Basabe named Sox co-MiLB Player of the Month

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (May 1, 2018) - Dash outfielder Luis Basabe, who is rated by MLB Pipeline as the 13th-best prospect in the White Sox organization, has been named the White Sox co-Minor League Player of the Month for April, along with Winston-Salem alumnus Seby Zavala.
The switch-hitting outfielder was one of four prospects acquired by Chicago on December 6, 2016, in a trade that sent All-Star left-hander Chris Sale to the Red Sox. The other players in that deal included current White Sox infielder Yoán Moncada, and fellow White Sox farmhands in right-handers Michael Kopech and Victor Diaz.

Basabe has shined in a prospect-laden Dash outfield, playing 21 of 22 games in April and batting in the top of the lineup. Over the month of April, the Venezuela native posted a .313/.400/.614 batting line, leading the Carolina League in slugging percentage and ranking eighth in batting average.
The 21-year-old also leads the league in total bases (51), and he is tied for the league lead in extra-base hits (14) through the first month of the season. On top of that, Basabe has the second-most triples (four) in the circuit, along with the fourth-most doubles (seven).
After collecting two hits over the first three games of the year, Basabe broke out during the Dash's six-game winning streak that followed. He amassed a six-game hitting streak-which included five multi-hit games-hitting .500 (14-for-28) with two doubles, two triples, a home run and nine RBIs.
He followed up his early-season dominance with an eight-game on-base streak, during which he scored eight runs. Basabe has scored 16 runs this season, tied for the team lead with Joel Booker.
Basabe joins former Dash outfielder Eloy Jiménez as the only players to earn the White Sox monthly honor while playing with Winston-Salem. Dane Dunning, who earned White Sox Pitcher of the Month accolades last April, joined the Dash shortly after winning the award.
Zavala, who played 55 games for the Dash in 2017, has been with Double-A Birmingham since the beginning of the season. The catcher has posted a .315/411/.616 slash line with six home runs and four doubles through his first 22 games. A 12th-round pick out of San Diego State University in 2015, Zavala has also thrown out five of 13 would-be base stealers from behind the plate.
Meanwhile, Kopech, who is currently pitching for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, was named the White Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April. Kopech went 0-1 with a 2.14 ERA across four starts. The former first-round pick has struck out 29 batters and walked just seven in 21.0 total innings, holding opponents to a .189 average.