White Sox select high school righty Ball in 11th round

The White Sox started Day 3 of the First-Year Player Draft by taking their fourth high school player. Bonita Vista High School right-hander Matthew Ball shined in the Mesa League this year, leading the San Diego Section with 115 strikeouts and a 0.71 ERA in the regular season.

Chicago drafted Ball in the 11th round with the 333rd overall pick, investing in another young arm for the future. The White Sox used six of their eight picks on Friday to draft pitchers, and they continued that trend into the early part of Saturday.

Bonita Vista coach Vince Gervais told UT Preps, a San Diego-area prep school source, that Ball can consistently hit 86 mph and tops out around 92 mph. Those numbers should only improve as Ball continues to build arm strength and develop.

Ball held opponents to a .166 batting average and won seven of his 11 starts on the season. He threw seven complete games and didn't allow a home run, according to Max Preps.