1.13 Chicago White Sox - Chris Sale, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast

The White Sox selected Chris Sale. Here is his profile:

Chris Sale   Position: LHP   School: Florida Southern   State: FL   Year: Jr.   Height: 6’5’’   Weight: 175

Birth Date: 3/30/89   Seiler Rating: 1B2   Last Drafted: 2007 (COL-21)

Chris Sale is a tall, lanky left-handed pitcher from Florida Gulf Coast University. Sale came to Florida Gulf Coast from Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida, the school that fellow Draft Notebook prospects Yordy Cabrera and Eric Arce attend as high school players this year. Sale was a solid prospect with big projectability in high school, but his current stuff was rather short, and the Rockies justifiably took him in the twenty-first round of the 2007 draft. He didn’t sign, and he headed to a small school that has since transitioned to Division 1 status. After pitching fairly well in the bullpen as a freshman, he graduated to the rotation as a sophomore, having gained a few ticks on his fastball between the two years. The success he had as a sophomore was carried over on to the Cape, where he was the best pitching prospect in the league, vaulting him to likely first round status. With a second dominating year in the rotation, he’s cemented himself as one of the top pitchers available, and he has upside as a number two starter. His fastball is a plus pitch that generally sits 91-94, touching 96, and he commands it with plus precision. He gets a lot of life on it due to his three-quarters release point, and it’s one of the best left-handed fastballs in this class. His best secondary pitch is a plus changeup with excellent depth and fade, and it’s a Major League-ready pitch. His third pitch is an average slider that isn’t commanded nearly as well, and there are concerns about his inability to spin a breaking ball. However, with his track record of success and the attrition of other pitchers in this class, he is a likely top ten pick, where he should sign in the neighborhood of slot money.