Former White Sox outfielder Duke Ellis has been claimed off waivers by the New York Mets. According to Newsday’s, Tim Healey, Ellis was optioned to Double-A Binghamton.
The White Sox were hoping that Ellis cleared waivers, after designating him for assignment earlier this week. The speedy outfielder was four for four in stolen base attempts in his first taste of MLB action. However, his short eight-game stint in the MLB was highlighted by getting picked off at second base in a one-run game against the Cubs and dropping a fly ball that would have been the final out of the game against the Red Sox.
Ellis is known for his speed and defense and can play all three outfield positions. The 26-year-old has stolen 34 bases in 35 attempts this season, which leads the Southern League. On the defensive side, he has played 178 innings in left field and 127 innings in center and has yet to make an error in the minor leagues this season. Given his skill set, seeing a team like the Mets take a flier on him was unsurprising. He could easily be plugged into late-game situations as a weapon on the basepaths or a defensive replacement. Ellis was initially signed by the White Sox as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Since joining the White Sox organization he has swiped 117 bases in 133 attempts.
Before getting promoted to the big leagues, Ellis was slashing just .258/.341/.308 with one home run and 12 RBIs in Double-A Birmingham. While those are serviceable numbers, his offensive resume leaves much to be desired. For his minor league career, he has a slash line of .241/.328/.333 with a 88 wRC+. He does have a 10% walk-rate which has helped him accumulate the high stolen base totals. However, he has a gaudy 25.7% strikeout rate and just 13 home runs in over 900 plate appearances.
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