South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 43: Tyler Neslony
Perhaps a move to the White Sox organization was all this dangerous hitter needed.
Tyler Neslony
Left Fielder
6´1´´
190 pounds
Age: 28
SSS rank among all left fielders in the system: 4
Tyler Neslony, after a solid senior campaign with TCU in 2016 where he slashed .307/.400/.537 with the Horned Frogs, was selected in the ninth round by the Atlanta Braves. After receiving a mere $8,000 signing bonus because he lacked leverage as a fourth-year senior, Neslony concluded that year’s minor league season with Single-A Rome.
The 2017 season saw Neslony provide his best full season in the Braves system, as he slashed a combined .263/.342/.363 with 21 doubles and five homers for the High-A Florida Fire Dogs and Double-A Mississippi Braves. He returned to Mississippi for 2018 where he slashed .244/.297/.333 in 125 games; that year, he established career highs in hits (110), doubles (24), and RBIs (48), and was named a Southern League All-Star.
Neslony got off to a great start in 2019 with Mississippi, but his year was hampered due to two long stints on the injured list due to a strained oblique. In 58 games that year, he slashed .292/.369/.458 with five homers, 21 walks (9.7%), 43 strikeouts (19.8%) and 140 wRC+. After the pandemic cancelled the 2020 season, Neslony got off to a terrible start in 2021 on yet another return to Mississippi; he slashed just .164/.250/.255 in 63 plate appearances. Then, on July 11, he was traded to the White Sox for cash considerations.
Being mired in a deep Braves farm system, Neslony seemed stuck in neutral. Freed from those chains, he seemingly turned his career around overnight. In 38 games for the Birmingham Barons spanning 138 at-bats, all Neslony did was slash .355/.444/.678 with 16 doubles, seven homers, 28 RBIs, 19 walks, 31 strikeouts and a whopping 203 wRC+! This while playing half of his games in the cavernous confines of Regions Field.
Skeptics would say that Neslony played against competition 2.5 years younger, and they’d be right. But perhaps a clean slate and a change of uniforms may have been all that was needed to reignite his career.
Neslony likely will play for Charlotte in 2022 and could even be an extreme dark-horse candidate to make the major league squad with an outstanding spring training. And Neslony is not merely a platoon player, as he slashed a combined .341/.442/.477 against lefties in 2021.
Late bloomers can succeed when playing for a new team — Mike Yastrzemski, for one, struggled in the Orioles organization before eventually thriving with the Giants.
Could the same thing happen for Neslony? Stay tuned.
2022 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
43. Tyler Neslony, LF
44. Theo Denlinger, RHRP
45. Hunter Schryver, LHRP
46. Jefferson Mendoza, C
47. Harvin Mendoza, 1B
48. Gil Luna Jr. LHRP
49. John Parke, LHSP
50. Victor Quezada, 3B
51. Haylen Green, LHRP
52. Sammy Peralta, LHRP
53. Yoelvin Silven, RHRP
54. Taylor Broadway, RHRP
55. Noah Owen, RHRP
56. Luis Curbelo, 3B
57. Bryce Bush, RF
58. James Beard, CF
59. Xavier Fernández, C
60. Wilber Sánchez, SS
61. Kohl Simas, RHRP
62. Johan Dominguez, RHSP
63. Jagger Rusconi, 2B
64. Ronaldo Guzman, LHSP
65. Laz Rivera, 3B
66. Adam Hackenberg, C
67. Will Kincanon, RHRP
68. Lane Ramsey, RHRP
69. Tommy Sommer, LHSP
70. Randel Mondesi, RF
71. Shawn Goosenberg, 2B
72. Zack Muckenhirn, LHRP
73. Cameron Butler, CF
74. Godwin Bennett, RF
75. Logan Glass, CF
76. Dario Borrero, 1B
77. Craig Dedelow, RF
78. Carlos Hinestroza, RHRP
79. Gunnar Troutwine, C
80. Kade Mechals, RHSP
81: Caberea Weaver, CF
82. Layant Tapia, SS
83. Homer Cruz, RHRP
84. Kaleb Roper, RHSP
85. Jerry Burke, RHSP
86. Emerson Talavera, RHRP
87. Isaiah Carranza, RHSP
88. Davis Martin, RHSP
89. Tyler Osik, 1B
90. Samil Polanco, 3B
91. Manuel Veloz, RHRP
92. Pauly Milto, RHRP
93. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
94. Colby Smelley, C
95. Manuel Guariman, C
96. Everhett Hazelwood, RHRP
97. Garrett Schoenle, LHRP
98. Kyle Kubat, LHRP
99. Anderson Comas, RF
100. Jake Elliott, RHRP