Pitching is the lifeblood of any Major League Baseball franchise. The numerous cliches about its importance -- "you can never have too many pitchers" chief among them -- exist because pitching is tough to find and develop. As another adage goes, it takes ten pitching prospects to get two.
Fortunately for the White Sox, the system has several pitching prospects worth watching, albeit at the lower levels. Here’s an early look at a few of the key prospects in the system.
Jared Kelley / Matthew Thompson / Andrew Dalquist
These three players are so similar in profile and performance that it’s challenging to separate them. All three were high draft picks out of high school that received large signing bonuses. Because of the 2020 season being lost to COVID, all of them have essentially one year of professional experience in the fold. All three of them had a rough time in their first year.
On the field, they are all quite different. Kelley is a fireballer with a killer changeup, Thompson a superior athlete and Dalquist a well-rounded pitcher. 2022 is hardly make-or-break for any of them because of the lack of experience, but it could go a long way in determining their career trajectory.
Jared Kelley is starting the season in Kannapolis, the same location he finished last year. Conditioning is a significant obstacle for him, and the early reports indicate that it was not addressed during the offseason. In his two starts back in Low-A, he has thrown 4.2 innings with four strikeouts and a WHIP of 2.143. His ERA currently sits at 7.71 with a FIP of 11.22, both of which are worse than he posted in 21 unimpressive innings at the level in 2021. For a deep dive on Kelley’s most recent start, check out our recent article by Jim Margalus.
Matthew Thompson and Andrew Dalquist opened 2022 in High-A Winston-Salem. Both pitchers turned in disappointing metrics at the lower level in 2021, and it’ll be interesting to see how they perform against tougher competition. In three starts this season, Thompson has covered 13.1 innings with 13 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.275. With a 4.46 FIP and an ERA of 4.05, he has improved upon his 2022 numbers in the early going. In his third start of the season, Thompson provided hard evidence of what the hype is all about. In five innings of work, he struck out an impressive seven hitters while allowing a mere two hits without issuing a base on balls.
Dalquist also has three starts covering a dozen innings. In the early going, he’s posted a FIP of 8.61 to go with an ERA of 7.50. The 6’1” right-hander has 11 strikeouts and a WHIP of 2.00. These numbers are off the pace he set in 2021. Hopefully, in his next start or two, he can find the magic formula that slingshots his 2022 season on an upward trajectory.
Sean Burke
Sean Burke is another pitcher with acres of upside. A draftee from the class of 2021, Burke, features an above-average fastball, curveball and slider. Commanding three plus pitches is a common problem, and Burke is no exception. He averaged 4.9 walks per nine innings during his collegiate days playing for the Maryland Terrapins. Turning pro did nothing to change that for the 6’6” 230-pound right-hander as his walk rate climbed to 6.4/9 over 14 innings in Kannapolis in 2021. In his three starts in 2022, Burke has walked nine in 13 innings of work while allowing nine hits. Burke certainly looks the part and appears to have the talent. If pitching coach Danny Farquhar and the rest of the development team can get him to consistently throw strikes, the White Sox may have something.
Norge Vera
One of many Cuban prospects, the hard-throwing right-hander dominated in the DSL in 2021. In 19 innings, he struck out 34 with a WHIP of 0.737 thanks to a repertoire that was too advanced for the competition. Vera has hit triple digits and consistently reaches 95-98 MPH. In addition to a big fastball, he throws an above-average curveball to go with a solid changeup and splitter. Like many players who come over from Cuba, it may take him some time to get acclimated to playing stateside, and that was the case even before a strained lat removed him from the proceedings early in spring training. He's supposed to receive an assignment sometime in June, which might still be enough time to take the next step in building up his workload.
Do you have a favorite among the players mentioned? Is there somebody else you think should be added to the conversation? Drop a few names in the comments section below to get the debate rolling.
