WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF MAY 9, 2017 “Moncada not there yet, but he's clearly special” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Moncada makes Pipeline Team of the Week” … Jim Callis, MLB.com “White Sox prospect Lucas Giolito trusting that things will eventually click At -A” … JJ Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “ wows teammates as he clobbers Triple-A opposition” … JJ Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “Swung on –then belted: White Sox take page out of WWE for post-game celebrations” … … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox prospect Luis Alexander Basabe adjusts to being on his own” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Mark Grudzielanek, Willie Harris bring major cred to White Sox farm system” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada named International League batter of the week” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox hoping Jose Abreu's hot streak a good sign for season” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Sox rising star Yoan Moncada walking softly, carrying a big stick” … Steve Greenberg, Chicago Sun Times “Expect better things from Jose Quintana” … John Grochowski, Chicago Sun Times “Ladendorf close to realizing dream with ” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Moncada looks ready, but Chicago White Sox won't rush him” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald

Moncada not there yet, but he's clearly special By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | May 8, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS -- Mere words don't do justice to the five-tool skill level possessed by Yoan Moncada, the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball per MLBPipeline.com and Triple-A Charlotte's starting second baseman for Monday night's game at Victory Field.

But Moncada's teammates did their best to sum him up on the field before their series opener with Indianapolis. "The guy is incredible," said White Sox pitcher Carson Fulmer, the team's fifth-ranked prospect. "He has outstanding abilities. We are glad that he's on our team with the stuff he's able to do."

"He's great. He's a special player," White Sox pitcher Tyler Danish said. "You get to see something you don't really see a lot every night, power-wise, speed-wise, glove-wise."

Moncada backed up those compliments by earning the International League Batter of the Week for May 1-7. The 21-year- old finished 11-for-22 with two home runs, four RBIs, eight runs scored and an .818 slugging percentage in six games. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound switch-hitter is batting .352 with six homers, 11 RBIs, 24 runs scored, seven stolen bases, a .427 on-base percentage and .565 slugging percentage over 27 games entering Monday.

Everyone can agree Moncada possesses Major League talent and quite possibly elite Major League talent. That immense talent doesn't necessarily mean Moncada is ready for the Majors tomorrow or next week or even next month.

It's an important learning process for an individual who came into this season with 20 big league plate appearances but also no at-bats at the Triple-A level.

"I've learned that baseball is a process. You have to go step by step," said Moncada through interpreter Billy Russo. "That's one of the things I learned this year. Also I learned that you have to make adjustments at every level, but especially in the big leagues.

"You are facing the best pitchers and you have to make adjustments every day. Just try to do adjustments every day and try to take advantage of the adjustments."

One other trait used to describe Moncada is "quiet." It's not that Moncada has been overwhelmed by fame -- he actually seems to have a solid grasp on the attention by media and fans and the high level of expectations as the centerpiece of a five-player trade sending to Boston. That quietness denotes Moncada's personality, although certainly doesn't prevent him from talking to manager Mark Grudzielanek or conversing with his teammates. Grudzielanek described Moncada as loosening up a bit and one of those guys you have to get to know before playing around with him.

As for his Major League preparedness, Grudzielanek knows Moncada will benefit in more ways than at-bats and defensive reps in the Minors.

"There are so many more little things, detailed stuff, you have to learn and understand," Grudzielanek said. "He's there, he's getting there. You could throw him up there right now and he'd be fine; there's no question about it. There will be some things there, 'How come he didn't know that, or this?'

"Well, he's 21 years old. How many Minor League games has he played in? Again, that's out of my hands, when he's ready. I love having him here. He's a phenomenal talent, and he's going to have a hopefully long and healthy big league career, and we'll see where that goes. But he has potential to be somebody very special."

Moncada makes Pipeline Team of the Week By Jim Callis / MLB.com | @JimCallisMLB | May 8th, 2017

MLBPipeline.com's Prospect Team of the Week honors the best performances from the previous seven days. Any player currently on an organization Top 30 Prospects list on our Prospect Watch is eligible.

Kolby Allard might have gone near the very top of the 2015 Draft had a stress reaction in his back not torpedoed his senior season at San Clemente (Calif.) High. The injury didn't deter the Braves from selecting him 14th overall and signing him for $3,042,400. They brought him along slowly afterward, limiting him to 93 2/3 innings in his first two pro seasons.

This year, Atlanta has taken the reins off Allard, and the team's No. 3 prospect (MLB No. 46) is showing why teams coveted him two years ago. He has skipped a level to -A, where he's the youngest pitcher in the Southern League at age 19. He has yet to surrender more than two runs in any of his six starts and turned in his best performance of the season on Thursday, matching a career high with 11 while spinning six shutout innings.

Allard has a chance for three plus pitches with his lively low-90s fastball, hammer curveball and advanced changeup, and he commands all three offerings well. He's the headline performer on the latest edition of our Prospect Team of the Week, which covers games from May 1-7.

C: Meibrys Viloria, Lexington Legends (Class A) (Royals No. 14 prospect) 5 G, .533/.650/1.133, 5 R, 8 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 5 BB, 3 SO The 2016 Pioneer League MVP after a breakout season in which he led the Rookie circuit in hitting (.376), doubles (28) and RBIs (55), Viloria hit just .186/.219/.214 this April. He got his bat going last week, leading all Minor Leaguers in OPS and delivering more extra-base hits in five games (five) than he did in his first 19 (four). Viloria shows off power Viloria shows off power Royals prospect Meibrys Viloria makes MLBPipeline.com's Team of the Week, hitting two homers and three doubles for the Lexington Legends

1B: Lewin Diaz, Cedar Rapids Kernels (Class A) (Twins No. 10 prospect) 6 G, .400/.423/.920, 4 R, 10 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 SO Like Viloria, Diaz broke out in his third season in Rookie ball last summer and started slowly in low Class A this year. He also heated up last week, topping all Minor Leaguers with eight extra-base hits while taking over the Midwest League lead in doubles (12) and extra-base knocks (16) and boosting his overall numbers to .286/.316/.495 in 28 games.

2B: Yoan Moncada, Charlotte Knights (Triple-A) (White Sox No. 1 prospect/MLB No. 1) 6 G, .500/.571/.818, 8 R, 11 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBIs, 5 BB, 3 SO, 1 SB The game's No. 1 prospect had more multi-hit games (four) than strikeouts last week and is hitting .352/.427/.565 overall. Moncada is showing off his power-speed combination by ranking fourth in the International League in homers (six) and third in steals (seven), and he looks ready to contribute in Chicago whenever the White Sox want him.

3B: Rafael Devers, Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A) (Red Sox No. 1 prospect/MLB No. 15) 7 G, .440/.500/.920, 9 R, 11 H, 4 HR, 10 RBIs, 3 BB, 6 SO The last in a of blue-chip Red Sox position prospects, Devers may push for Boston's third-base job later this year if he keeps this up. The second-youngest regular in the Eastern League at age 20, he's hitting .322/.359/.586 with six homers in 23 games. The highlight of his big week came Tuesday, when he went 5-for-5 with a pair of homers.

SS: Max Moroff, Indianapolis Indians (Triple-A) (Pirates No. 24 prospect) 4 G, .375/.474/.938, 5 R, 6 H, 3 HR, 4 RBIs, 3 BB, 2 SO Moroff homered in his first three games this season before going cold for the next three weeks, sitting below the Mendoza Line as late as April 28. He went deep three times last week, including twice on Saturday at Columbus, and already has matched his career high with eight homers in 24 games while batting .258/.345/.546.

OF: Clint Frazier, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A) (Yankees No. 2 prospect/MLB No. 20) 5 G, .471/.560/.882, 6 R, 8 H, 4 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBIs, 5 BB, 5 SO The key to last summer's Andrew Miller trade for the Yankees, Frazier has fallen into the trap of trying too hard to justify the deal at times. He looked more comfortable last week, when he had as many multi-hit games (three) as he had in the entire month of April. He now tops the International League with 11 doubles and 15 extra-base hits, and he's batting .269/.371/.516 with four homers in 26 contests.

OF: Kyle Tucker, Buies Creek Astros (Class A Advanced) (Astros No. 2 prospect/MLB No. 30) 6 G, .304/.414/1.000, 7 R, 7 H, 1 2B, 5 HR, 7 RBIs, 5 BB, 7 SO, 4 SB, 2 CS The No. 5 overall pick in 2015 -- two years after Frazier got selected in the same spot -- Tucker is one of best pure hitters in the Minors and his power is starting to show. After going deep nine times in his first full season, he has eight homers in 2017 and paced all Minor Leaguers with five last week, including two on Saturday and two more on Sunday. He's hitting .302/.382/.660 in 29 games, leading the Carolina League in homers (eight), RBIs (30), extra-base hits (19) and total bases (70) while also ranking second in steals (10).

OF: LaMonte Wade, Chattanooga Lookouts (Double-A) (Twins No. 13 prospect) 6 G, .500/.692./786, 4 R, 7 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 11 BB, 5 SO An on-base machine, Wade reached three times in five of the six games he played last week while leading all Minor Leaguers in OBP and walks. He's hitting .304/.448/.468 with 22 free passes in 28 contests and has raised his career OBP in three pro seasons to .414.

LHP: Kolby Allard, Mississippi Braves (Double-A) (Braves No. 3 prospect/MLB No. 46) 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 GS, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 11 SO, 0.50 WHIP Allard's gem boosted his record to 2-1 with a 1.36 ERA and a 28/7 K/BB ratio in 33 innings. The only other teenage starting pitcher in the Southern Leaguer is Mississippi teammate and fellow 2015 first-rounder Mike Soroka.

RHP: Jack Flaherty, Springfield Cardinals (Double-A) (Cardinals No. 8 prospect) 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 12 SO, 0.43 WHIP One of the more polished high school arms in the 2014 Draft class, Flaherty made slow and steady progress in his first three seasons after signing for $2 million as a first-rounder. He has made a significant jump this year in Double-A, matching a career high with 12 strikeouts on Saturday and leading the Texas League in wins (five), ERA (0.69), innings (39 1/3), strikeouts (40) and WHIP (0.74).

RP: Bryan Garcia, West Michigan Whitecaps (Class A) (Tigers No. 28 prospect) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 G, 3 SV, 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 0.00 WHIP After setting a Miami record and tying an Atlantic Coast Conference mark with 43 career saves, Garcia tops the Midwest League with seven this spring. He was perfect in three appearances last week, striking out seven of the nine hitters he faced and cashing in on both of his save opportunities.

White Sox prospect Lucas Giolito trusting that things will eventually click At Triple-A By JJ Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | May 8, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS — Lucas Giolito trusts that the work he’s putting in will eventually lead to something clicking here at the Triple-A level, and ultimately in the major leagues.

But that hasn’t happened yet, as evidenced by another day where the 22-year-old right-hander didn’t consistently command his fastball. The result was Giolito allowing five runs (four earned) with four walks and three strikeouts in five innings against the Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate) on Monday night.

“I definitely am not pitching the way I know I can,” Giolito said. “The ball is not coming out the way I know it can. The process, working hard on it every single day — that's what I'm doing. Hopefully the results will start to show that.”

Charlotte pitching coach Steve McCatty has been working with Giolito on not only repeating his mechanics so he can command his fastball, but also on having a more positive, big-picture view of his development.

While Giolito can focus on his fastball getting him into trouble — as it did in Indianapolis’ four-run fifth inning — McCatty wants him to look at some of the things he’s done well this year, too.

“You're always trying to improve on your weakness and make your strengths better but you just can't go out and say, 'Man I sucked because I didn't get through five innings,’” McCatty said. “He's made progress in a lot of areas. It's a growing thing. And he's got to know what he is first, he's not even close to being a finished product that he's going to be.”

Giolito reached the major leagues last year with the Washington Nationals, starting four games and appearing in two others as both a mid-season and September call-up. But he’s still green — he’s about five years younger than the average Triple-A player — and only has three full years of starting experience in the minor leagues following Tommy John surgery shortly after being drafted by the Nationals out of high school in 2012.

“For him, if it took the rest of this year and next year, so what’s he going to be, 24 years old?” McCatty said. “If he goes up to the big leagues and he's throwing pretty good, what's everyone going to say? ‘Well, Lucas is doing what we think he should.’”

That hypothetical situation McCatty presented isn’t a fast track to the White Sox rotation, but more of a slow build to getting Giolito ready to be a mainstay on 35th and Shields. Even if things were to click for Giolito soon, a handful of strong outings may not be enough to prove that he’s ready to stick in the major leagues.

Another thing Giolito mentioned he wants to get better at is in-game adjustments, which could’ve prevented that rough fifth inning on Monday. Being able to identify and correct what’s going wrong after one pitch instead of after the game is something that could help prevent things from spiraling out of control.

The White Sox, though, have long preached patience in developing the hoard of prospects they acquired in December’s Chris Sale and Adam Eaton trades. Even if Giolito had a 1.37 ERA instead of his current 7.31 mark, he might not be in line for a call-up to the major leagues for a little while.

So he has time to work in Charlotte and hope that eventually things will click, and stay that way once he gets back to the major leagues.

“I wasn’t expecting to start the year like this,” Giolito said. “I mean, the numbers are atrocious. It frustrated me, definitely, a lot earlier in the year, like, why aren’t I figuring it out? Now, it’s just, all I can do is trust the work I’m putting in and hopefully put it together soon.” White Sox shut down in frustrating finale

Yoan Moncada wows teammates as he clobbers Triple-A opposition By JJ Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | May 8, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS — Perhaps lost a bit in the No. 1 prospect hype surrounding Yoan Moncada is that the 21-year-old is playing in Triple-A for the first time and hasn’t even played 30 games at this level yet.

While Moncada has been unquestionably impressive with the Charlotte Knights — he entered Monday’s game against the Indianapolis Indians with a .992 OPS and was named the International League’s player of the week for the first week of May — he still has plenty of room for growth. Part of it is refining his game, but another part is experiencing things for the first time that’ll pay off when he does get the call to 35th and Shields.

“You could throw him up there right now and he'd be fine, there's no question about it,” Knights manager Mark Grudzielanek said. “It's a work in progress. They'll be some things (that lead to the question) 'How come he didn't know that or this?' Well, he's 21 years old, how many minor league games has he played in?”

The answer to Grudzielanek’s slightly rhetorical question is 215, and he’ll likely see his 1,000th professional plate appearance sometime later this week. The White Sox expect Moncada to stick in the major leagues when they do call him up, so the plan has always been to be patient with his development.

But while Moncada is here in the minors, he’s made an impression on his teammates as a “special talent” who’s quiet and doesn’t act like a guy who could be the next big thing in the majors.

“You get to see something you don’t really see a lot every night power-wise, speed-wise, glove-wise,” right-handed pitcher Tyler Danish said. “He’s got some balls this year from me that are just like, you ask yourself, how did he do it. And he’s a great teammate too. Lot of publicity around being a No. 1 guy, but he doesn’t show it or act like it at all. He’s just a normal guy like everyone else. I think that speaks highly of him as a person off the field as well.”

Right-hander Carson Fulmer echoed that sentiment.

“His abilities on the field are one thing, but the kind of person he is is another,” the White Sox 2015 first-round pick said. “We get that inside kind of scoop a little bit about being around teammates. He’s one guy that I definitely love having around.”

Moncada repeatedly emphasized how hard he feels he has to work and said through an interpreter he learned a lot about the process it takes to succeed in the majors during his eight games with the last September. That September call-up didn’t go well — Moncada struck out 12 times in 20 plate appearances — but it’s served as a learning experience as he navigates how to face Triple-A opposition.

Moncada said it’s an “honor” to be MLB.com’s No. 1 prospect, too, but he isn’t concerned about anything but being completely ready for baseball’s highest level when the White Sox make that call.

“I don’t pay too much attention to that (No. 1 ranking),” Moncada said through an interpreter. “I don’t try to put that on my mind. I still have a job to do and it’s a long process for me to get to where I have to be.”

Swung on –then belted: White Sox take page out of WWE for post-game celebrations By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | May 8, 2017

The wrestling belt never escaped Derek Holland’s locker while the club was in Charm City.

Melky Cabrera was prevented from another opportunity to host the team’s version of The Gong Show. The Orioles denied the White Sox their right to party.

But the next time the White Sox emerge victorious, you can rest assured knowing a chaotic celebration will take place in the clubhouse.

Everyone gathers together. Cabrera assumes the role of emcee. Shortly thereafter, the player of the day is selected and receives a replica WWE championship belt for his efforts. It’s a ritual White Sox players take part in after each victory that has helped further build team chemistry. And even though it was originally Holland’s idea, the celebration has become Cabrera’s vehicle.

“Melky? He’s the man,” manager Rick Renteria said. “He’s the Chuck Barris. He’s the guy.

“It’s a validation, of something positive.

“They’re paying attention to the contributions everybody is making, and they want to make sure they highlight at the end of the day the guys they feel merit almost like in football the game ball. It’s pretty neat. They have a lot of fun with it.

“It’s something to watch.”

Holland also had a belt with him when he played for the Texas Rangers. He liked how players appreciated the everyday bonding experience there and thought the White Sox clubhouse could use it as well. Holland purchased the replica belt for several hundred dollars and it’s handed out to the player of the game after each win. Though players consider a victory the ultimate reward, being individually recognized for a key effort brings an extra little something, Holland said.

“Even though we’re playing for something every day it just makes it that much more exciting inside the clubhouse,” said Holland, who last won it on Thursday in Kansas City. “Everybody has been picking it up on it. It’s been fun. It’s been unique and it brings the guys together.”

Holland’s award on Thursday was his first of a season in which he’s been deserving several times. He said there’s a natural battle between hitters and pitchers for the title, with each side not thinking the other has won it enough.

Avisail Garcia has won the belt more often than anyone this season. But overall pitchers have more victories. Because players want more recognition, Holland and Cabrera decided to add a second miniature belt to the contest.

While players get together to determine who should win the belt, ultimately the selection comes down to Cabrera — not because of any other reason than he’s put himself in charge of the process.

“I’m the host,” Cabrera said through an interpreter. “I’m the one who selects the winner and who announces the winner and does the celebration with him.”

Cabrera said veteran pitcher James Shields and batting practice instructor Luis Sierra are also involved. But mostly it falls on Cabrera and he not only revels in the role, but also the announcement.

“I’m like the clown of the team and I’m good with it,” Cabrera said.

Todd Frazier has a different way of describing Cabrera’s part in the scene.

“It’s like a dictatorship,” Frazier said.

Off to a slow start, Frazier said he hasn’t seen or “sniffed” the belt so far. The third baseman thinks pitchers have won more often because of their dominant performances. All in all, Frazier appreciates how the wild ceremony has brought the team together.

“It makes for a fun little ritual we’ve got after the game,” Frazier said. “It’s fun to do and you get a few laughs in there. If it’s a guy who hasn’t been here, kind of warms him up a little bit.”

As for the process, Frazier laughs.

He sees Cabrera as a bridge between the English- and Spanish-speaking players in the clubhouse. Even though the original plan called for the previous day’s winner to play a large role in picking his successor, Cabrera has mostly wiped that out. And it has made the ritual that much better.

“It’s thought out and then Melky decides,” Frazier said. “Everybody gets a choice and then it becomes a dictatorship because Melky decides at the end. It’s supposed to be the guy who won yesterday and then Melky takes over.

“He pretty much figures it out.” White Sox prospect Luis Alexander Basabe adjusts to being on his own Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | May 8, 2017

Luis Alexander Basabe played on the same team as his twin brother, Luis Alejandro, as they grew up in Venezuela, and both signed with the Red Sox in 2012.

But the pair was split in July when the Red Sox traded Luis Alejandro, an infielder, to the Diamondbacks. About five months later, Luis Alexander, a center fielder, was also on the move as the third piece in the Chris Sale trade with the White Sox.

Now playing for Class A Winston-Salem, Luis Alexander, 20, is adjusting to life without his brother and former roommate — and with a new team.

"I know this is a business, so the biggest challenge was getting to know the new guys," Basabe said. "I talk with (Luis Alejandro) every day. It's hard because we played always together on the same team."

Basabe, a ranked No. 8 among Sox prospects by MLB.com, describes himself as a player who can make his mark with defense, speed and power. After starting slowly with some nagging injuries, he is hitting .242 with six extra- base hits, 13 walks, 25 strikeouts and five stolen bases in 24 games with Winston-Salem.

Manager Willie Harris said Basabe is going to be "exciting to watch once he figures it out" but said he needs a lot of development.

"He's a young guy who is learning, and you let him go out and play and understand he's going to make mistakes and he's going to fail," Harris said. "Everyone is going to do that. Him being so young, you might see it more often than not."

Yoan Moncada, 2B, Triple-A Charlotte

Named International League Batter of the Week for May 1-7, hitting .500 with two homers, four RBIs, eight runs scored and an .818 slugging percentage in six games.

Danny Hayes, 1B, Charlotte

Tied with Moncada for the team lead with six homers, Hayes also had six doubles and a team-high 20 RBIs and 17 walks through Sunday. But he had struck out 37 times and was hitting .245.

Carson Fulmer RHP, Charlotte

Hasn't given up more than one earned run in his last four starts. After walking five in 5 1/3 innings Tuesday, he gave up one earned run on three hits in six innings Sunday with one walk and four strikeouts.

Zack Burdi, RHP, Charlotte

The closer prospect entered Monday with six straight scoreless outings, allowing four hits, with two hit batters, one walk and 13 strikeouts in eight innings during the streak.

Michael Kopech, RHP, Double-A Birmingham

Came back from a sprained ankle to pitch six innings Thursday. He allowed three earned runs on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts to bring his ERA to 3.00 in five starts.

Mark Grudzielanek, Willie Harris bring major cred to White Sox farm system Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | May 8, 2017

The White Sox hired Mark Grudzielanek to be their Triple-A Charlotte manager a little more than a month before they publicly announced their rebuilding intentions with the Chris Sale and Adam Eaton trades.

When those deals went through in December, Grudzielanek's job suddenly became a lot more prominent as he soon would be charged with leading four of the top 65 prospects in baseball, including MLB.com's No. 1 overall prospect, Yoan Moncada.

A major-league infielder for 15 seasons, including 21 postseason games with the 2003 Cubs and 2005 Cardinals, Grudzielanek is familiar with the spotlight for which Moncada and others are preparing, and he likes the challenge of helping them get ready for it.

Grudzielanek is one of two former Chicago big-leaguers helping to mold the Sox's future as a minor-league manager, along with Class A Winston-Salem manager Willie Harris.

"I didn't have this (group) beforehand," Grudzielanek said. "Maybe (the Sox) were like, 'Oh, my God, should we hire someone with a little more experience?' But no, I think my experience speaks for itself as far as the way I played and how I have done things in my short (organizational) career. I'm enjoying it."

Grudzielanek, 46, said he had "no idea" as a player he would be managing one day. His final season was 2010, and he joined the Diamondbacks organization in 2015. He managed one season at Class A Kane County and worked on the player development staff in 2016.

"This is what I know the most and the best, and I enjoy working with the kids," he said. "I'm here to touch them up, polish them up, give them the opportunity to succeed and get them out of here to the big leagues."

Pitching prospect Lucas Giolito called him "a player's manager" whose "career speaks for itself." Moncada said Grudzielanek, who played the majority of his career at second base, has been a big help to him defensively.

Sox general manager Rick Hahn, in town recently to visit the Knights for a few days, said the organization wants the new culture it is trying to instill to start in the minors.

"With a month under his belt down here, you've seen how hard (Grudzielanek) works, how good of a communicator he is with players," Hahn said. "He has gotten this team playing with the amount of energy and focus we want to see as they come up to Chicago."

Just 80 miles up the highway from Charlotte, Harris is dealing with some of the more undeveloped prospects.

Harris, who scored the final run of the Sox's 2005 World Series championship, played 12 seasons in the majors and said he always knew he was a "baseball lifer."

After playing his final season in 2012, he found his opening to get back into the game when the Sox hosted the 10-year anniversary of the 2005 World Series team.

Harris mentioned to Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, executive vice president Ken Williams and Hahn that he was interested in rejoining the organization in a coaching role, and a few weeks later, they were in touch. He was the hitting coach at rookie-league Great Falls last year.

"For me, (the goal) is obviously to be a major-league manager," Harris, 38, said. "I understand the grind I have to do. I understand the time I have to put in. That means nothing to me. That's what I want to do, and that's what I'm going to do because that's what my mind is set on."

Harris said bringing energy to his team is one of his main focuses, along with sharing his experiences as a former player.

"I've been to the big leagues," Harris said. "I've been sent down. I've had injuries. Helping those guys deal with those situations, they can understand more coming from someone who has been in that spot."

Harris has made a positive impact on center-field prospect Luis Alexander Basabe.

"He knows how we're feeling because he was on the major-league teams," Basabe said. "He says, 'Hustle, hustle. Be you.'"

Grudzielanek said he probably can't prepare the players for what exactly it will feel like to play in a big-league game. On most days, he still thinks about the 2003 Cubs run that ended in crushing defeat to the Marlins in the National League Championship Series, and he said he was happy to see them win it all last season.

"There are not too many days I don't think about that '03 team now that I'm back in the game the last few years," Grudzielanek said. "I'm so happy and thrilled for the city of Chicago to win the World Series, to get that off their backs. To have that experience and feel that again, those people in the Midwest and Chicago fans deserve that."

Now the Sox hope he is playing an early part in what will be another South Side championship.

White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada named International League batter of the week Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | May 8, 2017

White Sox top prospect Yoan Moncada was named International League Batter of the Week for games played May 1-7 for Triple-A Charlotte.

Moncada, who is ranked the No. 1 prospect in baseball by MLB.com, hit .500 with two homers, four RBIs, eight runs scored and a .818 slugging percentage in six games last week.

He is hitting .352 with six homers, 11 RBIs, 24 runs scored, seven stolen bases, a .427 on-base and .565 slugging percentage over 27 games this season. He leads the IL in runs, is second with 38 hits and ranks third in batting average.

He went on an 11-game hitting streak from April 22-May 5.

While Sox fans wait for Moncada to be called up to the big-league club over the next month or so, Charlotte opens a three-game series in Indianapolis on Monday, one of its closest series to the city of Chicago.

White Sox hoping Jose Abreu's hot streak a good sign for season Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | May 8, 2017 When Jose Abreu hit a laser to left field Saturday night at Camden Yards, White Sox manager Rick Renteria said he "blinked and it was out."

Abreu's line-drive homer that bounced off the left-field foul pole in the eighth inning had an exit velocity of 112 mph and was another example of a recent stretch of hitting Renteria called "pretty impressive."

"I saw the swing," Renteria said. "I saw the flight of the ball, I turned and it was gone."

Abreu hit .157 with one extra-base hit, no homers and five RBIs in his first 13 games. But even after going 0-for-3 with a walk Sunday, he hit.393 with six doubles, a triple, five homers, 11 RBIs and a 1.218 OPS in the next 16 games.

As the Sox bench coach last year, Renteria saw Abreu go through a stretch when he was "hit or miss" for the first few months, so he hopes this torrid streak is a good sign for this season.

"It's him really feeling in tune with his swing, feeling in sync with recognizing pitches," Renteria said. "He has a skill set to put the bat on the baseball.

"When athletes talk about being in the zone, they become very instinctual, very reactionary. That's a combination of all his experiences and the work he puts into it. Right now he seems to be in a really good place."

Where he started: The Sox drafted left-handed pitcher David Holmberg in the second round in 2009, and he took a circuitous route to making his first big-league appearance with the team last week.

The Sox traded Holmberg with Daniel Hudson to the Diamondbacks for Edwin Jackson in 2010, and the Diamondbacks traded him to the Reds in 2013. He rejoined the Sox as a minor-league free agent before the 2016 season.

"It doesn't make it any easier to bounce around because you get a new staff and new front office every time you do that," Holmberg said. "But whether or not you bounce around or are with the same team your whole career, you still have to make pitches to get where you want to be."

Holmberg is filling in for Nate Jones, on the disabled list with right elbow neuritis. In Holmberg's first major-league appearance in two seasons, he gave up an earned run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning of relief Thursday against the Royals.

He said he needs to get back to making pitches as he did over 15 1/3 innings with Triple-A Charlotte this year, when he posted a 1.76 ERA with five walks and 13 strikeouts. A starter most of his career, he said he now feels comfortable working as a reliever after learning how to make himself ready for midgame appearances.

"I was just strike-throwing, pounding the zone with all four of my pitches — fastball, curveball, slider, changeup," Holmberg said of his performance in Charlotte. "I was getting ahead of guys and getting in my counts, getting weak contact, ground balls, and it seemed to be working."

Needs work: Closer David Robertson pitched in a non-save situation Sunday to get in work after limited recent use.

It was just the second time Robertson, who owns a 2.53 ERA, has pitched since April 27, in part because the Sox have lost six of eight. He gave up a hit in a scoreless inning.

Sox rising star Yoan Moncada walking softly, carrying a big stick Steve Greenberg / Chicago Sun Times | May 9, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS — Can I just say that Yoan Moncada is roughly as exciting as a senator’s sock drawer?

No, I’m not talking about how the future White Sox infielder — the top-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com — plays the game. I mean what he says. And what he doesn’t say.

Imagine the stereotypical five-tool 21-year-old — bold, brash, soon to be on top of the world and knowing it. Moncada is everything except for the ‘‘bold,’’ the ‘‘brash’’ and the ‘‘knowing it.’’

A handful of Chicago media members showed up here — 179 miles southwest of Guaranteed Rate Field — to catch the Charlotte Knights, the Sox’ Class AAA club, and Moncada in particular. How soon before Moncada, who’s crushing everything that moves in International League play, gets the call to the big club?

Moncada has all the tools — including a veteran's ability to wield cliches. (Chicago White Sox) It could happen at any time. Will it happen before his 22nd birthday? That comes May 27. Bet among yourselves.

I came here hoping Moncada might shed some light on that. Or that, at the very least, he’d declare himself ready.

‘‘What the heck are we waiting for?’’ I imagined him saying. ‘‘Let’s light this candle.’’ But no. That’s not what Moncada said at all. Here’s some of what he did say:

‘‘Everything is a process. You have to go step-by-step.’’

‘‘You’re not going to have success out of the blue; you have to work for it.’’

‘‘It’s an honor [to be rated as the No. 1 prospect], but I don’t try to pay too much attention to that. I don’t try to put that on my mind.’’

The strapping 6-2 Cuban said these things through an interpreter who somehow managed to avoid falling asleep while performing his duty. I’m going to suggest that, from now on, Moncada should be recognized for his sixth ‘‘tool’’: the ability to wield clichés like a 10-time All-Star.

But I should rein myself in now because Sox fans surely don’t care about Moncada as an interviewee. They care about Moncada as a switch-hitting lacer of baseballs, as a base-stealer, as a promising glove man who many think has a higher ceiling than that of his favorite player, Robinson Cano.

All signs on those fronts are glowing. Moncada’s teammates and manager, former longtime major-leaguer Mark Grudzielanek, were pleased — truly — to heap praise on the jewel of the Sox’ organization. That’s as positive an indicator as one could hope for.

‘‘I’ve played with a lot of really good players in my career,’’ said 23-year-old infielder Jose Vinicio, who also was Moncada’s teammate in the Red Sox’ organization, ‘‘but I haven’t seen anybody who can do the things that he does.’’

Pitcher Carson Fulmer, another guy who’s hoping for a call-up soon, called Moncada ‘‘incredible.’’ Grudzielanek called him ‘‘special.’’

But you know what stands out just as clearly? How sincerely they seem to like and admire Moncada, who is hitting .345 with six home runs and 11 RBI. It reminded me of the way Cubs farmhands used to describe Kris Bryant.

‘‘He’s a great guy, a great person,’’ Vinicio said. ‘‘He doesn’t walk around like he’s higher or he should be looked at any different from any of the other guys. He has that stature, but he stays the same person.’’

Fulmer grinned from ear to ear when asked about Moncada.

‘‘His ability on the field is one thing,’’ he said, ‘‘but the kind of person he is is another. We get that inside scoop being around teammates, and he’s one guy I definitely like having around.’’

Grudzielanek, who played for six big-league teams, including the Cubs, was an All-Star and Gold Glove-winning infielder. Once each, that is. He was a fine player, but he knows his talent didn’t even approach Moncada’s.

Moncada might know that, too, but it hasn’t made him work any less diligently under Grudzielanek’s guidance. Their daily one-on-one sessions have been productive. They might not last much longer.

‘‘He’s there,’’ Grudzielanek said before making a slight correction. ‘‘He’s getting there. But you could throw him out there right now [with the Sox], and he’d be fine. There’s no question about it.’’

Moncada looked the part Monday. Batting from the left side, he lined a single to right. He stole a base. Even on more routine plays, his simple movements managed to impress. He isn’t a normal athlete.

There’s nothing unexciting about that.

Expect better things from Jose Quintana By John Grochowski / Chicago Sun-Times | May 8, 2017

Short-term results have to be pretty far out of line with expectations to move the needle much in long-term projections.

That the White Sox are 15-15 and have been in and out of first place in the American League Central has made for an interesting month-plus, but they’re still a rebuilding team. Fangraphs.com projections point toward a 56-76 record for the rest of the season.

The same goes for individual players. Without a major breakthrough or disastrous collapse, projections will suggest a player’s most likely results from this point forward will be close to his norm.

Take starting pitcher Jose Quintana, who has struggled to a 2-5 record with a 4.46 ERA and 4.01 FIP (fielding- independent pitching). For his career, Quintana has a 3.45 ERA and 3.49 FIP.

In projecting the rest of his season, his career levels — especially his most recent three seasons — are given more weight than a weak start. Opposition is a factor, and so is the 28-year-old Quintana’s place on the aging curve.

FIP is a better predictor of future ERA than ERA is itself, and Quintana has shown some erosion in FIP. From 2014 to 2016, his FIPs were 2.81, 3.18 and 3.56 even while ERAs were steady at 3.32, 3.36 and 3.20.

So for the rest of the season, Fangraphs projects Quintana with a 3.76 FIP and a 3.84 ERA — better than he has been so far this season, but continuing the FIP erosion of recent years.

To translate that into Fangraphs’ wins above replacement, Quintana is at 0.7 this season. It’s early, but he posted fWARs of 5.1, 4.8 and 4.8 from 2014 to 2016. By his current projection, he would post 3.5 the rest of this season.

Quintana stands as an example of the differences between fWAR at Fangraphs and bWAR at Baseball-Reference.com. Fangraphs bases pitching WAR on FIP and Baseball-Reference on runs allowed. When Quintana’s FIPs were better than his ERAs in 2014-15, his fWARs were better than the 3.2 and 4.1 at Baseball- Reference. With a weaker FIP but a strong ERA last season, Quintana had a 5.4 bWAR that exceeded his fWAR. With a high ERA this season, Quintana is on the negative side with a -0.3 bWAR.

Which is more useful depends on what you want out of the stat, with bWAR regarded as more reflective about what has happened — how good was the pitcher at keeping runs off the board? — and fWAR more predictive of how good a pitcher will be in following seasons.

Fangraphs’ predictive approach allows it to update projections day by day during the season. The numbers are not hard- and-fast predictions. They’re closer to the most likely end points in a range of probabilities, guided in part by how similar players have performed in the past.

For Quintana, the most likely scenario by the numbers is that for the rest of the season he will be closer to the pitcher he has been in past seasons than the one he has been in April and early May.

Ladendorf close to realizing dream with Chicago White Sox Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | May 8, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS -- Late in the 2015 season, Tyler Ladendorf was living two dreams at once.

First, he finally was back in the major leagues, with Oakland.

Ladendorf opened the season on the Athletics' 25-man roster and made his big-league debut in April.

Optioned to Class AAA Nashville after playing in only four games with the A's, Ladendorf broke his ankle and was sidelined for nearly four months.

A 2006 Maine West High School graduate, Ladendorf worked his way back and was on Oakland's expanded roster in late September for a series in Chicago against the White Sox, the team he grew up rooting for.

"It was special playing against the White Sox in an A's uniform a couple years ago," Ladendorf said Monday. "Now, to possibly have a chance to put that jersey on, it's kind of hard to even fathom. You grow up rooting for this team and you get a chance to kind of go back home and play.

"To be able to put on the big-league jersey of the team you grew up rooting for, not only would I feel like my professional career came full circle, it would be a dream come true."

Ladendorf's dream became closer to reality on March 7, when he signed a minor-league contract with the Sox after spending the last eight years in Oakland's system.

Now 29, Ladendorf is playing for Class AAA Charlotte. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder was the Knights' designated hitter against the Indianapolis Indians on Monday night, but he also plays all four infield spots and all three outfield spots.

"He gives me flexibility and it's really nice to have a guy like that," Charlotte manager Mark Grudzielanek said. "He's been phenomenal for us all year, in this short five-six week period. He can play everywhere. I put him at first base in spring training a little bit and he didn't miss a beat there.

"He's a great guy; he understands his role, understands what he needs to do, and that's how he needs to get there."

"There" is the White Sox, but spending time with his new team in spring training instantly made Ladendorf feel at home.

"My agent was in talks with a few teams during the off-season and obviously you're looking for the best opportunity," Ladendorf said. "(New director of player development) Chris Getz had a huge influence in bringing me in. They told me this would be a good position for me, obviously with my versatility.

"Just come here and get at-bats and more than anything kind of showcase your abilities, As a free agent, that's all you can ask for, an opportunity to come in and play at an extremely high level.

"But it's just amazing. The first couple of days I was down there, and throughout spring training, to see just how many former players are back in rover roles or coaching. (Aaron) Rowand, Getz, (Scott) Podsednik, Willie Harris, (Jim) Thome comes back. It's a countless number of guys that you're growing up rooting for.

"It says a lot about the atmosphere they create here from the top down, so many players want to come back and be a part of what they've got going on."

In the best-case scenario, Ladendorf would play out his career with the White Sox and then come back into the organization as a coach.

For now, he's just concentrating on making a good impression at Charlotte.

"When I was with Oakland, I took a lot of pride in being able to do everything," Ladendorf said. "It's just kind of a deal where you have to be willing to do whatever you can to get on the field.

"Injuries happen, things happen, trades, all of that stuff. You just want to put yourself in the best position so that if something happens up top, you're one of the first guys that they might want to call on. You want to make sure you're prepared and you want to make sure you're ready."

Moncada looks ready, but Chicago White Sox won't rush him Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | May 8, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS -- The more he plays, the more you know.

Yoan Moncada belongs in the major leagues.

"The guy's incredible," said starting pitcher Carson Fulmer, Moncada's Class AAA Charlotte teammate.

Getting off to a bit of a slow start with the Knights this season, the 21-year-old second baseman is now in quite a groove.

In Monday night's 5-3 loss to the Indianapolis Indians at Victory Field, Moncada went 1-for-5. Earlier in the day, the Chicago White Sox's top prospect was named International League batter of the week after going 11-for-22 (.500) with 2 home runs, 4 RBI and 8 runs scored while raising his overall average to .352.

"It's my first time with this team, but I've been feeling good," said Moncada, one of four players acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Chris Sale trade. "This season has been good for me. I've performed in the way that I wanted and I'm happy with it. I know that it's a lot of work to do, but I've been feeling good and happy with my performance."

Nearly three weeks shy of his 22nd birthday, Moncada already has shown he has the tools to become a big-time star with the White Sox.

He can hit from both sides of the plate, for average and power. He has blazing speed. A natural third baseman, he already has made several highlight defensive plays at second base.

Moncada is ready, but the Sox are rebuilding and they are likely to keep the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder at Charlotte into July so he doesn't gain "Super Two" status. That would cost the White Sox a year of salary arbitration.

"His situation is a little bit different than most," Knights manager Mark Grudzielanek said. "He's so young and the reps, learning situations out there, being in the right spots, he hasn't had a whole lot of hours out there.

"This is nothing but good for him. It's not just about hitting and catching the ball. There are so many more little things, detailed stuff, you have to learn and understand.

"He's there, he's getting there. You could throw him up there (majors) right now and he'd be fine, there's no question about it. It's a work in progress. They'll be some things there, 'How come he didn't know that, or this?' Well, he's 21 years old, how many minor-league games has he played in?

"That's out of my hands, when he's ready. I give my opinion and there are people up there that get paid to do that. I'm not in that situation. I love having him here, he's a phenomenal talent and he's going to have a hopefully long and healthy big- league career and we'll see where that goes.

"But he has potential to be somebody very special."

Impressive start:

After making the difficult jump from Class AA Birmingham's starting rotation to the White Sox's bullpen last July, it's not surprising Carson Fulmer failed to land on his feet.

The Sox's first-round draft choice in 2015 (No. 8 overall), Fulmer finished last year in AAA Charlotte's rotation and was 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA in his final 3 starts.

This season Fulmer is 4-1 with a 2.88 ERA with the Knights.

"I've had some really good starts," he said. "I had one that kind of got away from me a little bit. But after that, I've had some really good quality starts. I've thrown a ton of strikes and I've gotten past five innings each time I've been out. I'm continuing to work on it."