Viciedo leads a blossoming crop down on the farm
Who have been the White Sox' two best minor-league players this season?
You've got to start with Class AAA Charlotte right fielder Dayan Viciedo, who has been tearing it up all season.
The second-place trophy goes to Jake Peavy, who made 4 rehab starts for Charlotte and was 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA.
OK, Peavy is not a serious selection, but his inclusion should tip off Sox fans to something that's been obvious for years — developing prospects is not a big priority for the organization.
Actually, that's not completely true.
The White Sox are pretty good at bringing along young talent so general manager Kenny Williams can trade them from major-league ready players.
That's why, in recent years, you've seen youngsters like Daniel Hudson, Gio Gonzalez (twice), Clayton Richard, Chris Young, Chris Getz and John Ely head out the door for more established names.
It's a big-market philosophy, but that doesn't mean the Sox completely turn their back on the farm system.
Gordon Beckham and Chris Sale were recent first-round picks that quickly found themselves in the big leagues — maybe a little too quickly in Beckham's case.
Brent Morel is another player that came up through the system, so it does happen from time to time.
And with the White Sox getting little or nothing for big-money veterans like Adam Dunn and Alex Rios, they might start paying more attention to the minor leagues.
If they haven't been this year, here are some players to keep an eye on:
Jacob PetrickaDrafted on the second round last year behind Sale, the 23-year-old right-hander has quickly established himself as one of the Sox' top pitching prospects.
After going 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA at Kannapolis, a low Class A team, the Indiana State product has been promoted to high Class A Winston-Salem, according to FutureSox.com.
At 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, Petricka has the big fastball to match his size. If he can develop a curveball and changeup, he should really start moving up the ladder.
Tyler KuhnUndersized at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, Kuhn is nonetheless making a big name for himself at Class AA Birmingham this season.
Drafted by the Sox on the 15th round in 2008 out of West Virginia University, Kuhn was leading the Southern League with a .357 batting average and was second with a .420 on-base percentage heading into Tuesday's play.
He plays second base, third and shortstop and also spends some time in the outfield. Kuhn is a baseball player, and we all know the White Sox are a little short in that department.
Carlos SanchezThanks again to FutureSox.com for the tip on Sanchez, who was recently bumped up from Advanced Rookie Bristol to Kannapolis.
The shortstop turns 19 today and his performance in the Dominican Summer League last season made him a prospect to keep an eye on.
Ian GacYes, he comes off as a right-handed version of Adam Dunn, but the 6-foot-3, 245-pounder has made much more contact with Class A Winston-Salem this season.
Originally drafted by the Rangers in 2003, Gac leads the Carolina League in home runs (19), extra-base hits (40), runs scored (51) and total bases (152). Gac is second in RBI with 51.