The Chicago White Sox are excited about the players they nabbed on the first day of the 2012 MLB Draft. Okay, so every team is excited about their draft picks after Day 1 and perhaps White Sox Scouting Director didn't quite get the imagery correct when he told Sox blog South Side Sox Courtney Hawkins and Keon Barnum each have a "huge ceiling," but this is the time to just let it ride and enjoy the process. Besides, there will be plenty of time to wait before either one hits the MLB squad.
Laumann noted the Sox broke from their pattern by selecting a pair of high school prospects, he thinks both players hold great power potential at the plate and that each bring serious skills to the table. Here is a bit more from that South Side Sox story:
These two will develop "not quickly" and they're viewed as the leaders of the "next wave of group of guys".
Hawkins is more advanced but both have "huge ceilings".
When asked about what Hawkins needed to improve upon specifically, Laumann spoke generally about how "the biggest thing is making contact". Draftees generally all "have size, strength, speed" but it's how they convert those tools to skills that is important. If Hawkins and Barnum "make enough contact, they'll hit a ton of home runs".
Related: VIDEO: White Sox Draft Pick Courtney Hawkins Does Backflip On TV After Being Selected
Here is a look at the schedule and streaming information for Tuesday:
June 5, 11:00 a.m. CT
Rounds 2-15, First-Year Player Draft
Live on MLB.com
To learn more about the latest MLB prospect news and ratings, drop by Minor League Ball with John Sickels. For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, head over to White Sox blog South Side Sox. Find more news and notes from around the league at Baseball Nation.
