Before Thursday, six duos of players from the same organization were been ranked by MLB.com as top 10 prospects since 2011 (see the full list at the bottom of this article). In trading Jose Quintana, the White Sox formed the seventh such pair with Yoan Moncada (No. 1) and Eloy Jimenez (No. 8) in their farm system.
While Moncada is with Triple-A Charlotte and Jimenez debuted Friday with advanced Single-A Winston-Salem, the two top prospects have had an opportunity to get to know each other during the 2016 and 2017 Futures Games, when both played for the World team. And both came away impressed with each other during their time together.
“(Moncada’s) a quiet guy, a bashful guy,” Jimenez said through an interpreter. “He didn’t say too much, but he has a hard work ethic. He’s all business when he’s on the team. You can see him focus on the game, focus on the things he has to do. But at the same time, he’s a nice guy. It’s fun to be around him.”
Said Moncada of Jimenez: “ I can tell you he is a really nice guy and a great baseball talent. … I’m really happy to have him with us in the White Sox organization.”
In the 2016 Futures Game, Moncada and Jimenez both homered, while Moncada had two RBIs and Jimenez had four to lead the World team to its first win over the United States in seven years. Moncada (0/2, one strikeout) and Jimenez (0/2, two strikeouts) didn’t have much success in this year’s Futures Game, but that didn’t ding either player’s star prospect shine.
Another player in the White Sox system heaped praise on Jimenez on Friday, too. Outfielder Micker Adolfo (MLB.com’s No. 23 White Sox prospect) is a longtime friend of Jimenez, and both players signed for seven-figure bonuses out of the Dominican Republic in 2013.
“He is a great human being and a nice, humble, disciplined person,” Adolfo said. “He never changes his mood and is always happy and positive no matter his situation or his results. He is always trying to make the people around him better and giving them advice. He will be a great teammate.
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“… As an athlete, he is great. He is an outstanding baseball player. I talked to him yesterday after the trade and I told him all the good things about this organization. I’m excited to play with him.”
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Two prospects from the same organzation in the MLB.com top 10, 2011-2017:
2017, White Sox: Yoan Moncada (1), Eloy Jimenez (8)
2016, Red Sox: Yoan Moncada (1), Andrew Benintendi (5)
2016, Pirates: Tyler Glasnow (8), Austin Meadows (9)
2014, Cubs: Kris Bryant (3), Addison Russell (5)
2014, Twins: Byron Buxton (1), Miguel Sano (7)
2013, Twins: Byron Buxton (1), Miguel Sano (3)
2012, Mariners: Taijuan Walker (4), Danny Hultzen (8)