Joining White Sox 'extremely satisfying' for Sheets

The list of top-notch prospects the White Sox had from 2017-19 has shortened quite a bit with the rebuild over, but some still remain.

Gavin Sheets, rated No. 12 in the Sox's system by Baseball America before the season started, is an intriguing left-handed bat. The natural first baseman also played 10 games in the outfield at Class AAA Charlotte.

When Andrew Vaughn, who also moved from first to the outfield this year, went on the injured list Thursday, Sheets came up to take his roster spot.

"A lot of hard work went in over this last year to get ready to be in the outfield, to put myself in this position where I could do both and help this team out in any way possible at both spots," Sheets said. "It's extremely satisfying to be here, just with the way last year went and then to be here now and helping a team that's in first place in the division right now, it's incredible."

The White Sox's second-round draft pick in 2017 out of Wake Forest and the son of former major leaguer Larry Sheets, Gavin Sheets wasn't added to the Schaumburg training site roster last year.

He still put in work over the long layoff and came ready to play in spring training.

In 23 games with Charlotte, the 25-year-old Sheets hit .319/.360/.500 with 5 doubles, 4 home runs and 20 RBI.

"I think each year I've added a tool," the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder said. "The hit tool was the first thing that came and then the power came in Double-A and this year I've kind of put it all together. I think it's just a culmination of the years going forward to get to this point and it's been extremely satisfying to see everything kind of click at once."