With the MLB Draft coming up in less than a month, the White Sox have a big decision to make on who to take at 5th overall. There are a ton of possibilities for this pick, as many different mock draft outlets have yet to come on a consensus on who the White Sox will select on draft night.
One of the options the White Sox have been linked to is infielder JJ Wetherholt out of West Virginia. He is one of the best hitters in the draft and could be the best player on the board when the White Sox are on the clock.
Weetherholt is a 21 year old junior out of West Virginia University. He has started all three years in his college career, which is very impressive and gives major league teams a bit more of a track record to look at.
In his freshman year, as a true freshman, he hit .308 with a very impressive .411 OBP. He added five homeruns, 39 RBIs, and added 15 stolen bases. For a freshman, those are very impressive stats which he built upon in his sophomore year.
In his second year, Wetherholt broke out. As a sophomore, he hit .449 with a .517 OBP. He was getting on base more than one out of every two at-bats, which is extremely impressive. On top of that, he hit 16 homeruns, had 60 RBIs, and stole 36 bases. This breakout season would put him at the top of many draft boards going into the 2024 season.
Unfortunately, Wetherholt would miss a decent chunk of the 2024 season due to an injury, but still put together a very solid year. In 36 games, he hit .331 with a .472 OBP. He added eight homeruns, 30 RBIs, and six stolen bases. Despite his injury, Wetherholt still performed well enough to earn consensus top-10 pick status among the MLB draft outlets.
At the 5th pick, Wetherholt could be a steal. While he plays shortstop and second base, which could be blocked by top prospects Colson Montgomery and Jacob Gonzalez, you should typically take the best player available in the MLB draft, as if you can hit, they will find a place for you.
He could easily be the most talented player available at five and you shouldn't pass up on that kind of talent if he is there. Here is what MLB Pipeline has to say about Wetherholt:
"Wetherholt might be the best pure hitter in the class and there are some area scouts who think he’s the best amateur bat they’ve ever seen. The left-handed hitter drives the ball to all fields with authority with excellent pitch recognition and elite bat-to-ball skills that resulted in a miniscule 10 percent miss rate in 2023 with the Mountaineers. He has shown the ability to hit the ball over the fence in all directions and should have at least average power at the next level."
MLB.com Prospect Rankings
This is some high praise that they don't give to just anyone. Due to his success in college, he could be a quick riser through the system and be in the major leagues sooner rather than later.
The White Sox desperately need elite hitting, as the lack thereof has plagued them this season. Wetherholt fits that bill and would be a fantastic first pick in Chris Getz's tenure as the GM. The White Sox will likely have a few good options at 5, but Wetherholt will likely be the best option available and the White Sox shouldn't overthink it.
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