2021 South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 3
Who is the third-best prospect in the White Sox system?
If you’re unsure of what this is, read our Top Prospect Vote primer.
Two ballots so far, two very close races.
Round 2 started close and remained so all the way through.
Holy cats, 250 ballots cast and still just two votes separate the top two vote-getters — except now, there's a new leader!
— South Side Sox (@SouthSideSox) December 23, 2020
If you haven't voted, stop by and weigh in!
Final update (and no, this is not going to be a regular thing, this is a uniquely close race): We've passed 400 ballots, and just 10 votes separate the top two candidates. Two hours left to vote!
— South Side Sox (@SouthSideSox) December 23, 2020
Michael Kopech had the early lead, ahead by two votes at the 150-ballot mark. But from there, Garrett Crochet moved ahead and maintained a razor-thin margin until the end.
Crochet, last year’s first-rounder who ended up in the majors, finished with 42% support (187 of 450 votes). For the second straight vote, we’ve had the closest in poll history. Poll (and White Sox) newcomer Yoelkis Céspedes earned 17 votes, good for fourth place at 4%.
Last year, Kopech was named the No. 2 prospect in our poll, taking 57% of the vote.
South Side Sox Top White Sox Prospects for 2021
- Andrew Vaughn — 45% (Crochet 26%, Kopech 19%, Madrigal 9%, Kelley 1.0%, Rutherford 0.6%, Adolfo/Sheets 0.2% Stiever/Thompson 0%)
- Garrett Crochet — 42% (Kopech 19%, Madrigal 14%, Céspedes 4%, Kelley 0.7%, Rutherford 0.4%, Adolfo/Stiever 0.2%,Sheets/Thompson 0%)
Micker Adolfo
Right Fielder
Age 24
2018 SSS poll ranking 10
2019 SSS poll ranking 7
2020 SSS poll ranking 11
2019 High Level Birmingham (AA) (participated at the Schaumburg alternate site in 2020)
Overall 2019 stats 36 games ▪️ 2 HR ▪️ 12 RBI ▪️ .227/.346/.367 ▪️ 21 BB ▪️ 57 BB
Adolfo missed the first half of 2019 recovering from arm surgery and only DHed in the minor league season. All 10 of his Arizona Fall League games were spent in right field, however, with one error and one assist.
Yoelkis Céspedes
Right Fielder
Age 23
2018 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 SSS poll ranking N/A
2020 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 High Level Cuba (Canadian-American Association)
Overall 2018-19 stats 28 games ▪️ 0 HR ▪️ 7 RBI ▪️ 2 BB ▪️ 24 K ▪️ 2-for-2 SB
Céspedes defected from Cuba on June 25, 2019, while playing for Team Cuba during a Can-Am game in Toledo, Ohio. He has not played competitively since then. Baseball America broke the news on Dec. 22, 2020 that Céspedes had agreed to a $2 million contract with the White Sox, to be announced in mid-January.
Jared Kelley
Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 19
2018 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 SSS poll ranking N/A
2020 SSS poll ranking N/A
2020 High Level Schaumburg alternate site
Overall 2020 stats 3-0 ▪️ 3 starts ▪️ 12 IP ▪️ 0.00 ERA ▪️ 34 K
Stats are for Kelley’s shortened season at Refugio (Texas) H.S.; in his prep career, Kelley went 32-3 with a 0.43 ERA
Michael Kopech
Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 26
2018 SSS poll ranking 2
2019 SSS poll ranking 2
2020 SSS poll ranking 2
2018 High Level Chicago White Sox
Overall 2018 stats 8-8 ▪️ 28 starts ▪️ 140 IP ▪️ 3.86 ERA ▪️ 185 K ▪️ 62 BB ▪️ 1.307 WHIP
Kopech sat out 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and opted out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nick Madrigal
Second Baseman
Age 24
2018 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 SSS poll ranking 5
2020 SSS poll ranking 3
2020 High Level Chicago White Sox
Overall 2020 stats (projected to a full season) 78 games ▪️ 1.4 bWAR ▪️ 0 HR ▪️ 30 RBI ▪️ .340/.376/.369 ▪️ 5-of-8 SB ▪️ 11 BB ▪️ 19 K
Blake Rutherford
Right Fielder
Age 24
2018 SSS poll ranking 9
2019 SSS poll ranking 8
2020 SSS poll ranking 10
2019 High Level Birmingham (AA) (participated at the Schaumburg alternate site in 2020)
Overall 2019 stats 118 games ▪️ 7 HR ▪️ 49 RBI ▪️ .265/.319/.365 ▪️ 9-of-11 SB ▪️ 37 BB ▪️ 118 K
Gavin Sheets
First Baseman
Age 24
2018 SSS poll ranking 15
2019 SSS poll ranking 11
2020 SSS poll ranking 9
2019 High Level Birmingham (AA) (was not invited to participate at the Schaumburg alternate site in 2020)
Overall 2019 stats 126 games ▪️ 16 HR ▪️ 83 RBI ▪️ .267/.345/.414 ▪️ 54 BB ▪️ 99 K
Jonathan Stiever
Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 24
2018 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 SSS poll ranking 27
2020 SSS poll ranking 7
2020 High Level Chicago White Sox
Overall 2020 stats (projected to a full season) 0-3 ▪️ 5 starts ▪️ 17 IP ▪️ -0.8 bWAR ▪️ 9.95 ERA ▪️ 8 K ▪️ 11 BB ▪️ 1.737 WHIP
Matthew Thompson
Right-handed Starting Pitcher
Age 20
2018 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 SSS poll ranking N/A
2020 SSS poll ranking 12
2019 High Level Arizona (Rookie) (participated at the Schaumburg alternate site in 2020)
Overall 2019 stats 13-0 ▪️ 17 games (8 starts) ▪️ 2 CG ▪️ 1 SHO ▪️ 74 ⅔ IP ▪️ 0.82 ERA ▪️ 126 K ▪️ 41 BB ▪️ 0.884 WHIP
Norge Vera
Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 20
2018 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 SSS poll ranking N/A
2020 SSS poll ranking N/A
2019 High Level Santiago de Cuba (CNS)
Overall 2019 stats 2-3 ▪️ 11 starts ▪️ 54 2⁄3 IP ▪️ 3.79 ERA ▪️ 37 K ▪️ 32 BB ▪️ 1.610 WHIP
Vera is the son of famed Cuban National Series player Norge Luis Vera and is 6´4´´, 185 and still filling in. He’s projected at a possible No. 1 starter. The stats from 2018-19 above are from his only CSN season, where he was at least 10 years younger than the average player age. A $1.5 million deal was reached last February, but the postponement of the July international signing period means Vera to the White Sox can only be made official next month.