SCOUTING REPORT: Charlotte comes to Buffalo with six of the White Sox' top pitching prospects
GET MY TICKETS For the first time this season, the Bisons will have back-to-back homestands. After a 5-1 series win over the Syracuse Mets last week, Buffalo will now host a Charlotte Knights squad at Sahlen Field featuring six of the White Sox top pitching prospects. VIEW THIS WEEK'S PROMOTIONS
For the first time this season, the Bisons will have back-to-back homestands. After a 5-1 series win over the Syracuse Mets last week, Buffalo will now host a Charlotte Knights squad at Sahlen Field featuring six of the White Sox top pitching prospects.
The best prospect that is on the Knights is 4th-ranked LHP Hagen Smith. The White Sox’s top ten pick in the 2024 Draft has a 4.67 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 77 strikeouts, 36 walks and a 0-5 record in 52 innings pitched. Smith is also ranked 47th on the MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Baseball Prospects list. It’s his first season with the Knights. The southpaw’s go-to pitches are a low-90s fastball that peaks at 99 mph, an 82-85 mph slider and an upper-80s splitter.
Following Smith is #11 ranked RHP Mason Adams. Chicago’s 2022 13th-rounder has a 6.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, five strikeouts, no walks and a 0-0 record in four innings pitched. Adams last played with the Knights in 2024 as he was out all last season with Tommy John surgery. He posted a 5.82 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, nine strikeouts, nine walks and a 0-0 record in 17 innings pitched. Adams relies on a low-80s curveball, mid-80s slider, 90-93 mph four-seam and two-seam fastballs and an upper-80s changeup.
The last prospect with the Knights that’s in the Top 20 is #17, RHP David Sandlin. The former 2022 Kansas City Royals’ 11th round pick has a 0.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 17 strikeouts, six walks and a 0-0 record in 12 innings pitched. Sandlin has pitched 13.1 innings with the White Sox, posting an 8.10 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 14 strikeouts, seven walks and a 1-1 record. He pitches a mid-90s four-seamer, low-80s curveball, low-90s cutter, mid-90s sinker, mid-80s changeup and a mid-80s sweeper.
Chicago has another southpaw with Charlotte that is ranked in the Top 30. Number 22nd ranked LHP Tyler Schweitzer has a 4.66 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 31 strikeouts, seven walks and a 2-2 record in 36.2 innings pitched. The White Sox’s 2022 fifth-rounder also pitched four innings with Chicago this season. He recorded a 9.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, one strikeout, three walks and a 0-0 record. Schweitzer got to play with the Knights last season, posting a 7.92 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 39 strikeouts, 26 walks and a 2-2 record in 50 innings pitched. He has a mid-80s slider, mid-90s four-seamer, low-80s sweeper, mid-80s changeup and mid-90s sinker in his arsenal.
Ranked 26th is OF/2B Rikuu Nishida. The White Sox’s 2022 13th round pick has a .346 batting average, one home run, 11 RBI and .455/.390/.845 in 36 games. Nishida has a 1.000 fielding percentage and has played 25 games at second base. Not only is it his first season with Charlotte, but Nishida got to play his first 12 games with Chicago as well. He batted a .241 average, no homers, two RBI and .241/.241/.482. Nishida recorded a 1.000 fielding percentage with the White Sox and played 11 games in right field.
Just behind Nishida in the rankings is 27th-ranked LHP Shane Murphy. Chicago’s 2022 11th-rounder has a 6.57 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 26 strikeouts, eight walks and a 2-1 record with the Knights this season. Last season with Charlotte, Murphy posted a 2.45 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 10 strikeouts, seven walks and a 0-1 record in 14.2 innings pitched. He pitches a low-90s four-seamer and two-seamer, mid-80s changeup, low-80s slider, mid-80s cutter and an upper-70s curveball.
To round out the Top 30, RHP Duncan Davitt is ranked 30th in the White Sox’s organization. The former Tampa Bay Rays’ 2022 18th round pick has a 7.90 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 46 strikeouts, 20 walks and a 1-3 record in 41 innings pitched. Davitt got to pitch one inning with Chicago this season, allowing just one walk. Last season with the Knights, he recorded a 5.03 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 45 strikeouts, 24 walks and a 2-3 record in 48.1 innings pitched. Davitt utilizes a mid-80s slider, mid-90s four-seamer, mid-80s sweeper and a mid-80s changeup.
Buffalo will begin the series against Charlotte on Tuesday for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch at Sahlen Field. Pregame coverage on The Bet 1520 AM, the Audacy app, and Bisons.com begins broadcast coverage at 6:15 p.m.