Rising Prospect #4 - Carlos Rodon (Chicago White Sox)

Background on Carlos

Carlos Rodon was drafted in the First Round (3rd overall) in the 2014 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. Carlos was a very highly thought of player coming into the draft and it was somewhat of a surprise that he was not drafted with the first overall pick. At the end of the 2014 Minor League Season, Rodon was rated at the White Sox's #1 Prospect along with the MLB's #19 prospect according to MLB.com. Carlos split his 2014 season between the Arizona White Sox (Rookie League), the Winston-Salem Dash (A+), and the Charlotte Knights (AAA).

How Did 2014 Go?

Despite having such a small sample size of Carlos Rodon in the 2014 season, it is still clear to see why he was drafted so highly. In 24.2 innings pitched between the three teams this season, he complied an ERA of 2.92. This is not bad considering this is the first time he has seen professional league action against those who (for the most part) have much more experience than him. Although having a zero win and zero loss record for the season, Carlos pitched in nine games in which he started six. In those innings, he gave up twenty hits and thirteen walks. These numbers clearly show that there is some room for improvement. His most impressive stat is his strikeouts. He had a total of 38 strikeouts in less than 25 innings. Impressive!

Carlos Rodon did not earn an honors or achievements in his short 2014 season.

Overall, I think that Carlos Rodon will prove to be a great asset for the White Sox in the future. It has been said by the front office of the Sox that they value Rodon very highly. There are also some talks of having him join the MLB roster at some point in the 2015 season. With Rodon's ability to throw his better-than-average slider and change up, with the addition of his high-velocity fastball, he definitely had the potential to be a teams ace one day. I believe that there is a reason that he received the highest bonus ever for his organization.

Mike's Rating

           A

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