Colas, Sosa charging toward the South Side
Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each organization and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in each farm system. Next up in our 2022 Organization All-Stars series are the Chicago White Sox.
Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each organization and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in each farm system. Next up in our 2022 Organization All-Stars series are the Chicago White Sox.
2022 Organization Summary
Triple-A Charlotte: 58-92
Double-A Birmingham: 61-77
High-A Winston-Salem: 58-74
Single-A Kannapolis: 58-74
ACL White Sox: 26-28
DSL White Sox: 32-26
Overall record: 293-371 (.441 winning percentage, 28th among MLB organizations)
White Sox Organization All-Stars
Catcher: Carlos Pérez
Pérez’s bat finally seemed to catch up to his glove in his eighth season in the White Sox system as the 26-year-old hit more homers in 2022 -- 21 -- than he did during his first seven years in the Minors combined. He also continued to be an incredibly stingy at-bat, striking out just 40 times in 465 plate appearances. Pérez earned his first call to the big leagues at the end of the year, picking up four hits in 18 at-bats. Defensively, the club’s No. 28 prospect played exclusively behind the plate and caught 28 attempted base stealers.
First baseman: Wilfred Veras
The White Sox were not shy about promoting players this season, and Veras was no exception as he jumped from Kannapolis to Birmingham in his first full season. The 20-year-old was one of only four Chicago prospects with at least 20 homers and 20 doubles, and his .462 slugging percentage was sixth in the system among players with at least 300 plate appearances.
Ranked as the team's No. 24 prospect, Veras showed a lot of swing and miss with 132 total strikeouts and a 27.4 percent whiff rate, but good things happened when he put the ball in play, as evidenced by his .331 BABIP. The organization continued to give him looks at third base and even tested him in left field, but his defensive future is likely at first.
Second baseman: Yolbert Sanchez
The 25-year-old has used a contact-first approach to hit the ground running in the Minors since signing out of Cuba in 2019. Sanchez opened the season with a return to the Southern League and earned a promotion to Charlotte after just 14 games. Across both levels, he compiled a .287/.346/.344 slash line and collected 121 singles, which tied Rangers prospect Jonathan Ornelas for most in the Minors.
“Yolbert has very good bat-to-ball skills. [He] really knows how to center a baseball and put together a professional at-bat,” said White Sox director of player development Chris Getz. “Just a player that understands who he is and what it takes to put together a quality at-bat.”
Sanchez was limited to 21 extra-base hits this season, three of which left the yard. All three homers came at Triple-A, where he posted a .280 batting average. Sanchez mostly played at second base this year but got in 40 games at shortstop and saw time at the hot corner.
Third baseman: Bryan Ramos
Described by Getz as “one of the more exciting players in our Minor League system,” Ramos showed a lot of plate discipline at Winston-Salem and Birmingham, reducing his strikeout rate by nearly five percent from last season. The 20-year-old native of Cuba still found the barrel at an impressive rate, clubbing 22 homers and maintaining a .455 slugging percentage.
“He's got some power. He's got the ability to drive the baseball to all fields,” Getz said. “Just understanding what pitchers are trying to do to him is something that he really took to this year and really showed from a consistency standpoint.”
Ramos, the club’s fifth-ranked prospect, was bumped to Double-A in late August and added to the White Sox 40-man roster in November. He's worked through some nagging shoulder injuries, but his arm strength has improved to the point where the club was comfortable keeping him at the hot corner for most of the year.
Shortstop: Lenyn Sosa
Sosa embodies two truths about the White Sox player development plan this season. First is the club’s success on the international market. The other: Chicago’s fearlessness in challenging players at the highest levels. Sosa, who signed with the White Sox out of Venezuela in 2016, earned his first promotion to the big leagues directly from Double-A in June, and after a four-game stint on the South Side, he was sent to Charlotte before earning another stretch with the big-league club in August.
“Lenyn really committed to making some swing adjustments,” Getz said, describing work that Sosa did last offseason with Birmingham hitting coach Charlie Romero at the White Sox Dominican academy in January. “[They] really worked on getting him loaded on his back side, in his back hip, and just allowed his barrel to drop into the zone. And his lower half to really take the hands out of the swing, which allowed him to simplify some things and really drive the baseball from pole to pole.”
Sosa had four hits in 35 Major League at-bats but was excellent across the two highest levels of the Minors. The fourth-ranked White Sox prospect batted .315/.369/.511 with 23 homers, 22 doubles and 79 RBIs while leading the organization with 152 hits. Defensively, he saw time at shortstop, third and second base.
Outfield: Oscar Colas
This time last year, Colas wasn’t even signed to play affiliated ball, but by the end of this season, the 24-year-old Cuban was on the doorstep of the Major Leagues. The club’s No. 2 prospect inked a $2.7 million deal in January and bashed his way through three levels before finishing in the International League. Colas, who represented the White Sox in the Futures Game, spent most of the season with Winston-Salem under the tutelage of manager Lorenzo Bundy, one of the more experienced coaches in the system. Getz said that Bundy and Colas formulated a routine that helped Colas stay on track in his first season stateside.
Across all three levels, MLB Pipeline’s No. 95 overall prospect produced a .314/.371/.524 slash line with 23 homers, 24 doubles, four triples and 81 runs scored.
“A lot of [the routine] was him understanding his preparation,” Getz said, describing the challenge in figuring out the best way to advance a prospect who’s a little older and more experienced than the typical first-year player. “Once we felt like we established that, I knew that there was going to be absolutely no harm to the game production. It was only going to get better, and it did. And now we feel like we're in a better position for future success.”
Colas played mostly in center field but also saw some time in right, showing off his 65-grade arm with four outfield assists.
The 31-year-old veteran had one of the best offensive seasons in the White Sox system and earned a quick stint in the Majors. Payton led the organization with 95 RBIs, and his .539 slugging percentage led all Chicago Minor Leaguers with at least 400 plate appearances. Payton also finished second in the system with 25 homers, five triples, 31 doubles and 85 runs scored. The 2014 seventh-rounder seems to have found a home with the White Sox, his fifth organization since 2018. He was left off the big league roster after the season but signed another Minor League deal with the club in November.
The 22-year-old had his best season since signing with the White Sox in the same international class as Luis Robert in 2016. Mieses advanced from Winston-Salem to Birmingham and produced a .284/.325/.447 slash line with an organization-leading 39 doubles. He matched his 2021 home run total (15) but saw a dip in his slugging percentage as his ground ball rate increased. The lefty-swinging Mieses struggled in limited opportunities against southpaws, batting .192 with a .549 OPS in 109 plate appearances. Defensively, the club’s No. 21 prospect has a plus arm and saw time at both corner outfield spots as well as 12 games at first base.
Right-handed starting pitcher: Cristian Mena
Mena is proof that the White Sox found more than just bats on the international market. The 19-year-old signed for $250,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2019 and pitched at three levels in his first full season this year. Mena compiled a 2-6 record and 3.80 ERA in 24 starts, striking out 126 batters in 104 ⅓ innings.
“We always liked the attributes of the fastball. He's always had the ability to spin a curveball. And his velocity began to climb,” Getz said. “His ability to spin the baseball allows him to be successful at this lower level, fairly quickly. He's working out a slider that has a chance to be a put away pitch for him and he continues to work on his changeup.”
Mena made 16 starts in which he surrendered two runs or fewer, including eight scoreless outings. His three starts in the Southern League didn’t come with excellent results, but Getz mentioned that Mena’s elevation to Double-A had the same motivations as the promotions of Veras, Ramos and Mieses.
“Getting all of our top young prospects together at one place. And the focus was not production, necessarily on the field and statistics,” Getz said. “It was more the work that we put in and challenging them with perhaps some scenarios in which they haven't dealt with yet.”
Left-handed starting pitcher: Tommy Sommer
Sommer, the only player on this list who was drafted by the White Sox, finished with the lowest ERA (2.71) in the system among prospects to complete at least 30 innings. The 24-year-old also ranked third in the organization with 129 strikeouts across 24 outings between Kannapolis and Winston-Salem. Sommer held opposing batters to a .206 average, lowest among Chicago Minor Leaguers to finish at least 60 innings.
Reliever: Vince Vannelle
An undrafted free agent out of the University of Arizona, Vannelle worked 35 appearances across three levels and with most of his outings coming with Winston-Salem, where he sported a 1.82 ERA in 19 ⅔ innings. Overall, Vannelle finished with a 2.98 ERA and 51 punchouts in 42 ⅓ frames. The 24-year-old right-hander reached Birmingham in July before finishing the season on the injured list.
Gerard Gilberto is a reporter for MiLB.com.
Phillies' Moore, Fausnaught join MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”