Kopech struggling with command in Triple-A

White Sox No. 2 prospect has walked eight batters over his past 6 1/3 innings

May 14th, 2018

CHICAGO -- has hit his first speed bump of the season for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
The White Sox No. 2 prospect and No. 10 prospect overall according to MLB Pipeline, had some command issues in his past two starts. Kopech has walked eight opposing hitters in his past 6 1/3 innings, including his outing on Friday where he gave up eight runs.
Kopech, who just turned 22 years old two weeks ago, hadn't walked more than two batters in a start this season. That Friday outing also saw him throw 87 pitches and strike out six in just 3 1/3 frames.
Kopech will look to rebound in his next start, likely to come Thursday vs. Toledo.
Below is a rundown of other notable White Sox prospects:
, RHP, Double-A Birmingham
Dunning became the first top prospect to earn a promotion a few weeks ago, moving up from Class A Advanced Winston-Salem to Birmingham on April 26. Since that personal accomplishment, he has continued to pitch well.
The White Sox No. 6 prospect and No. 70 prospect overall has made four starts with Birmingham thus far, pitching to a 2.78 ERA while striking out 18 in 22 2/3 innings. He has held opposing hitters to a .274/.351/.310 slash line.
Dunning's walk totals in the Southern League are already higher than his numbers with Winston-Salem. The 23-year-old has walked nine hitters with Birmingham, but he walked only three in four starts with the Dash. 
Blake Rutherford, OF, Winston-Salem
Rutherford has started to see his power numbers tick up ever so slightly.
Through his first 21 games, the White Sox No. 7 prospect had hit for average, racking up hits at a .344 clip. However, he didn't hit a home run until his 22nd game, on May 5. Since that contest, Rutherford has hit two more home runs, which came in consecutive appearances on Wednesday and Thursday.
As a result, Rutherford's slugging percentage has risen to .500, good for third on the team behind and . Rutherford's 14 extra-base hits are also third on the Dash, again behind Adolfo and Alexander.
Luis Gonzalez, OF, Class A Kannapolis
Gonzalez is off to a hot start in his first full professional season for Kannapolis.
The White Sox No. 18 prospect and third-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft has hit to a .390/.444/.634 slash line over his past 19 games dating back to April 17. In this hot streak, Gonzalez has tallied at least one hit in 17 of the 19 contests, including six doubles, four home runs and one triple.
This comes after a slow start, where Gonzalez hit a meager .222 in the Intimidators' first 10 games of the year. Additionally, the 22-year-old leads Kannapolis in OPS with a .945 mark, good for third in the South Atlantic League.