White Sox Minor League Update: August 5, 2023

It’s Noah Schultz Day! He and the Kannapolis staff were brilliant on Saturday

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A pair of absolutely miserable games for the Knights, on both sides of the ball. The hitting was anemic, with just 10 hard-hit balls over 14 innings, and despite 16 hits overall, just four runs. The pitching? Well, everyone who threw got touched, with the 4.50 ERA thrown by Royals castoff Mike Mayers being the best on the Knights all day.

The trouble with thinking, even in a miserable AL Central division (which doesn’t figure to get good in just one year) in 2024, with almost literally zero help in the upper minors and literally none among the arms, this team is not going to be competitive any time soon. Cutting Charlotte a break and recognizing they were play an elite International League team for two on Saturday still doesn’t change that fact.

New player notes, Korey Lee struck out twice in two plate appearances, Jordan Leasure had his third poor outing in three tries, and Luis Patiño got the start in the opener and was ... well, basically, not great.

Lenyn wants to come back to Chicago, though:

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Some encouraging developments in an 8-4 loss for the Barons. First, Ky Bush had a HUGE bounce-back start, giving up three runs over five innings (81 pitches) but just one earned. He left the game leading, 4-3, but the bullpen did take that win off his docket. Also, Wilfred Veras got his first action at Double-A and was basically the offensive MVP, getting three hits and the only XBH (double) of the game for Birmingham.

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I know it’s getting depressing, because this is yet another pretty bad game in which a White Sox affiliate was not competitive. So, some positives include Tim Elko with two singles, no Ks, and that hole in the swing we’re all waiting to see is not materializing; Bham, here we come! Also, woo boy, Eric Adler’s a monster, winnowing his ERA below 1 with another scoreless, efficient frame to end things.

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You may have heard of this guy, Noah Schultz? First Round pick in 2022? In Low-A, being babied into the pros by a very excited but cautious parent club? Yeah, that’s him.

WOW. Schultz had his best outing yet, and if you think I’ve said that before in these recaps, it’s because I have. Also, WOW. Four innings with a not-inefficient 68 pitches (especially given ... eight Ks, yes, half of Noah’s outs were punched). Zero runs, and just, oh, you can’t get more excited about a pitching prospect than you are with Schultz these days. Presuming he’s not coddled too much, and lord knows the White Sox aren’t coddlers, Schultz will see Winston-Salem at some point in 2023.

And hey, the CBs rewarded Schultz’s great outing with a win, although it did take 10 innings and a nail-biting finish due to a gassed Billy Seidl blowing the save and forcing extras.

Hittin’ heroes included Bryce Willits and Chris Lanzilli, both with two hits but Chris having one of his a homer.

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It’s a heartbreaker for the Complex Sox, who fought to a deadlock early and then held it for all of regulation, plus one extra inning, before falling short. Yes, through seven innings it was a tie, and it took two for Milwaukee and Chicago to decide matters. Seth Keener, perhaps indicating early he appreciates Luke Smailes’ faith in him as the best pick of the 2023 draft, made his pro debut with a scoreless inning as the ACL opener. Then fifth-rounder Christian Oppor took the ball for the second inning and was even better, striking out all three batters.

Erick Hernandez, who has had a miserable ACL season, was a star today, picking up two walks but also preserving the game in the eighth by gunning down a baserunner at home plate from left field.

Jordan Sprinkle also strongly indicated he’s ready to leave the 102° game time temps in Arizona and return to the Carolinas, picking up four hits in five trips, including two doubles, and stealing third base after one of those doubles.

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