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White Sox excited to launch 'Project Birmingham' with Class A callups

The White Sox's Class AA Birmingham minor-league team had Monday off. When play resumes Tuesday with a home game against Mississippi, the Barons' roster will have a decidedly different look.

Top prospects from low Class A Kannapolis and high A Winston-Salem will be joining the Barons until the season ends on Sept. 18.

"We're going to have our coordinators head to Birmingham for the last four weeks, and not only are we able to compete on a nightly basis, certainly the personalized instruction, but also treat it almost as an advanced instructional league so these guys are set up for their offseasons and work toward next year," said Chris Getz, the Sox's assistant general manager/director of player development.

Shortstop Colson Montgomery - the White Sox's No. 1 prospect - is heading from Winston-Salem to Birmingham to finish up the season.

Kannapolis third baseman Wes Kath, Kannapolis starting pitcher Norge Vera, Winston-Salem third baseman Bryan Ramos and Kannapolis starters Jared Kelly and Kohl Simas are other players moving up to Double-A for "Project Birmingham."

"We're really proud of some of the accomplishments we've made on the player development side and the strides that our players have made in the last couple of months," Getz said. "And now to kind of bring that to life in Double-A for the last month is something that's motivating for our staff, our organization, certainly I hope for our players that will be part of this."

Center fielder Oscar Colas, infielder Jose Rodriguez and starter Sean Burke are among Birmingham's top players that will remain with the Barons.

"I view it as an opportunity to certainly celebrate what we've done departmentally with bringing these player there and going back to the strides we feel like we've made with some of these players and to show the organization, but also outside the organization, the next wave of hopefully our major-league talent here in Chicago," Getz said. "Going into the year, we certainly set our goals and feel like we've been able to accomplish a lot of them. We've had some players recently enter the Top 100 prospect list and we feel like we've got some more that are just outside of it. And it's a chance to show baseball and show the White Sox that we've got another wave of players coming."

At the start of the season, Baseball America ranked the Sox's farm system at No. 30. They have moved up to No. 24.

The group of players moving up to Birmingham have no guarantees of being back at Double-A next season.

"This is a unique opportunity to be part of what we've designed here," Getz said. "Just hope that it motivates them but there are no guarantees that the player is going to start (2023) at Birmingham because they're there for this program."

Chicago White Sox third baseman Wes Kath fields a grounder during a minor league spring training workout Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Phoenix. Associated Press
Chicago White Sox third baseman Bryan Ramos flips a ball in the air during minor league spring training baseball workouts Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Phoenix. Associated Press
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