Nick Madrigal won a minor league Gold Glove, backing up the defensive hype

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Whatever questions you might have about how Nick Madrigal will fare at the major league level, he's proving that the hype surrounding certain parts of his game was entirely warranted.

After striking out just 16 times all season, showing off his trademark outrageous contact skills, Madrigal's defense got some attention Monday, when he was awarded a minor league glove for his work at second base.

The White Sox wasted no time hyping Madrigal's defensive skills after drafting him, with then amateur scouting director Nick Hostetler talking on draft night about Madrigal as a Gold Glove caliber infielder.

Well, a year and a half later, Madrigal's got the Gold Glove to back it up.

As for the particulars, Madrigal had a .992 fielding percentage in his 108 games at three different minor league levels. He made just four errors on the season and was a part of 95 double-play turns.

Coincidentally, the White Sox might end up with Gold Glove second basemen at both the minor and major league level, if Yolmer Sanchez and his fantastic defensive season should receive the same honor Madrigal just did.

Madrigal's nearing ascent to the major league level could end up being part of the reason Sanchez, who's projected to receive a 2020 salary north of $6 million through the arbitration process, might be non-tendered by the team.

We'll see how that all plays out, but Madrigal is expected to be the White Sox starting second baseman for much of the 2020 season, general manager Rick Hahn said during his end-of-season press conference last month. White Sox fans might have to wait a little longer than they do for Luis Robert, the top-ranked prospect in the organization expected to make his big league debut before the end of April, but Madrigal, who the team took with the No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft, shouldn't be too far behind.

And when he gets here, not only can fans expect the offensive skills that produced a .311 batting average and a .377 on-base percentage this season, but also the defensive skills that just won him a Gold Glove.

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