In a feature for The Athletic that ran Thursday, James Fegan called Nick Madrigal "your White Sox prospect's favorite White Sox prospect."
The same morning that went live, Keith Law posted his muted in-person reaction to seeing Madrigal at Triple-A. There's some overlap in terms of comps, but they get there with vastly different attitudes:
Here's Fegan:
It’s too bad that tropes about leadership and “doing the little things” have become such well-worn clichés that they are dismissed as valueless, because if there’s anyone who seems like the genuine article in both facets, it’s Madrigal. And just from watching his lightning turns of double plays and aggressive defense maneuvers up close, if there’s anybody who’s best suited to be appreciated moment to moment, inning to inning — especially in meaningful games — rather than in minor-league box scores and highlights, it’s also Madrigal.
And here's Law:
I have seen him three times this year, as well, and keep coming back to David Eckstein -- another diminutive middle infielder with a short swing and a great eye at the plate, although Eckstein was a better fielder and runner. Madrigal is going to have to hit for a pretty high average to be more than a soft regular, and I'm not sure he'll make enough high-quality contact to do that.
These viewpoints are at odds with each other in terms of the enthusiasm with which they're presented, yet they're not mutually exclusive. I could see Madrigal meeting both as some sort of 30th-percentile outcome, hitting .280/.330/.360 at the majors and people from afar wondering what's the big deal. I can also see him having enough inspired moments on the diamond where everybody around the White Sox treats him as a fixture when his numbers suggest he's fungible with other middle infielders.
I agree with Fegan when he says that Madrigal's approach to the game is wasted in an environment where development trumps wins as the chief objective. I'm curious how often his world-famous instincts and aggression will contribute to victories as the major-league level. That sentence can be read with cynicism, but I'm genuinely open-minded on the subject, because he doesn't have contemporary comps. From his build to his approach to the zealotry of his fans -- Dale Murphy is another one -- Madrigal plays the same sport as everybody else, but he works within a different genre. Just like new music, if I don't end up liking it, it won't be because I didn't want to like it.
Charlotte 7, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 4
- Nick Madrigal went 1-for-5 with a CS.
- Luis Robert was 1-for-5 with his eighth homer and two strikeouts.
- Zack Collins went 0-for-3 with a walk.
- Danny Mendick was 0-for-2 with two walks.
- AJ Reed went 0-for-2 with a walk, HBP and a strikeout.
- Seby Zavala was 0-for-4.
- Kelvin Herrera: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Birmingham 5, Montgomery 1
- Luis Gonzalez went 2-for-5 with a strikeout.
- Laz Rivera was 0-for-4 with a K.
- Blake Rutherford went 2-for-4 with a stolen base.
- Gavin Sheets was 0-for-3 with an HBP.
- Ti'Quan Forbes, 0-for-3 with a walk.
- Bernardo Flores returned to Double-A: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
- Tyler Johnson: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Winston-Salem 8, Myrtle Beach 7
- Steele Walker went 0-for-5 with a strikeout.
- Andrew Vaughn was 2-for-5 with two doubles and a strikeout.
- Kade McClure: 4 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 3 HR, 1 HBP
Kannapolis 2, Delmarva 1
- Lenyn Sosa went 2-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Corey Zangari and Amado Nunez were 0-for-4 with a K.
- Camilo Quinteiro was 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
Grand Junction 8, Great Falls 3
- Cabera Weaver went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
- Luis Mieses was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Sam Abbott, 1-for-3 with a homer and a walk.
- Lency Delgado was 1-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Anderson Comas went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Kelvin Maldonado, 1-for-3 with a triple and a strikeout.
AZL White Sox 3, AZL Dodgers Lasorda 2
- Jose Rodriguez went 2-for-4.
- Sidney Pimentel was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
- Micker Adolfo went 3-for-4 with a homer and triple.
- DJ Gladney went 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
- Bryan Ramos, 1-for-4.
- Josue Guerrero was 0-for-4 with a K.
- Logan Glass singled twice and struck out twice.
- Victor Torres went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and was caught stealing.
- Misael Gonzalez tripled and struck out twice.
DSL Orioles1 6, DSL White Sox 5
- Yolbert Sanchez went 0-for-4.
- Benyamin Bailey was 0-for-2 with three walks.
- Alberto Bernal struck out his only time up.
- Jefferson Mendoza went 1-for-4.
- Cesar Jimenez went 1-for-2.
- Anthony Espinoza replaced him and was 0-for-1.
