White Sox 2023 MLB draft Day 3 recap

The White Sox wrapped up the third day of the 2023 MLB draft with a wide array of infielders. Whether you're looking for a scrappy spark plug, a guy who sells out for power, or somebody in between, the White Sox drafted somebody for you.

11th round (329): Rikuu Nishida, 2B, Oregon

Ranks: BA: 479

Imagine Nick Madrigal's draft-day scouting report with expectations that are 10 rounds lower, and you get Nishida. He's a slap-hitting second baseman who stands 5-6 and 150 pounds and plays the game hard, fast and smart. With Madrigal, the "smart" part was probably more a reflection of his effort level against fundamentally wobblier competition, but at least there isn't a rebuild riding on this pick.

12th round (372): Mathias LaCombe, RHP, Cochise College (Ariz.)

Ranks: BA: 375

After selecting a Japanese-born player, the White Sox picked up a Frenchman, who jumped to the American juco ranks after doing all he could in France's baseball academy. He made major strides in his second year with Cochise College, posting a 1.74 ERA with peripherals to match (97 strikeouts against 61 baserunners over 67⅓ innings). BA says he sits low-90s as a starter, but gains a few ticks in shorter outings, which could foreshadow a velocity jump with the right training and mechanical refinement.

13th round: Ryan Galanie, 3B, Wofford

Galanie was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year after hitting .383/.491/.670, and intended to transfer to Tennessee as a graduate before the White Sox came calling. He's a product of Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, which has produced Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Larkin and Buddy and David Bell, among other big leaguers.

14th round: Edrick Felix, 2B, Florida Gulf Coast University

Felix hit .366/.449/.774 with 25 homers, 22 doubles, a triple and 83 RBIs in 60 games. He's all about getting the ball in the air, and with 55 strikeouts in 60 games, contact issues might limit that strategy professionally, but the infielders are getting more bat-first as we go along.

15th round: Carlton Perkins, RHP, Cowley County CC (Ks.)

The 6-foot-3-inch, 180-pound righty is the first pick without much in the way of video or first-hand reports. He had a tough year in terms of run prevention during the juco season (6.13 ERA), then pitched another 13 innings for the Trenton Thunder in the MLB Draft League with fewer runs but more walks.

16th round: Weston Eberly, C, Columbia

The Ivy Leaguer is nothing if not consistent, as his junior and senior season lines were nearly identical:

• 2022: .306/.429/.563, 22 extra-base hits in 46 games
• 2023: .309/.435/.552, 21 extra-base hits in 44 games

He planned to transfer to Georgia and new coach Wes Johnson, but like Galanie, I imagine this changes things.

17th round: Mikey Kane, IF, Oregon State

Speaking of Madrigal, here's a middle infielder from his alma mater. Kane hit .281/.396/.475 for the Beavers while playing the left side of the infield. He's 6-3, though, so it's not the typical utility infielder build.

18th round: Anthony Imhoff, LHP, Pima CC (Ariz.)

Ranks: BA: 486

He's a 6-foot-8-inch lefty who can throw strikes with a fastball and curveball, so that makes him automatically interesting this late in the draft. BA says the fastball is around 90, so there isn't a whole lot at present to make him stand out besides his height. He's just 190 pounds despite that height, so the idea would be that he could add some strength to his frame, and perhaps the stuff would progress right along with it.

19th round: Caden Connor, OF, Cal State Fullerton

Ranks: BA: 424

It took 19 rounds, but the White Sox finally drafted an Aidan/Brayden/Caden/Hayden/Kaden. Connor hit .330/.417/.504 over 56 games in his senior season for the Titans. He's played mostly first base and doesn't much in the way of in-game power -- just nine homers over 171 games -- so he'd have to shift to an outfield corner to make better use of his doubles power, or figure out how to get some lift.

20th Round: Garrett Wright, RHP, TCU

Fun fact about Wright: He walked exactly 16 guys in each of his three seasons with the Horned Frogs, and 2023 featured his biggest workload yet (21 games, 29 innings). The White Sox have liked drafting relievers out of Texas universities with Day 3 picks, and he fits the bill.

2023 MLB Draft coverage

• White Sox 2023 MLB draft Day 2 recap
• Podcast: Learning about Jacob Gonzalez and Calvin Harris from an Ole Miss expert
• White Sox select Jacob Gonzalez in first round
• White Sox select Grant Taylor in second round
• Podcast: Hello, Jacob Gonzalez
• FutureSox first round pick reaction