Chicago White Sox: Jacob May Should Begin Season as Starting Center Fielder
The Chicago White Sox must give Jacob May an opportunity to prove himself in center field to start the season.
There is no doubt about it, the Chicago White Sox are in an obvious rebuilding situation. They are not going to be a competitive team in 2017 no matter what they do. Nobody wants to watch their favorite team lose over and over again, but winning games accomplishes nothing for the long-term health of the franchise.
The most important part of the 2017 season for the Chicago White Sox is player progression. The more potential impact long-term players they can find this season, the better. In order to find these players, they must give opportunities to shine at the big league level.
Entering Spring Training, Charlie Tilson was expected to be the White Sox’ center fielder. Tilson is a talented 24-year-old player who could have a bright future with the White Sox. They appeared perfectly ready to give him an opportunity to prove himself in center field for the big league team. However, Tilson suffered a foot injury early in the Spring and he is expected to miss about a month of the regular season.
So, who will step up and play center field in his absence? The most obvious choice is probably Peter Bourjos. The White Sox signed the soon to be 30-year-old Bourjos to a minor league deal this offseason. He has a lot of major league experience, but he is a career .243/.300/.382 hitter.
Bourjos is a glove-first player who really does not even play high-level defense anymore. That being said, he is tearing the cover off of the ball during Spring Training. Through 42 at-bats, Bourjos is hitting an impressive .333/.349/.548. But do we really think this is sustainable?
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We have a large sample size of Bourjos in the majors. He is hot right now, but why should the White Sox think he is all of a sudden a potential long-term asset? It is nice to see Bourjos performing well, but I am not buying it.
Instead of running Bourjos out there for the first month of the season, I would love to see the White Sox give a player with some upside in their system a shot. 25-year-old prospect Jacob May should be the guy.
May was a third-round selection by the Chicago White Sox in the 2013 draft. He has steadily moved up the system, showing strong defensive skills, great speed and impressive overall athleticism. May is a career .273/.332/.379 hitter in the minors, including hitting .266/.309/.352 in 321 Triple-A at-bats last season. Obviously not the greatest numbers.
May shows almost no power but he has a good approach at the plate and strong contact skills. He knows how to work the count and he does not strike out much. He is also always a threat to swipe a bag on the base paths.
Similar to Bourjos, May is a glove-first player who probably will not hit enough to be an everyday player at the big league level. However, also similar to Bourjos, May is tearing it up this Spring. Through 47 at-bats, May is hitting an impressive .344/.372/.511. Now, he probably did not just find the magic touch overnight, but there is still some upside here.
Maybe May found something this offseason and this is the start of an offensive breakout? Even if May continues to be a below average hitter, his speed, defense and overall athleticism give him a chance to at least become a long-term bench asset.
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When it comes to Bourjos, we know what he is. He is a short-term fix who can step in and play if needed. However, he does not have any long-term potential. May is far from a finished product, but he has a chance to become a valuable member of the White Sox for many years. I would not bank on him ever becoming a strong everyday starter in center field, but he could be a good fourth outfielder to have around.
With that in mind, the White Sox should give May an opportunity to prove himself. What does it hurt? He may not hit much, but playing center field on most nights for the first month of the season would be extremely valuable for the progression of May. Plus, all it costs is not playing Borjous. That is a no brainer.
I would not expect much out of him with the bat, but the White Sox could protect May by hitting him ninth in the order. If he surprises and has a hot start to the season, the White Sox could easily just send Tilson to Triple-A, allowing May to capitalize on his hot start.
If he struggles at the plate, send May down and give Tilson his deserved full-time opportunity when he is healthy. Either way, getting May a taste of the big leagues will help him grow into a better player. He would go back to the minors motivated to improve his game.
Next: White Sox: Five Potential Breakout Players
Starting Peter Bourjos does absolutely nothing to help this franchise long-term. Keep him around as a bench outfielder if you want, but Jacob May should be starting in center field for the Chicago White Sox.