‘Superstar’ quality will be available to White Sox with third pick in draft

‘‘I’m going to always feel the pressure to get this thing right,’’ scouting director Nick Hostetler said. ‘‘It’s pretty exciting what we are going to be able to do on Monday night.’’

SHARE ‘Superstar’ quality will be available to White Sox with third pick in draft
Image_1_14.png

White Sox scouting director Nick Hostetler

White Sox scouting director Nick Hostetler sees the top five or six players in the Major League Baseball Draft on Monday as better on the whole than the top tiers of most drafts. That’s a good thing for the Sox, who are drafting third.

The depth of the draft is a different story.

‘‘I don’t see the depth that we’ve seen the last few years,’’ Hostetler said. ‘‘Your top 10 picks all have the ability to be impact superstars at the major-league level, which is a little higher than normal.’’

There’s always room for superstars, and the rebuilding Sox, who earned the third pick by losing 100 games last season, must improve on their track record for drafting.

‘‘As far as pressure goes, it doesn’t matter if it’s pick No. 3 or 30,’’ said Hostetler, who has seen the Sox select catcher Zack Collins, third baseman Jake Burger and second baseman Nick Madrigal in the first round in his three years since being promoted from assistant scouting director. ‘‘I’m going to always feel the pressure to get this thing right. It’s pretty exciting what we are going to be able to do on Monday night.’’

Here are the players Hostetler, general manager Rick Hahn, executive vice president Ken Williams and even chairman Jerry Reinsdorf — he has the final say, Hostetler said — are looking at: catcher Adley Rutschman of Oregon State; shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of Heritage High School in Colleyville, Texas; first baseman Andrew Vaughn of Cal; shortstop CJ Abrams of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia; and outfielder JJ Bleday of Vanderbilt.

Most forecasts see Rutschman going to the Orioles at No. 1 and Witt Jr. to the Royals at No. 2, with the Sox choosing between Vaughn and Abrams.

Hostetler said that the choice will be the best player, regardless of organizational need, and that the decision will be ‘‘a collective effort.’’

‘‘But final say? Jerry’s got final say in all of it,’’ Hostetler said. ‘‘But at the same time, he lets us do our job.’’

The Latest
A news release from NU Educators for Justice in Palestine, Student Liberation Union and Jewish Voice for Peace said the camp is meant to be “a safe space for those who want to show their support of the Palestinian people.”
Powerhouse showcase is part of a weekend of music events planned for Grant Park’s Festival Field great lawn, which also features previously announced sets by Keith Urban, the Chainsmokers, the Black Keys and Lauren Alaina.
Last year, Black and Brown residents, Muslim Americans, Jewish Americans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and others were targeted in hate crimes more than 300 times. Smart new policies, zero tolerance, cooperation and unity can defeat hate.
The city is willing to put private interests ahead of public benefit and cheer on a wrongheaded effort to build a massive domed stadium — that would be perfect for Arlington Heights — on Chicago’s lakefront.
Following its launch, the popular Mediterranean restaurant is set to open a second area outlet this summer in Vernon Hills.