The White Sox generally steer clear of prep picks with their first-rounders, but they've occasionally dipped into the high school pool with their second-rounder, especially for a pitcher. They haven't quite connected with one -- Spencer Adams, Tyler Danish and David Holmberg have topped out at "below replacement level" -- but that's kind of a median outcome for that spot in the draft.
If they didn't draft a prep arm in the second round, they didn't take them on the second day, either. So it falls on Matthew Thompson, the first prep pitcher taken by the White Sox in the first 10 rounds of the draft since 2014, to take the success level up a notch.
The White Sox drafted the right-hander out of Cypress Ranch High School in Texas, which also produced JJ Goss, who went to the Tampa Bay Rays with the 36th pick. The order in which they were drafted reflects the quality of their seasons, as Thompson had the edge entering the year.
When Thompson's right, the various outlets below call him one of the strongest prep arms in the game with a fastball that can reach 96, but the power on his pitches came and went this spring, and so did his effectiveness. It's a little bit of an Alec Hansen story at the prep level -- Thompson is committed to Texas A&M, not Oklahoma -- although his 6-foot-2-inch, 184-pound frame should be easier to control.
White Sox select Andrew Vaughn in first round of 2019 MLB draft
How does he rank?
- Baseball America: No. 48
- MLB.com: No. 69
- 2080 Baseball: No. 62
- Keith Law: No. 92
- FanGraphs: No. 86
What does he look like?
What's to like?
Unlike Adams, who figured to gain strength and velocity as he progressed up the chain, Thompson doesn't require much projection to realize his prospect future. He just needs to more consistently harness what he's already shown to possess, which is a mid-90s fastball, a power slider and the potential for a changeup. There are no knocks on his athleticism, which makes mechanics a little easier to correct.
What's not to like?
The White Sox might not have drafted the 18-year-old with the power fastball-slider combo, but instead a high school arm who spends time in the high 80s with diminished sharpness on his breaking ball. He could require an over-slot commitment.
How does he fit?
Ever since the White Sox selected Adams in 2014, they've stayed away from prep arms on both the first and second days of the draft. Thompson won't have much competition when it comes to the pecking order in the rookie-ball leagues.
