2010 Chicago White Sox Pre-Season Top 20 Prospects in Review
by John Sickels on Aug 7, 2025 11:00 AM EDT
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2010 Chicago White Sox Top 20 Prospects in Review
Here is a review of the 2010 White Sox prospect list, originally published December 9, 2009. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.
1) Dan Hudson, RHP, Grade B+: 3.47 ERA, 108/31 K/BB in 93 innings in Triple-A, 81 hits. 2-1, 4.56 with 18/12 K/BB in 24 innings so far in the majors. The White Sox will regret trading him.
2) Jared Mitchell, OF, Grade B: Missed entire season with nasty ankle injury. Rehab reportedly going well.
3) Tyler Flowers, C, Grade B: .220/.326/.447, 16 homers, 106 strikeouts in 83 games for Triple-A Charlotte. Has drawn some walks but strikeouts are eating him up. Stock dropping.
4) Brent Morel, 3B, Grade B-: .313/.354/.439 combined between Double-A and Triple-A. Doesn't hit for much home run power and his walk rate is low this year, but has good contact hitting skills and a strong glove.
5) Jordan Danks, OF, Grade C+: .241/.314/.371 with 14 steals, 34 walks, 117 strikeouts in 340 at-bats for Triple-A Charlotte. Eaten up with contact issues. For some reason I still think he can improve, but that's intuitive not objective.
6) Dayan Viciedo, 3B, Grade C+: .290/.329/.525 in Triple-A, .328/.328/.552 in 23 games in the majors. Completely unable to draw walks but it hasn't hurt him this year.
7) David Holmberg, LHP, Grade C+: 4.57 ERA, 32/11 K/BB in 45 innings in the Pioneer League, 59 hits. Traded to Arizona along with Hudson in the Jackson deal. Just 19, has a chance to improve.
8) C.J. Retherford, 2B, Grade C+: .197/.249/.296 between Charlotte and Birmingham. Horrible year, no way to spin it otherwise. Hit well in Double-A in 2009 so rebound is possible, but at age 24 his window is small.
9) Christian Marrero, 1B-OF, Grade C+: .257/.356/.362 for Birmingham, 59 walks, 67 strikeouts in 378 at-bats. Controls the zone well, but no power this year. Not what you want from a corner player.
10) Santos Rodriguez, LHP, Grade C+: 3.57 ERA, 59/32 K/BB in 40 innings for High-A Winston-Salem, 27 hits. Excellent K/IP and H/IP ratios, but walk rate is much too high.
11) Miguel Gonzalez, C, Grade C+: .205/.250/.275 for Low-A Kannapolis. No power, bad plate discipline, unable to replicate '09 Appy League success. Good glove, has thrown out 51% of runners. Just 19.
12) Jhonny Nunez, RHP, Grade C+: Decent as Double-A starter (3.71 ERA,38/17 K/BB in 51 innings) but poor as Triple-A reliever (6.35 ERA, 28/14 K/BB in 28 innings, 32 hits).
13) Josh Phegley, C, Grade C+: Just 16 games at Winston Salem due to injury, hitting .259/.306/.310. Sample too small to mean much.
14) John Ely, RHP, Grade C: Traded to Dodgers after I did this list. 4.63 ERA in 14 starts for the Dodgers, 59/25 K/BB in 80 innings, 80 hits. A non-horrible rookie season.
15) John Shelby, OF, Grade C: .240/.287/.399, 12 steals, 20 walks, 93 strikeouts in 89 games for Birmingham. The skills just aren't developing.
16) Tracye Thompson, OF, Grade C: .236/.296/.458 in 39 games for Kannapolis before going on DL in late May with a thumb injury that required surgery. Good power, bad plate discipline, young enough to improve at age 19.
17) Clevelan Santeliz, RHP, Grade C: 5.30 ERA, 32/22 K/BB in 36 innings for Charlotte, 32 hits. Decent strikeout rate, but command issues hold him back.
18) Lucas Harrell, RHP, Grade C: 4.24 ERA, 73/53 K/BB in 119 innings for Charlotte, 114 hits, 1.65 GO/AO. Typical ground ball guy with low strikeout rate, possible inning-eater.
19) Brandon Hynick, RHP, Grade C: Effective at Birmingham (2.36 ERA in 10 starts) but not so at Charlotte (6.21 ERA in six starts, 36 hits in 29 innings). Lack of plus stuff and low strikeout rate are handicaps despite his good control.
20) Carlos Torres, RHP, Grade C: 3.41ERA, 122/57 K/BB in 129 innings for Charlotte, 103 hits. Older prospect at age 27, but usually effective in the minors. Could still be useful utility pitcher.
Hudson is one of my favorites. Mitchell is too; I just hope the injury doesn't cost him his speed. The Sox system looked thin to me pre-season and struggles from several guys on this list don't help. I don't know what to expect from Viciedo; I just can't see him being consistently successful with so little patience. Could he be a Vlad Guerrero/Kirby Puckett type who can get away with impatience early in their career due to a lightning quick bat?
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Wow
This system is really, really bad. Kenny Williams usually finds ways to keep the major league team competitive through trades and FA signings but it would be a whole lot easier if there was some talent in here
Brandon Jacobs of Lowell > Brandon Jacobs of NYG
by Lesterfan on Aug 7, 2025 11:39 AM EDT reply actions
+1
I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt last year as I liked what I saw at the lower levels. But only Morel has done well this year. Danks and Retherford have done poorly. Phegley, Mitchell, Thompson and Rodriguez haven’t been healthy. Vicendo and Hudson are the only other bright spots besides Morel - and Huddy is gone now. Very painful for someone who follows the organization and wants the guys to do well (although not a White Sox fan personally).
Chris Sale has to be the #1 guy now. He looked brilliant in Winston and Charlotte, we’ll see how he does in Chitown. I’m hoping for the best cause the Sox need this guy to deliver.
Phegley has had some hard luck - clotting problems have kept him out all season. The only thing saying he’s not healthy is bloodwork - otherwise he feels fine. That’s tough for him. I look for him to rebound strong if they can get this thing under control.
On the other hand CWS does have some solid organization guys - like Charlie Leesman, Brandon Short, Justin Greene, Eduardo Escobar, Terry Doyle, Kyle Bellamy, Gregory Infante - who may or may or may not ever make it to the Bigs. But from top to bottom this organization is filled with experienced college guys who are a year or two older than their peers in that league. The teams do well enough, but they aren’t going to contribute much to the entire organization.
by KSM on Aug 7, 2025 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
andre rienzo is an interesting guy, possible sleeper.
he’s brazilian. at 22, he’s another guy who is a bit old for the sally but his background mitigates that a bit. good line of 71.2 IP, 70 H, 23 BB, 84 K.
by larry on Aug 7, 2025 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions
At some point teams are going to stop throwing Viciedo strikes
And he’s going to be brutal. I think he’s a poor man’s Pablo Sandoval.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 7, 2025 11:39 AM EDT reply actions
I agree, in theory, but....
And, yet, he’s 21 and has a high batting avg and high slugging pct in the major leagues (in just 23 games). And it’s not just unfamiliarity.
Last year he started terribly in AA but improved as the season went on.
This year he started poorly in AAA but improved as the season went on.
And then he’s done even better in MLB than in the minors. In fact, he’s gotten better at each stage. It’s not just that as the seasons have gone on he’s improved, but as he goes to higher levels he’s improved.
That’s not your normal prospect arc, so not sure our normal modes of analysis work.
So, yes, I look at his walk rate and think there’s no way it can be sustained. And, yet…there are guys who break the mold. The guy I think of with Viciedo isn’t so much Vlad as Delmon Young. Great baseball talent, albeit in kind of a big-bodied way, and Young doesn’t like walks all that much more than Viciedo does. But Young’s turning into a productive player when you’d think he’d do worse and worse and teams threw him fewer and fewer strikes (granted Young does take SOME walks).
Would love to hear more speculation on Viciedo.
by scooter on Aug 7, 2025 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
a few more numbers
This piqued my curiousity and so checked out his numbers over his 1.5 years in the minors. Hard to tell because monthly splits are so SSS, but it does seem that his walk rates improve as the season goes on. Certainly this year it went:
April: 1 per 10 games
May: 1 per 9 games
June: 1 per 5 games
The previous year it started slow (negligible) and then his BB rate spiked way up in June, and then in July/August was between what it was in June and what it had been in April/May. Not exactly a straight line, but some sense that as he adjusts to a league the familiarity helps him more than it does his opponents, as certainly his overall numbers go up and seemingly so does his control of the strike zone (within a hacker’s limits, of course).
by scooter on Aug 7, 2025 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
i've been skeptical of viciedo for all the usual reasons.
but, watching him play, it’s clear that he’s got ridiculous bat speed, good contact skills (even outside the zone) and power. he’s certainly not a complete player - won’t take a walk and is likely destined for first base - but there’s enough there that i think he’ll end up being a decent player. he needs to solve righties, though.
by larry on Aug 7, 2025 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I tend to agree
I was really skeptical of Viciedo and hate guys who never take walks, usually, but after seeing him in the big leagues I think his other talents may be special enough to make up for it for the most part.
by oplaid on Aug 7, 2025 5:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Perhaps, but until proven otherwise I think he'll be exposed.
He could buck the trend, but most guys don’t.
He’s now at 71 PA without a walk. What’s the most PAs without a walk to start a career?
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 7, 2025 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Holmberg is a confusing guy to me, he should miss more bats with his advanced secondary pitches (or at least most reports say he has advanced secondary pitches) but he has really struggled at a level I thought would be easy for him. The real wild card is whether he adds velocity, that would give him possibly 3 above average pitches. As it currently stands though, he looks like a future LOGGY unless he can start dominating the young hitters he is facing.
Thompson was a guy I was pretty high on going into the year but this injury could really set him back. He needs a lot of ABs, missing half the season isn’t going to help him much. Hopefully it doesn’t hurt him as much as I fear it could because I think he has tons of potential but we will just have to see.
by jfish26101 on Aug 7, 2025 12:26 PM EDT reply actions
System looks weak but....
Somehow, they’ve managed to graduate their potential long term starting SS, Second, and Third baseman. if Flowers turns it around (I have faith) they’ll have their catcher too. They’ve managed to find International players to sign and move quickly which could be considered a different but valid approach. But the system will profile as nothing special as long as they keep drafting guys they expect to be ready soon (low ceilings, unless they draft high), if they sign international players that will be ready in a little more than a year, and keep trading prospects for big leaguers.
by Cesar V on Aug 7, 2025 12:30 PM EDT reply actions
Not sure you can alexei was graduated
he’s 28 and never played in the minors, nor is Viciedo likely to stay at 3b.
by coffeepac on Aug 7, 2025 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Who is their long-term 3B? Certainly not Viciedo.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 7, 2025 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with you John
That Hudson trade was baffling, especially coming from Kenny Williams who has a fairly decent track record of dealing.
"The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three run homers."
by fourfingerwoo on Aug 7, 2025 12:51 PM EDT reply actions
you know you right
last couple of years, his reputation for the “good deal” has eroded somewhat. That JJ to Atlanta was brutal.
"The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three run homers."
by fourfingerwoo on Aug 7, 2025 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
JJ to Atlanta?
Jair Jurrjens? That was Detroit.
Vazquez was Chicago.
Needs moar dingerz.
by Blicks on Aug 7, 2025 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions
stand corrected
"The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three run homers."
by fourfingerwoo on Aug 7, 2025 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions
that vazquez trade wasnt brutal
the swisher trades were
something tells me even the mafia wouldn't call on greg walker if a hit was needed.
-MarketMaker
by blackoutsox on Aug 7, 2025 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, both Swisher trades were awful for them
Well, acquiring him was fine. But trading him for 10 cents on the dollar was baffling.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 7, 2025 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Wasn’t that partly because of Ozzie? It’s weird their ownership keeps the two of them together (KW and Ozzie) because they seem to generally dislike each other. That wouldn’t be a problem if it didn’t carry over into work but it seems to every once in a while. I think they both could benefit from getting away from each other.
by jfish26101 on Aug 8, 2025 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions
coming from an astros fan
that certainly seems damning
When I was a kid, I didn't want to be a doctor or a fireman. I wanted to be Super Mario. It's the most literal pipe dream I've ever had.
by U-God on Aug 7, 2025 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I think the Astros system is definitely better. In fact, I think it has improved a good bit in the last 3 years.
by jfish26101 on Aug 7, 2025 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I wouldn't go that far.
One of the bottom 5, sure.
The purpose of a farm system is to improve the major league team. Even if the players aren’t playing for the White Sox, they’ve brought back plenty of value. And, Chris Sale and Viciedo have MLB value, plenty of it.
Needs moar dingerz.
by Blicks on Aug 7, 2025 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Both of them are now MLB players
With Viciedo, Hudson, or Sale, this farm is absolutely dismal.
by OremLK on Aug 7, 2025 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions
oh well.
the white sox farm system has been dismal for years and years. certainly amusing that they continue to contend.
by larry on Aug 7, 2025 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions
$100 million payroll makes it easier
And they seem to completely avoid the injury bug. Peavy’s injury this year is really their first significant, long-term injury since Frank Thomas was hurt in 2005 (I suppose you can count Quentin in 2008, but that was because he punched a wall or whatever. Not a playing injury).
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 7, 2025 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions
i wouldn't expect the guy who really, really hates kenny williams to give any quarter.
by larry on Aug 7, 2025 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Did I ever say I hate Kenny Williams?
(Here’s a clue: Nope.)
I didn’t say they were the worst big league club in baseball, or the worst organization in baseball, or had the worst front office in baseball, or any of those things.
All I said was that they, currently, have the worst farm in baseball.
by OremLK on Aug 8, 2025 5:48 AM EDT up reply actions
um, what?
i think it’s blatantly obvious to whom i’m replying here. (here’s a clue: it’s not you.)
by larry on Aug 8, 2025 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
All right then
My mistake. But no, I didn’t think it was blatantly obvious, but then I may not have followed the full thread that closely.
by OremLK on Aug 8, 2025 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
reply button?
why would i reply to him if i was replying to you? makes no sense.
by larry on Aug 8, 2025 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Why would you reply to him that way?
I assumed you were talking to me because thejd44 wasn’t even being critical of Williams with the comment you were replying to.
by OremLK on Aug 8, 2025 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions
"up" button is your friend
"The A's have to be setting some record this year for simultaneously maximizing team quality and player anonymity. I guess that’s sort of their thing though." - Luke in MN
by hero66 on Aug 8, 2025 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
because he really, really hates kenny williams.
no, it probably doesn’t come across as critical. but i know what’s in his heart. i was giving him crap because he’s an ex-white sox fan who decided to go support another team because he really, really hates kenny williams.
by larry on Aug 8, 2025 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
i hope this isn't true
R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9
by doublestix on Aug 8, 2025 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions
sometimes I wonder if you're too good for you're own good
but then I see things like this and Im like nah…
something tells me even the mafia wouldn't call on greg walker if a hit was needed.
-MarketMaker
by blackoutsox on Aug 9, 2025 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't understand this comment
I never questioned anything larry said. I’ve never hidden any of this or anything.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 11, 2025 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions
It's not nearly as simple as that, but it's not exactly untrue
I can’t believe there’s a Sox fan who can tolerate that piece of garbage for the way he treated the best player in the history of the team (for a five whole seasons). Of course, he had killed any interested I had in rooting for the organization long before that whole thing eventually ended.
I’ve given Williams credit where it’s due before. They spend money wisely, and health is only partially luck.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 8, 2025 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions
The Dan Hudson & Edwin Jackson Trade
Did Kenny Williams do this trade because he liked Jackson more than Hudson, or did he do this trade under the assumption that Jackson would have completed a deal for the acquisition of Adam Dunn. From what I’ve read, he acquired Jackson because Mike Rizzo (Washington GM) made it known that he wanted Jackson if he was to trade Dunn.
R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9
by Dewey Finn on Aug 7, 2025 2:55 PM EDT reply actions
that's what's being said
around Chicago. Rizzo wanted Jackson, then backed off a little once the White Sox got him. I think KWil looked at it as a win-win… Either way they end up with a better chance to win this year, with either Jackson or Dunn.
by another know it all on Aug 7, 2025 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Not sure if Edwin Jackson is really an upgrade over Dan Hudson
R.I.P. cwhitman412, Frederick0220, & Mets2k9
by Dewey Finn on Aug 7, 2025 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions
For 2010, I feel he is
the immediate upgrade, with Peavy out for the season and the Twins a very good team., I’ll take Jackson over Hudson right now in terms of getting to the 2010 ALDS.
Beyond that though, its a crapshoot as to who’s better. Obviously, service time factors in there.
Needs moar dingerz.
by Blicks on Aug 8, 2025 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions
with cooper he is
and it was reported after he was traded that the sox didnt think hudson couldnt make it more than fifth starter. and if you have cooper as your pitching coach and he says I want this guy not that guy and you can make the trade, you do it
something tells me even the mafia wouldn't call on greg walker if a hit was needed.
-MarketMaker
by blackoutsox on Aug 9, 2025 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I actually agree with this
I often question how much hitting and pitching coaches can really help, but Don Cooper seems to be really, really good at his job.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 11, 2025 12:38 AM EDT up reply actions
This has been outright denied by Rizzo
I think it was more likely that Rizzo made some general comments, Williams thought it would get the deal done, and he didn’t make sure beforehand.
Also, I think it’s a stretch to say Jackson is better than Hudson right now. I’d much rather have Hudson.
www.zekeishungry.com
by thejd44 on Aug 7, 2025 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah, it was pretty clear that it wasn't going to be Jackson for Dunn straight swap
Needs moar dingerz.
by Blicks on Aug 8, 2025 12:43 AM EDT up reply actions
the word was that the white sox were amongst those who considered hudson's upside to be a 5th starter/reliever.
of course, that obviously came out after the trade.
by larry on Aug 7, 2025 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Flowers
One of my biggest “failed” pet prospects. Not that he’s failed, at this stage, but I really pushed for him in the community poll. Ugh. Always had the K issue, but perhaps the bat stagnated due to his being focused on improving his glove. He had some (or at least one) decent reports of fielding improvement last year but the comments this year aren’t pretty. And with the Chisox looking decent in the playoff race, he won’t get more than a cup of coffee again this year.
by wobatus on Aug 9, 2025 10:58 AM EDT reply actions
Jon Gilmore/Short
Any thoughts on him? I don’t think he’s a big prospect, but he’s been hitting for good average with doubles power as a young player. Not sure the power will ever come, but I think he can be useful.
Brandon Short is the other Sox prospect that doesn’t get much attention. I think Short can be a decent second division starter.
by mattp31 on Aug 9, 2025 6:00 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
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