Where the White Sox Top 30 prospects are starting the season

April 4th, 2017

With the 2017 season getting started, here's a look at where the White Sox Top 30 prospects are projected to start the season:
1. -- Charlotte Knights (AAA)
2. -- Charlotte Knights (AAA)
3. -- Birmingham Barons (AA)
4. -- Charlotte Knights (AAA)
5. -- Charlotte Knights (AAA)
6. -- Winston-Salem Dash (A Adv)
7. Zack Burdi -- Charlotte Knights (AAA)
8. -- Winston-Salem Dash (A Adv)
9. Alec Hansen -- Kannapolis Intimidators (A)
10. -- Kannapolis Intimidators (A)
11. -- Birmingham Barons (AA)
12. Charlie Tilson -- Disabled list
13. Jordan Stephens -- Birmingham Barons (AA)
14. Alex Call -- Winston-Salem Dash (A Adv)
15. Jameson Fisher -- Kannapolis Intimidators (A)
16. -- Charlotte Knights (AAA)
17. Trey Michalczewski -- Birmingham Barons (AA)
18. Bernardo Flores -- Kannapolis Intimidators (A)
19. Amado Nunez -- Extended spring camp
20. Micker Adolfo -- Kannapolis Intimidators (A)
21. -- Extended spring training
22. Victor Diaz -- Winston-Salem Dash (A Adv)
23. Jake Peter -- Birmingham Barons (AA)
24. Luis Curbelo -- Extended spring training
25. -- Birmingham Barons (AA)
26. -- Chicago White Sox (MLB)
27. -- Chicago White Sox (MLB)
28. Matt Cooper -- Birmingham Barons (AA)
29. -- Charlotte Knights (AAA)
30. Zach Thompson -- Winston-Salem Dash (A Adv)
Complete White Sox prospect coverage on MLBPipeline.com/WhiteSox
Team to watch
Fans hoping Chicago's rebuilding goes quickly will be reassured by this list. There are seven members of the Top 30 who are starting the year with Triple-A Charlotte (and seven more with Double-A Birmingham). Four of the top five, and five of the top 10, will be in the International League, the proverbial phone call away. In addition to top prospect Yoan Moncada in the infield, Charlotte's pitching staff should be fun to watch, with Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Carson Fulmer in the rotation and 2016 first-round pick Zack Burdi potentially closing things out.
Where baseball's top prospects are starting the 2017 season
Teams on MiLB.TV
Charlotte Knights
Birmingham Barons
Winston-Salem Dash
New faces
With the two big trades this offseason, it might seem like there are more new faces than familiar ones. Moncada and the three starters listed above will make their organizational debuts in Charlotte. So will hard-throwing Michael Kopech, down a level with Double-A Birmingham. And don't sleep on Dane Dunning, who arrived in the trade, who will start the year with Kannapolis in the South Atlantic League.
On the shelf
Outfielder Charlie Tilson has had trouble avoiding the injury bug since joining the White Sox. He joined the club last July in the Zach Duke trade, then made his big league debut and tore his hamstring all in the same day. Tilson had a good chance to make the Opening Day roster, but a stress reaction in his foot has landed him back on the shelf. He'll remain in a walking boot for a few more weeks before being able to return to baseball activities.