South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 19: Luis Mieses
None of his five tools are off the charts, but the combination is mighty fine.
Luis Mieses
Right Fielder
6´3´´
180 pounds
Age: 21
2019 SSS Top Prospect Ranking: 45
2020 SSHP Top Prospect Ranking: 39
2021 SSS Top Prospect Ranking: 37
SSS rank among all right fielders in the system: 3
On July 2, 2016 and just more than a month after turning 16, Dominican native Luis Mieses received a signing bonus from the White Sox for $428,000, as part of a large International Signing Day class that included Luis Robert, Lenyn Sosa and Anderson Comas.
Mieses began professional ball with the DSL squad in 2017, and slashed .263/.302/.320 in 59 games with eight doubles, three triples, 25 RBIs, three stolen bases, 10 walks (3.8%) and 42 strikeouts (16.0%). It was enough to receive a promotion Stateside for 2018, where he slashed .226/.236/.328 in 48 games with the AZL squad with 10 doubles, two triples, two homers, 26 RBIs, three stolen bases, four walks (2.0%) and 35 strikeouts (17.2%).
Mieses’ numbers improved a bit in 2019 with Great Falls, although it could be attributed in part to the thinner air. In 59 games for the Voyagers, he slashed .241/.264/.359 with 14 doubles, four homers, 28 RBIs, seven walks (3.0%) and 46 strikeouts (19.9%). The production was a bit disappointing, although it’s important to remember that Mieses had been more than a year younger than his competition at every level he’d played thus far. He, like nearly every minor leaguer, missed the 2020 season due to the pandemic shutdown.
After getting off to a difficult start with Winston-Salem (.155/.189/.366) in 19 games to begin 2021, Mieses was demoted to Kannapolis, where he performed much better. In 52 games for the Cannon Ballers totaling 203 at-bats, Mieses slashed .305/.347/.463 with 12 doubles, six homers, 41 RBIs, 13 walks (5.8%) and 33 strikeouts (14.7%). He played well enough to merit another trip to Winston-Salem, where he slashed .275/.319/.510 for the final two months of the season.
While he didn’t club many homers for the Dash in his second go-around with the team, he did produce more extra-base hits than singles. It’s also encouraging to see Mieses pick up steam, as he was nearly two years younger than his High-A competition.
Combined with both teams, Mieses slashed .270/.312/.463 with 31 doubles, three triples, 15 homers, 74 RBIs, 24 walks (5.2%) and 81 strikeouts (17.6%). For the year, he posted a 116 wRC+ for Kannapolis and a 93 wRC+ for Winston-Salem, which wasn’t too bad based on his rough start.
MLB’s highest grade for Mieses is his arm (60), followed by fielding and power (50). His weakest tools are hitting (45) and speed. He’s reduced his ground ball rate every season thus far, dropping it to less than 39% in 2021. By doing so, Mieses has been better able to unleash his power — he more than doubled his combined career homer total this year, while producing an OPS more than his previous career high set in 2017. Mieses still doesn’t take a lot of walks, but at least doesn’t compound that weakness by striking out an inordinate amount.
Expect Mieses, who has worked his way clearly onto the White Sox outfield prospect radar, to begin the season with Birmingham.
2022 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
19. Luis Mieses, RF
20. Kade McClure, RHSP
21. Tanner McDougal, RHSP
22. Jason Bilous, RHSP
23. Wilfred Veras, 1B
24. Lenyn Sosa, SS
25. Jonathan Stiever, RHSP
26. Brooks Gosswein, LHSP
27. Misael González, RF
28. Terrell Tatum, CF
29. Carlos Pérez, C
30. Bennett Sousa, LHRP
31. Luis Basabe, RF
32. McKinley Moore, RHRP
33. Emilio Vargas, RHSP
34. Blake Rutherford, LF
35. Anderson Severino, LHRP
36. DJ Gladney, 3B
37. Luke Shilling, RHRP
38. Chase Krogman, LF
39. Cristian Mena, RHSP
40. Benyamín Bailey, LF
41. Tyler Johnson, RHRP
42. Andrew Perez, LHRP
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