GLENDALE, Ariz. -- White Sox Instructional League action ended on Wednesday, a stretch beginning on Sept. 20 and featuring a four-day mini-camp at Camelback Ranch that included some of the system's top prospects.
Here are some of the key sentiments from players, coaches and front-office personnel involved as told to MLB.com.
"In Spring Training, he noticed I wasn't throwing my curveball consistently. One of the big things he said was, 'Land before you throw it,' and that's one of the cues I've stuck with now. So he definitely helped me."
-- Dylan Cease, MLB Pipeline's Minor League Pitcher of the Year and the No. 3 White Sox prospect per MLB Pipeline, on help from James Shields
"We've had some really tough conversations. He's been frustrated. But he's in a really good place right now. He's walking around without a boot. We are slowly working into baseball activity, and with it starting to get a little bit more smiles out of Jake. He kind of sees the light at the end of the tunnel, which at the end of the day makes us all happy."
-- White Sox director of player development Chris Getz on third baseman Jake Burger, the No. 13 White Sox prospect who is working his way back from two ruptured Achilles
"None, no pressure. Kind of old hat now. I'm hoping this is the last time I have to talk about that and worry about picking that high."
-- White Sox director of amateur scouting Nick Hostetler on picking third overall in the 2019 Draft
"Come Spring Training '19, I'm going to put myself in position where I feel confident and comfortable and can have fun and compete for a job."
-- Right-hander Zack Burdi, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery as part of Glendale's roster in the Arizona Fall League
"We've got players who haven't played with each other, with different backgrounds and cultures. The more times we get these guys together, the more comfortable they will be playing together in the future, but certainly come Spring Training."
-- Getz on the idea behind the four-day mini-camp
"[Cease] was lights-out any time I saw him. He was always throwing well, has a good clean delivery, the ball comes out of his hand really well. He's very talented. Like I said, the ball jumps out of his hand real quick, and he's got off-speed and command. People with those kinds of tools and stuff like that are definitely people who stay in the big leagues."
-- Right-hander Dane Dunning, the No. 6 White Sox prospect, on Cease
"A lot of us didn't get the chance to spend a lot of time together during the season. I've even got to know some of these guys better the last couple days than I have in the two years I've known them since we've been drafted, because we were at different levels. It's definitely beneficial for sure."
-- Right-hander Jimmy Lambert, the No. 21 White Sox prospect
"He's got a drive to be good in all facets of the game. Obviously in the box it comes very natural to him. He's a good-sized kid, which obviously benefits him very well in the box. It's something he needs to stay on top of defensively. He can be a solid outfielder, he can be a good baserunner, but it comes with the daily discipline of doing the things you need to do to become those things. He made great strides toward the end of this season."
-- Getz on Eloy Jimenez, who was not in Arizona but ranks as the No. 1 White Sox prospect
"He never could quite kick it in to two or three outings in a row. Even in his really rough ones, there were flashes of his old self. I don't want to use the term mulligan. He lost a year, but I also think he's talented enough that if he gets it going at the beginning again next year, I certainly anticipate he'll get back to where he was a year ago."
-- White Sox Minor League pitching coordinator Kirk Champion on Alec Hansen's rough 2018 season
"I've played shortstop my whole life. I feel comfortable at the position. Even last year, during the offseason before I went to a college season when I was going to play second base, I've always worked shortstop. Throughout the season, I bounced back and forth to shortstop and second base during BP. I've always continued to get my reps at shortstop."
-- Nick Madrigal, the White Sox top pick in the 2018 Draft, on working at shortstop during Instructs after playing second in-season.
"The learning never stops. The coaching staff, the guys who are heading these things, are spot on with what they say. Spot on with their vision for this core group of guys, so it's been really good."
-- Steele Walker, the White Sox second round pick in the 2018 Draft