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  4. title => "Good news and not-as-good news for White Sox minor leaguers as MLB Pipeline unveils year-end prospect rankings"
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  6. article_body => "<p>With the end of the major league season, MLB Pipeline updated <a href=\"http:\/\/m.mlb.com\/prospects\/2018?list=prospects\" target=\"_blank\">its list of the top 100 prospects<\/a> in the game.<\/p>\n<p>And while the White Sox loaded farm system is well represented, there's both good news and not-as-good&nbsp;news concerning a few of those highly rated prospects slated to be such a big part of the team's bright future.<\/p>\n<p>The good news starts with Dylan Cease, unsurprisingly. It's well known that MLB Pipeline is wild about him after they named him their minor league pitcher of the year not too long ago. Cease's sensational season pitching at both Class A and Double-A shot him up from baseball's No. 44 prospect back in July to the No. 25 prospect right now. He also jumped over Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal on the White Sox list, making him the organization's No. 3 prospect, trailing only Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech.<\/p>\n<p>Jimenez is part of the good news, too, and he's still the No. 3 prospect in baseball. Kopech, who won't pitch again until the 2020 season after having Tommy John surgery, is ranked at No. 19.<\/p>\n<p>Three prospects in the top 25 in the game? That's obviously good news. But the aforementioned Robert and Madrigal were listed among the \"biggest fallers\" on MLB Pipeline's list, which could be seen as not-as-good news.<\/p>\n<p>Robert, who missed a big chunk of time while dealing with an injured thumb, switched spots with Cease, dropping from No. 25 to No. 44 on the top 100 list. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/news\/year-end-mlb-top-100-prospects-list\/c-296917278?tid=151437456\" target=\"_blank\">MLB Pipeline noted<\/a> his lack of big offensive numbers, exemplified by a .694 OPS. Robert's&nbsp;lack of power numbers stands out, something general manager Rick Hahn explained away as a typically late-to-return aspect for guys with similar injuries. Robert put on a powerful show in spring batting practice before injuring his thumb during spring training&nbsp;\u2014 and actually homered after he injured his thumb&nbsp;in the same Cactus League game&nbsp;\u2014 but finished with zero homers and just 14 extra-base hits in his 208 plate appearances this season.<\/p>\n<p>Madrigal, who played at three levels after joining the organization as their first-round draft pick, got dinged by MLB Pipeline for his lack of power. He banged out 47 hits in his 173 minor league plate appearances, all but seven of which were singles.&nbsp;But the White Sox are pumped about the fact that he doesn't strike out&nbsp;\u2014 he did it only five times&nbsp;\u2014 and his defensive ability at multiple positions on the infield. Regardless, he fell from No. 32 to No. 49 on MLB Pipeline's list.<\/p>\n<p>Still, those drops aside, the White Sox still boast seven of the top 100 prospects in baseball: Jimenez (No. 3), Kopech (No. 19), Cease (No. 25), Robert (No. 44), Madrigal (No. 49), Dane Dunning (No. 59) and Blake Rutherford (No. 77). That's very good news.<\/p>\n"
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White Sox

Presented By White Sox Insiders
White Sox

With the end of the major league season, MLB Pipeline updated its list of the top 100 prospects in the game.

And while the White Sox loaded farm system is well represented, there's both good news and not-as-good news concerning a few of those highly rated prospects slated to be such a big part of the team's bright future.

The good news starts with Dylan Cease, unsurprisingly. It's well known that MLB Pipeline is wild about him after they named him their minor league pitcher of the year not too long ago. Cease's sensational season pitching at both Class A and Double-A shot him up from baseball's No. 44 prospect back in July to the No. 25 prospect right now. He also jumped over Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal on the White Sox list, making him the organization's No. 3 prospect, trailing only Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech.

Jimenez is part of the good news, too, and he's still the No. 3 prospect in baseball. Kopech, who won't pitch again until the 2020 season after having Tommy John surgery, is ranked at No. 19.

Three prospects in the top 25 in the game? That's obviously good news. But the aforementioned Robert and Madrigal were listed among the "biggest fallers" on MLB Pipeline's list, which could be seen as not-as-good news.

Robert, who missed a big chunk of time while dealing with an injured thumb, switched spots with Cease, dropping from No. 25 to No. 44 on the top 100 list. MLB Pipeline noted his lack of big offensive numbers, exemplified by a .694 OPS. Robert's lack of power numbers stands out, something general manager Rick Hahn explained away as a typically late-to-return aspect for guys with similar injuries. Robert put on a powerful show in spring batting practice before injuring his thumb during spring training — and actually homered after he injured his thumb in the same Cactus League game — but finished with zero homers and just 14 extra-base hits in his 208 plate appearances this season.

 

Madrigal, who played at three levels after joining the organization as their first-round draft pick, got dinged by MLB Pipeline for his lack of power. He banged out 47 hits in his 173 minor league plate appearances, all but seven of which were singles. But the White Sox are pumped about the fact that he doesn't strike out — he did it only five times — and his defensive ability at multiple positions on the infield. Regardless, he fell from No. 32 to No. 49 on MLB Pipeline's list.

Still, those drops aside, the White Sox still boast seven of the top 100 prospects in baseball: Jimenez (No. 3), Kopech (No. 19), Cease (No. 25), Robert (No. 44), Madrigal (No. 49), Dane Dunning (No. 59) and Blake Rutherford (No. 77). That's very good news.