It had to be hard for Chicago White Sox fans to watch star pitcher Chris Sale be traded away as the team appears to be headed toward a pretty significant rebuild.
But there appears to be a bright spot from the trade: Michael Kopech. The new White Sox prospect participated in a max-velocity workout Tuesday. While evaluators said he could hit triple digits with his fastball, I’m guessing they didn’t mean 110 miles per hour. Well, that’s what Kopech reportedly did.
First day of max velocity throws for @MichaelKopech5 …. Is 110mph good? 🐐 #APECmlb pic.twitter.com/bJAIUIEIn2
— APEC (@teamAPEC) January 17, 2017
While this is just a preseason workout for Kopech, and obviously not from a windup or off a mound, the 20-year-old former first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox has done well for himself. He has a 2.61 career ERA in the minors and averages almost 12 strikeouts per nine innings.
Along with his stats, Kopech definitely seems like a guy that could come in either as a hard-throwing starter or a flamethrower out of the bullpen. Based on the team’s current situation, they would love either option.
But as we all know, it can be difficult to know whether these guys will pan out in the majors. Alas, that’s the situation White Sox fans will be stuck in for a while now.
[MLB.com]
