GLENDALE, Ariz. — If you’re Blake Rutherford and don’t like crowds, the White Sox outfield prospects club isn’t for you. If you’re any aspiring Sox outfielder, for that matter, good luck working your way through a maze of talent.
The Sox’ collection of quality minor league outfielders is deep, easily their strongest area with seven of their seven 11 prospects per MLB Pipeline playing on the grass.
The name game starts with Eloy Jimenez, the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball, followed by Luis Robert (No. 40). It continues with Luis Basabe, Micker Adolfo, Rutherford, Luis Gonzalez and Steele Walker in the Sox’ top 11.
For the Sox, strength in numbers is a good problem. For the individuals, competition on a difficult path to the majors can’t hurt.
Rutherford is well aware of the depth — he played with Robert, Gonzalez, Basabe and Adolfo at advanced Class A Winston-Salem last season.
“I’ve never seen such young talent in the minor leagues in some time,” said Omar Vizquel, the 2018 manager at Winston-Salem. “When I played in the minor leagues, you saw three or four prospects per team but … almost the whole lineup was pretty good. I believe these guys sometime will be here soon and it will be fun to see them.”
If there is competition between them all, the 6-3, 214-pound Rutherford said it’s of the friendly, healthy variety. All of those good ones don’t intimidate him.
“It doesn’t really change anything for me,” said Rutherford, who came to his first major league camp bigger and stronger with 14 added pounds, thanks to an intense offseason workout regimen. “If anything, it’s a blessing to work alongside some of those players and learn from them. Just see what they do, take things from them, bounce ideas off them.”
At Winston-Salem, Rutherford batted .293/.345/.436 with seven homers, a team-high nine triples, 25 doubles and led the team with 78 RBI in 115 games.
“We try to help each other out,” Rutherford said. “I feel like the reason we all had success is because we were cheering for each other. If one of us would pick something up we’d tell the other guy so they could have success, too. That led to a positive vibe and season for all the outfielders at Winston.”
A first-round Yankees draft pick in 2016 (18th overall), Rutherford came to the Sox with Ian Clarkin, Tito Polo and Tyler Clippard in the 2017 trade for Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle. This is his first major league camp, and he says he’s keeping his eyes open, watching major leaguers work and play baseball.
“I was excited and a little nervous when I first got here, obviously,” Rutherford said, “but I calmed down a lot and I just go out there, enjoying playing games and taking all the moments in.”
Rutherford has appeared in five Cactus League games, playing right field, and is 4-for-13 with a double.
“I’m confident with where I am at, where I am going and the adjustments I’ve made in the cage,” Rutherford said. “Continuing to develop my swing. There is a lot more for me to learn.”
Of the group, only Gonzalez (third round, 2017) and Walker (second round, 2018) were drafted by the Sox. Jimenez, Basabe and Rutherford were acquired in trades and Robert and Adolfo were signed in the international free-agent market.
