One of the strongest and most persistent criticisms of Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams has been his drafting, as the White Sox entered the season with what many people believe to be one of the worst farm systems in baseball. Granted, Williams and owner Jerry Reinsdorf prefer to spend their money in free agency as opposed to the draft, and Williams has had some hits in recent years, including SP Chris Sale and closer Addison Reed.
This year, the White Sox are picking at No. 13 overall in the first round, and they'll have a chance to get a very solid prospect. That prospect, according to the most recent 2012 MLB mock draft by ESPN's Keith Law, could be Ohio high school LHP Matt Smoral. The White Sox don't have a long history of drafting high schoolers, and Law does note that he believes that Chicago is otherwise looking at college pitchers.
Here's a slice of Law's scouting report on Smoral, who has been compared to San Francisco Giants SP Madison Bumgarner:
...his trouble staying healthy is a real red flag for teams, perhaps not enough to send him to UNC but enough to push him out of the top half of the first round, even though there are a number of similarities to Bumgarner that would otherwise put him there.
(via ESPN.com)
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