White Sox: 3 targets at No. 4 pick in 2018 Draft
Brady Singer, RHP – Florida
Brady Singer is hands down the top pitcher in this year’s draft. Whether he is available at number four will depend on whether Tigers, Giants, and Phillies choose offensive players. However, if they do (which is entirely possible) the Chicago White Sox will have a very interesting decision.
Just as I said you can never have enough young players, that’s twice as true for pitchers. Drafting a pitcher is like buying a lottery ticket. Granted, projecting position players is difficult as well, but there are so many additional variables with pitchers. At the top of that list is injuries. The White Sox could opt not to use such a high pick on a pitcher, especially if they are not sold that he is dominant.
However, they would be wise to invest in Brady Singer if he is available. Reynaldo Lopez has been good so far this season. Michael Kopech and Dylan Cease have also progressed nicely in the minors. On the other hand, Carson Fulmer and Lucas Giolito, have struggled mightily. This underscores the need to continue to invest in young starting pitching. You never know from year to year, what you’re going to get.
Ace @gatorsbaseball RHP Brady Singer slings an electric fastball up to 97 mph mixing in a biting slider and an evolving changeup. Could be a top pick in the upcoming @MLBDraft. The value of the first five picks: 1)$8,096,300 2)$7,494,600 3)$6,947,500 4)$6,411,400 5)$5,946,400 pic.twitter.com/7An7ZcK8Hz
— Future Stars Series - Puerto Rico (@fss_puertorico) May 16, 2018
So what would the White Sox potentially be getting in Singer? For starters, they’d get a confident guy. The Toronto Blue Jays selected Singer 56th overall in 2015. He turned down the Blue Jays and chose to enroll at Florida. While there, he only improved his draft stock.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound tall drink of water consistently throws his fastball in the mid-90s. During his collegiate career, he continued to develop a slider and changeup, which are currently both above average pitches.
The other thing that stands out about Singer is his control. Over the course of his collegiate career, he struck out 259 and walked only 67. That kind of control is impressive, especially for a pitcher as lanky as he is.
If the White Sox do decide to roll the dice on a pitcher, Singer is certainly the pick. And with the amount of offensive depth they have in the minors, Singer makes the most sense.
Next: Renteria's future uncertain?
Bottom Line
There has been a lot of chatter recently about who the White Sox will draft on June 4th. While we are all speculating, with the fourth pick we can make an educated guess as to who it will (should) be. However, the smart money is on the three players mentioned above. If given the choice, Singer should be the pick.