The White Sox most anticipated pitching prospect made his season debut Monday night for the Charlotte Knights in Norfolk and dominated in the outing. Pitcher Michael Kopech struck out eight batters over four innings and allowed no runs.
Kopech opened the season with the Triple-A Knights following an impressive spring training stint with the White Sox in March.
Michael Kopech's first outing in AAA Charlotte this season: 4 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 8 K, 2 BB. #WhiteSox
— Hit and Run (@HitAndRun670) April 10, 2018
The impressive outing is important as many believe that Kopech is the next big name prospect to be called up this season by the White Sox. Last year, fans and media members were anticipating the call-up of a player like Yoan Moncada, Reynaldo Lopez, and Lucas Giolito, all of who started the season on the White Sox roster and are projected to contribute heavily. If Kopech is this consistently effective going forward, he may be spending very little time in Charlotte before being sent to Chicago.
The other important aspect of Kopech’s success is the outcome of the Chirs Sale trade. As the trade involved Moncada as the centerpiece, Kopech was seen as the second key piece to the trade. Many pundits have projected him as the next great dominate pitcher in baseball which only grows with every performance like the one seen on Monday.
General manager Rick Hahn and the White Sox organization are in no rush to promote Kopech to the major league in the near future. An injury to the pitching staff, trade, or an ineffective starter may change that down the road. He will not bump anyone from the rotation solely due to his performance in Charlotte, but performances like Monday night’s performance will only push the issue for the organization.
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