B/DH — Andrew Vaughn (4)
One of the safest bats of the 2019 Draft, Vaughn is one of the better offensive collegiate prospects in recent years. With Edwin Encarnacion officially leaving town via free agency the opportunity to split time with Jose Abreu at first base and designated hitter should be there this season. As polished as Vaughn is, this transition could happen fairly early into the 2021 season. Don’t look now but the White Sox lineup is about to add some more thunder just one year after adding the lightning, Luis Robert.
Check out the White Sox Top Prospects Board
RF/DH — Micker Adolfo (4)
Much like the aforementioned Vaughn, Adolfo is mostly known for his bat. Signed back in 2013, out of the Dominican Republic, he has endured quite a path to make his way onto the 40-man roster. After several injuries, he’s become more of a DH only type of body that possesses big raw power. At bats would be hard to come by with Abreu and Eloy Jimenez in the mix at DH, but if Vaughn comes up early, Adolfo could be stuck in a bench role for the time being albeit still on the roster.
Here’s a bit more about Adolfo — you may not like his choice for Favorite Baseball Movie…
RHP — Tyler Johnson (2)
Johnson is a pitcher who has flashed two solid pitches throughout his professional career but has a quirky delivery and lack of consistency that significantly limit his overall upside. However, the fastball has shown an ability to be productive and having already secured a roster spot, Johnson is the type of low risk arm that could see time in the pen at some point this season if needed.
NOTABLE
The White Sox have collected a quite a handful of players that offer some offensive value but do not necessarily have a place on the defensive side of things. This makes things tight for guys like Gavin Sheets and Blake Rutherford as they have shown glimpses of promise but present tough defensive profiles. Sheets really only fits at the cold corner, but the raw power hasn’t translated enough to make the bat good enough to fit there.
Meanwhile, Rutherford is a former top prospect who has slowly lost his shine over the years due to a similar struggle to find his power stroke. Both have earned a spot on the 40 man and are certainly names worth monitoring as they continue to develop. For now, the likes of Vaughn and Adolfo seem to be blocking the pathway to at bats at the Major League level.