White Sox draft: South Siders targeting pitchers in latest MLB mock drafts

These Sox would have an interesting choice to make here between Fulmer if he’s available, and Tate. They’ve done their due diligence on Tate of late. Tate’s stock has fallen, and it seems like his floor is at No. 9 with the Cubs. If he falls past the Phillies—which seems very unlikely—then he could slide for a bit, because teams after pick 10 stopped checking in on Tate long ago.

Fulmer helped key Vanderbilt’s run to its first College World Series title when he moved from closer to starter last April, not allowing a run in his first 29 2/3 innings in his new role. He spent the summer with the U.S. collegiate national team, leading the pitching staff in wins (three), ERA (0.73) and opponent average (.141). Fulmer has an electric arm that delivers 93-97-mph fastballs and power breaking balls. His changeup is an effective third pitch and coaches and scouts alike rave about his competitive makeup. Some scouts think he’d be best off channeling his energy into becoming a closer because he lacks size, his delivery features effort and his control can get wobbly at times. A 15th-round pick by the Red Sox from a Florida high school in 2012, Fulmer would have gone in the top five rounds had he been signable. Now he’s one of three Commodores who figure to go early in the first round in 2015, joining Walker Buehler and Dansby Swanson.

Tate showed the best stuff in the U.S. collegiate national team’s stellar bullpen during the summer. He pairs a 92-98 mph fastball with a sharp 86-87 mph slider. He mixes in a fringy curveball and his changeup has the chance to be above-average as well. Tate missed more bats in 2015 than he had previously. Though there’s considerable effort in Tate’s delivery, it also provides deception, and he’s proven to scouts this year he can start, with his athleticism translating into durability.

The White Sox are almost assuredly going to draft a college pitcher here, and Harris, Carson Fulmer and the fast rising James Kaprielian are all prime candidates. Harris is bit of a sleeper this high, but his string of very consistent and strong performances, along with superior mechanics, give him an edge.

Jay is expected to be the highest drafted player in Illinois history. He went from a relatively unknown lanky left-handed prospect from the state of Illinois in 2012 to one of the nation’s best college pitchers as a member of the Fighting Illini. A dominant closer in the Big Ten, many argue he is the school’s best hurler since former Major Leaguer Ken Holtzman. A semifinalist for this year’s Gold Spikes Award, Jay has strong control, above average swing-and-miss ability and knows how to keep hitters in the ballpark.