The future of the Chicago White Sox looks to be brighter than ever. Through drafting, trading and hitting the international scene, the White Sox have pieced together some talented prospects to lead them into foreseeable future. I was fortunate enough to catch four of their top prospects in action, as the Birmingham Barons defeated the Tennessee Smokies 8-3 in a Double-A version of the windy city showdown. Here is a breakdown on each of the prospects:
Gordon Beckham (3-for-5 with a home run, double, and stolen base)
Hitting: Beckham showed extreme patience and good pitch recognition in all of his at-bats. He also made good adjustments mid-swing in one of his at-bats, which eventually resulted in a base hit. He has tremendous plate coverage, with the ability to go the other way if needed.
Fielding: He showed great poise at his natural shortstop position. His range and instincts appear to be well suited for the position. I doubt the White Sox will move him to second base -- there have been rumors of possibly moving Alexei Ramirez to center field when Beckham gets the call to the show.
Tyler Flowers (1-for-4 with a double and two strikeouts)
Hitting: Flowers definitely displays a quick bat and good plate patience. He has the ability to hit power to all sides of the field. His pitch recognition and plate adjustment could use some tweaking.
Fielding: Flowers didn’t play in the field, he was the designated hitter.
Brandon Allen (1-for-4 with a triple and walk)
Hitting: Plate patience is a definite plus for Allen, though he did seem a little timid to commit to swinging. He displayed great plate coverage and showed good pitch recognition. He has the ability to hit to all fields.
Fielding: Nothing was hit in his direction, though his coverage at first base is ideal. He was involved in two pick-offs at first, one from the pitcher, the other from catcher.
Dayan Viciedo (1-for-5 with a strikeout)
Hitting: Definitely interesting. Viciedo is a free swinger. Patience and pitch recognition don’t seem to be a strong point, and he isn't currently much of a contact hitter.
Fielding: Everyone questions his ability to stay at third base, and I can say that I came away with mixed feelings. He definitely has the arm strength to play third. As far as reaction time and footwork, I definitely feel that he could use some adjustments. Routine grounders didn’t give Viciedo any problems, but he was a second slow on harder hit balls. If he can improve his footwork he may stick at third base.
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