The White Sox farm system had a busy week at the top of the minors, with Tim Elko and Samuel Zavala putting together big finishes in Charlotte and Birmingham, while Javier Mogollón kept Winston-Salem rolling in the postseason.
In Charlotte, the Knights closed the week by taking four of five from Buffalo in Charlotte, and first baseman Tim Elko was right in the middle of it. The 27-year-old went 10-for-18 with two homers, a triple, a double and a walk, finishing with a 1.494 OPS and leading the club with five RBIs.
It was the kind of week that can flip a line in a hurry: Elko’s season slash line climbed from .188/.281/.365 to .252/.328/.466, and he’s now batting .433/.438/.767 in eight games this month. Charlotte also got useful production from Jake Cave, Rikuu Nishida, Junior Perez and Riley Unroe, while the pitching side featured strong outings from Shane Murphy, Jonathan Cannon and Drew Thorpe, among others.
The Knights now have one series left, a six-game road set against Norfolk.
Birmingham wrapped up its season by winning four of six against Knoxville, and Samuel Zavala delivered the loudest week of the bunch. The 22-year-old outfielder went 6-for-16 with two homers, a double, eight walks and seven RBIs, good for a 1.396 OPS.
Zavala finished the year with a .235/.390/.389 slash line, 14 homers and steady defense across all three outfield spots. Birmingham’s offense also got work from Caleb Bonemer, Ryan Burrowes and Dylan Campbell, while Connor McCullough, Juan Carela, Dylan Cumming, Morris Austin, Jackson Kelley and Pierce George handled the pitching work.
The Barons finished 61-77 overall, but they did make a late push and nearly forced their way into the playoff picture on second-half record.
Then there’s Winston-Salem, which is still playing for a title. The Dash went 3-0 last week, including a 2-0 Division Series sweep and a 1-0 lead in the Championship Series, and they’re now on the brink of a South Atlantic League Championship. After knocking out Bowling Green in two games, Winston-Salem opened its best-of-three matchup with Greensboro by taking Game 1.
Javier Mogollón was the headline act. The 20-year-old, ranked No. 12 among White Sox prospects, came through again and again in the postseason run.
He crushed a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the Division Series to force extra innings, and the Dash won in the 10th. He also added a two-run triple in Game 2, even with the play helped by a Bowling Green outfielder failing to track the ball properly.
Over the week, Mogollón hit 5-for-12 with two homers, a triple, two walks, a stolen base in his only attempt and eight RBIs, posting a 1.583 OPS.
Around the system, the weekly honors track the same theme: finishing strong. Elko took Charlotte’s award, Zavala got Birmingham’s, and Mogollón earned Winston-Salem’s as the Dash kept their championship push alive.
In Other News...
White Sox Just Took On A Rotation Risk Fans Can't Ignore
The White Sox entered the August 1 trade deadline looking for rotation help and came away with a big-name arm in Luis Castillo, a move that instantly raised the temperature around the front offices plans. Castillo arrived from Seattle with a track record that suggested upside, but Chicago also inherited the kind of contract and recent inconsistency that can make a deadline gamble feel a lot more complicated once the games start.
Since the deal, the right-hander has had a rough stretch in Chicago, and the early returns have only sharpened the questions about whether this was a calculated bet or a costly one. Castillo was already coming off uneven work with the Mariners before the trade, and with $21.6 million still owed in 2027, the White Sox are now tied to a rotation risk that fans will be watching closely for a turnaround. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face Troubling Front Office Shakeup At A Critical Time
The White Sox are dealing with another off-field jolt at a time when stability matters, with scouting director Mike Shirley resigning after allegations of verbal harassment that included inappropriate racial and sexist comments. Shirley had already been placed on administrative leave while the organization conducted an internal investigation, and his departure adds another layer of uncertainty to a front office that has already had plenty to navigate.
Chicago now has an important scouting position to fill while it keeps moving ahead with preparations for the 2027 draft. No replacement has been announced, and the timing makes the vacancy especially notable because amateur scouting is one of the areas where a club can least afford disruption, particularly when it is trying to build toward a long-term reset. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Playoff Push Comes With One Brutal First Round Fear
As the White Sox keep hanging around the playoff picture, the conversation has shifted from whether they can get there to what kind of first-round draw would actually suit them. Chicago has one notable advantage already in its pocket with Toronto via the tiebreaker, and it has also played Cleveland well enough to at least feel better about that matchup than some others, which matters when every edge can shape a short series.
Houston, though, is the opponent that keeps looming as the most uncomfortable fit for Chicago. The matchup discussion also turns on pitching and past postseason history, and while nothing is settled yet about who the White Sox would actually see, the way the bracket could line up makes the path ahead look a lot less inviting than the standings suggest. [Read more 🡒]