The longer the White Sox advanced into the second day of the 2023 MLB draft, the more it seemed like it was building up to an above-slot signing for a prep talent. Either that, or the White Sox were content to pay slottish value to college juniors they overvalued relative to the consensus of draft prospect rankings.
That moment finally arrived in the seventh round, with the selection of a top-100 prospect and local product that shocked and impressed those who follow the amateur ranks.
But even with Downers Grove North's George Wolkow in the fold -- assuming the team buys him out of his South Carolina commitment -- the White Sox only drafted one college senior over their first 10 picks. Without multiple obvious sources of six-figure reallocations, it'll be fun tracking who gets what money as the signings flow in.
Third round (84th overall): Seth Keener, RHP, Wake Forest
Ranks: BA: 131 | ESPN: 85 | MLB: 108 | Law: 97
Just like White Sox second-rounder Grant Taylor, Keener's rise started with an excellent showing in the Cape Cod League after a mediocre regular season. He cut his walk rate while boosting his strikeout rate with improved control of a three-pitch mix, led by his slider. He's best known as a reliever, and his fastball plays up in that role. Still, he's started 19 games over the last two seasons for a talented Wake Forest pitching staff, so further development as a starter isn't out of the question.
Fourth round (116): Calvin Harris, C, Ole Miss
Ranks: BA: 167 | ESPN: 148 | MLB: 133
Assuming he's not the same DJ who collaborated with Dua Lipa and Rihanna, Harris hit .321/.398/.579 over 54 games, and hit four of his 12 homers in a single game against Missouri in May. He's got strength from the left side and can leave the yard when he elevates, but the reviews of his defense are mixed. He allowed 55 stolen bases in 62 attempts, but Baseball American pins that on the Ole Miss pitching staff, while MLB Pipeline says Harris has his own inconsistencies with pop times. Between Jacob Gonzalez this year and Tim Elko last year, the White Sox seem to like what they're doing down in Oxford.
Fifth round (152): Christian Oppor, LHP, Gulf Coast CC
Mike Shirley always gets his guy, according to Jim Callis, who said that the White Sox planned to take Oppor in the 11th round last year if Oakland didn't get in the way right before. All's well that ends well: The White Sox selected Jacob Burke with that pick, and he's playing his ass off for both A-ball affiliates this year, and now here's Oppor, because the Athletics didn't sign him after the draft-and-follow process. Oppor was the best pitching prospect in Wisconsin the year before, but it seems like he remains a sizable project, with strong velocity but not much in the way of secondary pitches. He turns 19 later this month.
Sixth round (179): Lucas Gordon, LHP, Texas
Ranks: BA: 277
The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Gordon went 7-2 with a 2.63 ERA over 102⅔ innings for the Longhorns. He's the first pitchability pick, lacking notable velocity but compensating for his low-90s fastball with a plus changeup.
Seventh round (209): George Wolkow, OF, Downers Grove North HS
Ranks: BA: 79 | ESPN: 104 | MLB: 71 | Law: 79
If you're wondering where the upside's been, here it is. Wolkow stands 6-7 and 239 pounds, and yet he doesn't turn 18 until January. He has huge power potential and hasn't played himself out of a corner infield spot, although he still has to work on commanding those long levers with regards to his hit tool, and probably isn't done filling out. He's committed to South Carolina, but assuming the White Sox have reallocated enough funds to buy him out of it, it's best to give him the timetable of an international prospect, which is fine since he'll be 17 the remainder of this season.
Also, he's from Downers Grove, which I assume is the reason why everybody is raving about this pick.
Eighth round (239): Eddie Park, OF, Stanford
Ranks: BA: 196
Reading Baseball America's scouting report -- lefty hitting, lefty throwing, decorated collegiate career, prototypical leadoff hitter, elite hand-eye coordination, well below-average power, high-aptitude baserunner, left fielder if he can't stick in center -- it struck me as awfully similar to how somebody might describe Steven Kwan. Then came the penultimate sentence: "Park’s game has lots of similarities to Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan." Cleveland selected Kwan in the fifth round, and now here's Park in the eighth.
Ninth round (269): Jake Peppers, RHP, Jacksonville State (AL)
Ranks: BA: 258 | ESPN: 177 | MLB: 187
MLB.com's scouting report says Peppers is Jacksonville State's best arm since 2009 Minnesota third-rounder Ben Tootle, which alerted me to the existence of a pitcher named "Ben Tootle." Both that and BA's scouting report agree that he can maintain 93-95 mph for multiple innings with the ability to ramp it up higher, and his slider and changeup show promise. He's only 160 pounds despite standing 6-3, so he can probably add some bulk in the pursuit of bulk innings professionally.
This video is just a collection of still images, but it's worth noting that his pitch face samples his cookie duster.
10th Round (299): Zach Franklin, RHP, Missouri
The White Sox drafted a guy from Downers Grove and a guy from Mizzou on Day 2 in order to win me over, although the latter is a senior signing to help redirect slot value to the former. Franklin struck out 59 batters over 38⅔ innings, but that's about the only number that working in his favor. The 7.45 ERA out of the bullpen for a team that went 10-20 in the SEC East explains why there isn't a whole lot of footage.
