Minor matters: This season's best (and worst) White Sox prospects
There was a common thread throughout the White Sox's organization this season - losing.
The tone was set by the Sox's major-league club and the failure leaked down into the system.
Low Class A Kannapolis (67-64) was the White Sox's lone farm team to finish the season with a winning record.
Class AAA Charlotte (53-96), AA Birmingham (51-87) and high A Winston-Salem (60-66) all finished with losing records.
In fairness, winning is not the ultimate goal in minor-league baseball. Developing players that can make impacts with the Sox is what it's all about.
That's how Chris Getz views it. Before taking over for Rick Hahn as general manager on Aug. 31, he was the White Sox's farm boss.
"I've been very proud of some of the players that have come up here and helped us win, going back to us winning the division a couple of years ago," Getz said, referring to the Sox finishing first in the AL Central in 2021. "I have been managing the farm, I think we've got a lot of good people. We've got a lot of quality players."
Thanks to Hahn and executive VP Kenny Williams - who was also fired on Aug. 22 by chairman Jerry Reinsdorf - the White Sox's minor-league system improved before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Seven veterans were moved before the deadline in exchange for eight prospects.
Three of them - catcher Edgar Quero, right-handed pitcher Nick Nastrini and left-hander Jake Eder - are ranked as Top 10 prospects for the Sox by Baseball America.
With the 2023 minor-league season in the books, let's take a look at some individual highs and lows.
Best player:
Colson Montgomery was sidelined with a back strain during spring training and the 21-year-old shortstop didn't get on the field until June 19.
Making up for lost time, the White Sox's 2021 first-round draft pick hit .287/.456/.484 with 8 home runs and 37 RBI in 64 games with Birmingham, Winston-Salem and the ACL Sox.
Montgomery, Baseball America's No. 14 overall prospect, will get more playing time in the Arizona Fall League.
Best pitcher:
The numbers (8-7, 5.18 ERA) say it was an unsuccessful season for Cristian Mena, but the White Sox know otherwise.
Only 20 years old, Mena more than held his own in stops with Charlotte and Birmingham.
The right-hander has a plus fastball and curveball to match. In 133⅔ combined innings this year, Mena had 156 strikeouts and 64 walks.
Best power:
Tim Elko hit 28 home runs over 131 games with Birmingham, Winston-Salem and Kannapolis. He also ranked fourth in all of minor-league baseball with 106 RBI.
It was an impressive season for the Sox's 10th-round draft pick in 2022 out of Mississippi.
On the flip side, Elko turns 25 on Dec. 27 and the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder struck out 165 times in 554 plate appearances.
Best speed:
The Sox are looking for prospects that can run and Terrell Tatum fits the profile.
In 125 games with Birmingham and Winston-Salem this season, the 24-year-old outfielder stole 47 bases.
Most disappointing player
Before the 2021 season, the White Sox signed Yoelqui Cespedes for $2.05 million.
The younger half-brother of former MLB star Yoenis Cespedes, Yoelqui was rated the No. 1 international prospect by MLB.com.
Cespedes, who turned 26 last week, just completed a tough year with Charlotte and Birmingham, hitting .230/.319/.350 with 10 homers and 37 RBI over 121 games.
The 5-foot-7, 205-pounder has struck out 296 times in 1,015 plate appearances over the last two seasons.
Most disappointing pitcher
Like Cespedes, Norge Vera signed with the Sox in 2021 ($1.5 million) and he joined the organization as a top pitching prospect.
It's been one injury after another for the 23-year-old righty. In only 6 starts for Winston-Salem this season, Vera pitched only 9⅓ innings and gave up 13 runs (11 earned) on 10 hits and a staggering 17 walks.