Most of the attention paid to the MLB Draft falls on the players selected in the first round, but this year there is intrigue on how things play out on Day 2. We could see new draft strategies implemented to take advantage of teams that have to cut down on baseball operation costs by skimping out on bonuses. Could the White Sox follow their plan from last year, going over the slotted bonus to sign prep players in the second and third rounds? Or will they fall back to what they have mostly done in recent years by sticking with college players?
Either way, there are players worth keeping an eye on that the White Sox may target on Day 2. Below are options for both college and high schoolers.
College Pitchers
Logan Allen, LHP, Florida International
| ERA | W | L | GS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | BB% | SO | K% | BAVG | BF | |
| 2018 | 3.89 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 74 | 74 | 38 | 32 | 16 | 5.16% | 85 | 27.42% | 0.262 | 310 |
| 2019 | 3.11 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 84 | 71 | 41 | 29 | 25 | 7.18% | 120 | 34.48% | 0.231 | 348 |
| 2020 | 2.45 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 25.2 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5.71% | 41 | 39.05% | 0.183 | 105 |
Logan Allen was a capable starting pitcher for FIU, posting big strikeout numbers despite not blowing up radar guns with fastball velocity. Sound familiar? Allen’s profile is a notch below Louisville lefty Reid Detmers, and the difference is in quality of breaking pitches (Detmers has a 60 to 70-grade curve; Allen has a 50 grade). Even though Allen sits at 88-92 mph during games with the fastball, he does have above-average command and is not afraid to attack hitters.
PERTINENT: 2020 MLB Draft Player Profile: Reid Detmers, LHP, Louisville
Cole Henry, RHP, LSU
| ERA | W | L | APP | GS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | BB% | SO | K% | BAVG | |
| 2019 | 3.39 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 58.1 | 50 | 25 | 22 | 18 | 7.26% | 72 | 29.03% | 0.226 |
| 2020 | 1.89 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 7.79% | 23 | 29.87% | 0.231 |
LSU’s Cole Henry has the profile to be a first-rounder. His mid-90’s fastball, paired with a plus curveball, should put in squarely in the late first-round mix as a draft-eligible sophomore. Henry could be available to the White Sox at pick 47 because of his injury history, and lack of track record. He only pitched 77⅓ innings in college.
Kyle Nicolas, RHP, Ball State
| ERA | W | L | APP | GS | SV | IP | H | R | ER | BB | BB% | SO | K% | BAVG | |
| 2018 | 5.21 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 57 | 53 | 35 | 33 | 44 | 16.48% | 55 | 20.60% | 0.25 |
| 2019 | 5.4 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 51.2 | 32 | 34 | 31 | 47 | 20.09% | 78 | 33.33% | 0.184 |
| 2020 | 2.74 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7.69% | 37 | 40.66% | 0.188 |
Kyle Nicolas has a big 95-97 mph fastball with a sharp slider. It’s an exciting combination, but Nicolas needs more polish. Control is an issue, and might be why he pitches out of the bullpen as a professional.
Seth Lonsway, LHP, Ohio State
| SEASON | ERA | W-L | GS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | BB% | SO | K% |
| 2019 | 3.70 | 8-4 | 17 | 92.1 | 74 | 47 | 38 | 59 | 14.18% | 126 | 30.29% |
| 2020 | 3.00 | 1-2 | 4 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 18 | 21.69% | 42 | 50.60% |
Watching Ohio State's Seth Lonsway, he reminds me of former White Sox pitcher John Danks. A mid-90's mph fastball with a plus-curveball to rack up a high number of strikeouts. Just like Danks, Lonsway struggles with command at times posting big walk totals. In his last game of the 2020 season, Lonsway walked eight batters in two innings.
PERTINENT: Catching up with John Danks
Jeff Criswell, RHP, Michigan
| ERA | W | L | APP | GS | IP | H | R | ER | BB | BB% | SO | K% | BAVG | |
| 2018 | 2.23 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 0 | 32.1 | 18 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 14.50% | 32 | 24.43% | 0.168 |
| 2019 | 2.72 | 7 | 1 | 22 | 17 | 106 | 88 | 40 | 32 | 50 | 11.26% | 116 | 26.13% | 0.232 |
| 2020 | 4.5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 9.09% | 26 | 26.26% | 0.205 |
A significant contributor to Michigan’s surprise run in the College World Series, the 2020 season was to be Jeff Criswell’s time to shine as the Friday night starter. Criswell spent most of 2019 as the third starter behind Karl Kauffman and Tommy Henry. Scouts were hoping to see more consistency deeper into his starts in 2020, but with the season cut short, that remains a question.
College Position Players
Daniel Cabrera, LSU, OF
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | AVG | OB% | SLG% | BB | SO | |
| 2018 | 219 | 38 | 69 | 18 | 2 | 8 | 54 | 0.315 | 0.405 | 0.525 | 34 | 36 |
| 2019 | 225 | 40 | 64 | 12 | 2 | 12 | 50 | 0.284 | 0.359 | 0.516 | 24 | 54 |
| 2020 | 58 | 14 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0.345 | 0.466 | 0.500 | 14 | 12 |
Daniel Cabrera was thought of as a second-round pick coming out of high school but decided to attend LSU. After a successful freshman season suggesting great things to come, Cabrera was OK in his sophomore year with a nagging wrist injury that caused a significant spike in strikeouts. Even though it was just 17 games in 2020, Cabrera was displaying a better eye and making solid contact, but power was lacking.
Gage Workman, 3B, Arizona State
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | AVG | OB% | SLG% | BB | SO | |
| 2018 | 174 | 27 | 48 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 25 | 0.276 | 0.339 | 0.466 | 13 | 49 |
| 2019 | 218 | 40 | 72 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 42 | 0.330 | 0.413 | 0.528 | 30 | 68 |
| 2020 | 68 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 0.250 | 0.316 | 0.471 | 5 | 21 |
After a strong finish in 2019, Gage Workman had a slow start in 2020 that impacted his draft stock. Workman is a switch-hitting third baseman that should stick at the position. Still, his swing is short and compact, limiting his ability to generate more power.
Zach DeLoach, CF, Texas A&M
| Year | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | AVG | OBP | SLG | BB | SO |
| 2018 | 246 | 39 | 65 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 0.264 | 0.355 | 0.374 | 35 | 33 |
| 2019 | 160 | 27 | 32 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 0.200 | 0.318 | 0.294 | 24 | 29 |
| 2020 | 57 | 25 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 0.421 | 0.547 | 0.789 | 14 | 3 |
After a disappointing sophomore season, Zach DeLoach demonstrated significant improvements during the Cape Cod League by winning the batting title (.353 avg.). That propelled DeLoach to a great start in 2020 that has seen his draft stock rise. He played in center field for Texas A&M, but more than likely will be moved to either left or right field professionally since he’s not a plus-runner.
Freddy Zamora, SS, Miami
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | AVG | OB% | SLG% | BB | SO | |
| 2018 | 211 | 32 | 64 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 28 | 0.303 | 0.388 | 0.412 | 24 | 18 |
| 2019 | 199 | 43 | 59 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 46 | 0.296 | 0.393 | 0.447 | 31 | 27 |
2020 was not kind to Miami Hurricanes shortstop Freddy Zamora, as he was suspended for violating team rules to start the season. He later suffered an ACL injury during practice that caused him to miss the season. Zamora has the potential to be a 50-grade contact hitter, but with below-average power, his offensive ceiling is limited. However, Zamora is an outstanding defensive shortstop displaying terrific range and arm strength.
Zavier Warren, SS, Central Michigan
| AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | AVG | OB% | SLG% | BB | SO | |
| 2018 | 195 | 36 | 54 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0.277 | 0.393 | 0.308 | 29 | 28 |
| 2019 | 240 | 73 | 87 | 22 | 2 | 8 | 68 | 0.363 | 0.498 | 0.571 | 59 | 56 |
| 2020 | 64 | 17 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0.328 | 0.469 | 0.406 | 15 | 9 |
The best position player in the MAC, Central Michigan’s Zavier Warren is a super-utility player. His high school position was catcher, but he has spent more time at shortstop with the Chippewas. Warren played third base in the Cape Cod League, but his future could be at second base. Offensively, Warren has shown advanced skills, being patient at the plate and willing to draw a walk. He flexed more power in 2019 than the brief 2020 season, but Warren is worth taking a flyer on in the fourth to the fifth round.
High School Players
Jared Jones, RHP, La Mirada HS (CA)
I saw Jared Jones at the Under Armour Showcase last summer. He sat in the top 25 in many preseason 2020 MLB Draft lists, but he didn't have a good afternoon. He started hitting 95 to 96 mph with the four-seam only to be throwing 91 to 92 mph in the next inning. Jones did get a couple of strikeouts using the slider and featured a firm changeup that clocked in between 86-89 mph. Lack of control with his pitches was his downfall in the afternoon, only throwing 24 strikes out of 47 pitches. There is a lot to like about Jones, and he possesses the talent of a promising pitching prospect a la Matthew Thompson, who the White Sox took in the second round last year.
Ben Hernandez, RHP, De La Salle HS (IL)
Ed Howard grabs the attention of baseball fans in Chicago leading up to the draft, but Ben Hernandez is another area prep player who could come off the board on Day 2. Hernandez earned rave reviews from the MLB Prospect Development Pipeline League and struck out the side to close out the Under Armour Showcase. His best pitch is the changeup, which he has an advanced feel for, and pairs with a fastball that mostly sits in the low 90’s but has hit 95 mph at times. Hernandez does have a curveball that will need more refinement to be a quality third offering. Still, there is a lot to like about his profile and he should be worth the investment to convince him to forgo his Illinois-Chicago commitment. If not, Hernandez could be draft-eligible after his sophomore season.
PERTINENT: 2020 MLB Draft Player Profiles: The prep options
Yohandy Morales, 3B, Braddock HS (FL)
A raw prep bat worth taking on Day 2, Yohandy Morales could be a future power-hitting third baseman. He has the physical attributes to generate power in his swing, but his mechanics need work. Morales hits a lot of grounders and has shown trouble with pitches located up in the zone. There’s a lot of moving pieces in his swing, but with more development, this is a projectable bat that could be a diamond in the rough.
Enrique Bradfield Jr., CF, American Heritage HS (FL)
A Juan Pierre-type player, Enrique Bradfield Jr., is a 70 to an 80-grade runner who puts pressure on infielders to make clean plays. There's very little power in his swing, but Bradfield Jr. could be the type of player who consistently posts a high BABIP through line drives or drag bunts. There is room for him to grow into his frame (6’0” 155 lbs), but his athleticism is what sticks out. Bradfield Jr. is a Vanderbilt commit, so signability is unknown.
Isaiah Greene, CF, Corona HS (CA)
He's not as fast as Bradfield Jr., but Isaiah Greene is another plus-run outfielder but with a bat that has more projection. Greene has a contact-first approach at the plate, but as he physically matures and makes adjustments, he could unlock more power in his swing. There are reports that Greene needs work on his routes in center field for teams to be sold that is his long-term position. If the money isn’t right for Greene, he’s committed to Missouri.
(Photo of Jared Jones by Heston Quan)
