First 5 rounds: Nick Madrigal (1-4), Steele Walker (2-46), Konnor Pilkington (3-81), Lency Delgado (4-108), Jonathan Stiever (5-138)
Also notable: Gunnar Troutwine (9-258), Davis Martin (14-408), Logan Sowers (28-828)
The White Sox focused on safety in this draft, taking college players with their first three picks, five of their first six, and eight of their first ten. Interestingly, they also drafted a lot of teammates, taking three players from the University of Oklahoma and taking two each from Wichita State and Indiana.
1-4: SS Nick Madrigal (my rank: 5)
Skip this part if you've heard it before, but every scouting report about Madrigal will start with his size; he's listed at 5'7", 165 lbs, so he's not only short, but skinny as well. For most guys, that would destroy their draft stock, but the Oregon State second baseman has kept his quite intact with his unreal feel for the barrel. It's the best hit tool not only in this draft, but probably even recent memory, and I'd even put it ahead of 2015 first rounder Kevin Newman, who struck out just 48 times in three years at Arizona. Heading into the College World Series, Madrigal is slashing .397/.463/.567 with three home runs, 12 stolen bases, and a 5/14 strikeout to walk ratio, and that's even with a broken wrist sapping some of his power. Most guys his size would have the bat knocked out of their hands by pro pitching, but Madrigal is able to generate plenty of gap power because he finds the sweet spot of the barrel so easily and just gets high quantities of driven balls. Some even find their way over the fence and will continue to in pro ball. He's a very good defender at second base and may actually be able to play shortstop, though we don't know for sure since that spot was manned by defensive wizard and Orioles' CBA pick Cadyn Grenier at OSU. The only downside is the lack of power projection for a top five pick, but with all of his other strengths, that is okay. Jose Altuve and Dustin Pedroia comps are popular because of his size, but I personally see more Daniel Murphy and Keston Hiura in him. Altuve is built like a tank, and Pedroia swings out of his shoes, both unlike the skinny, contact oriented Madrigal. In case you're wondering, five strikeouts in 34 games comes out to a 3.1% rate. He hasn't signed yet due to Oregon State's ongoing College World Series run, but he should sign afterwards and slot value is just over $6.4 million.
2-46: OF Steele Walker (my rank: 37)
I haven't been quite sure what to make of Walker, as he put up a big sophomore year and an even bigger junior year at Oklahoma, but lacks the real tools to project as an impact player at the major league level, but also plays the game hard and is receptive to coaching. It's kind of a weird draft resume that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. I heard rumors that he could go in the first round, which to me would have been a reach, but he fits well here at pick #46. In 54 games for the Sooners this year, he slashed .352/.441/.606 with 13 home runs and a 48/31 strikeout to walk ratio, doing a little bit of everything at the plate. The bat will have to carry him, as he is really nothing special in the outfield and will likely have to play left at the next level. He lacks a standout tool on offense as well, showing average speed, average power, and good contact ability, though it all plays up because he has a great feel for the game. If you add in the fact that he's old for a college junior and will turn 22 in July, it all adds up to a fourth outfielder projection to me and therefore not a top 50 pick value, but because of the strong makeup, I wouldn't bet against him. He hasn't signed yet, but is likely to and pick value is a little over $1.5 million.
3-81: LHP Konnor Pilkington (my ranking: 66)
The White Sox grabbed Pilkington in the third round, but I get the feeling that it will take close to second round money to sign him. The Mississippi State star was looking like a fringe first round pick coming into the season, but a rough junior year dropped him considerably. The stuff was average, but his very good track record of performance in the SEC (3.08 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 111/47 K/BB as a sophomore in 2017) as well as in the Cape Cod League (1.37 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 33/12 K/BB) had teams very interested. Unfortunately, he was very inconsistent in 2018, heading into the College World Series 2-6 with a 4.56 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and a 103/31 strikeout to walk ratio in 96.2 innings. His fastball velocity is inconsistent, sometimes sitting around 90 and other times reaching 96, and he should settle into the low 90's in pro ball. His changeup is pretty good, but the slider needs work, and his command isn't good enough to help his stuff play up despite him being a lefty. Interestingly, his command was actually better this year at a 7.3% walk rate versus 10.2% as a sophomore, but his stuff was flatter, allowing him to get hit much more often. I think there is a good chance he ends up as a tweener and never quite makes an impact, but the upside is there considering his past success in tough leagues as well as his youth (he doesn't turn 21 until September, making him more than a year younger than Walker). Like Madrigal, he hasn't signed yet due to his team's ongoing College World Series run.
5-138: RHP Jonathan Stiever (my rank: 94)
Every year, there are always quite a few generic third to fifth round arms floating around college baseball, all of them with average to slightly above average stuff and the ability to command it. This year, those guys were Cal State Fullerton's Colton Eastman, Texas A&M's Mitchell Kilkenny, TCU's Sean Wymer, and Indiana's Jonathan Stiever. Stiever is the ace over in Bloomington, finishing his junior season 5-6 with a 3.41 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a 97/32 strikeout to walk ratio in 100 innings. He is a 6'1" righty who throws in the low 90's with sink, and his slider is pretty good as well. His stuff will have to take a step forward in order to crack the major league rotation one day, but he has a good foundation and is a good pick in the fifth round. He was also hit around a bit with a 4.45 ERA on the Cape, but his 25/2 strikeout to walk ratio over 28.1 innings is a good sign. Stiever signed for $386,800, right at slot for the 138th pick.
Others: 4th rounder Lency Delgado was drafted out of a south Florida high school, but he grew up in Havana, Cuba until he was 16. He's a third base prospect with some big power and a strong arm, but he does have work to do. The bat path is a little off, with his hands dropping straight down to the ball before changing direction and exploding up through it; that will need to be smoothed out so his bat can match the plane of the ball. As with most high school picks, he's high risk, but he could be high reward if the White Sox can channel that swing in the right way. 9th rounder Gunnar Troutwine was overshadowed in the Wichita State lineup by first rounder Alec Bohm and second rounder Greyson Jenista, but he is a great player as well. In 55 games, the senior catcher slashed .302/.413/.505 with seven home runs and a 38/34 strikeout to walk ratio. Nothing really stands out as plus for him, but he puts together strong plate discipline, power, and defense to make himself a viable catching prospect. 14th rounder Davis Martin burst onto the scene with a huge freshman season in 2016, going 10-1 with a 2.52 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and a 61/27 strikeout to walk ratio in 89 innings for Texas Tech, but he hasn't quite matched that since a 2017 shoulder injury. This year, he was 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP and a 75/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 74 innings, showing really well at the beginning of the season but not so well as the season went on. He has a good three pitch mix with a low 90's sinking fastball, a slider, and a changeup, but that stuff has been inconsistent. As a 14th rounder, he'll probably go back to school for his senior year to build up his strength and his draft stock, but pro coaching and distance from his shoulder injury might be just what he needs. 28th rounder Logan Sowers has been a four year star at Indiana, finishing it off with a senior season where he slashed .299/.407/.484 with ten home runs and a 58/37 strikeout to walk ratio in 59 games. He's likely a fourth outfielder at best, as he's more of a college performer than a pro prospect. He's also somewhat of a hometown guy from western Indiana and should be fun to watch in the minors given his success in college.
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