Like their even younger counterparts in the Caribbean, the ACL White Sox had their typical season in 2024, which is to say a mediocre one. Though not a dreadful record, the 24-36 mark of the Complex Sox ranks at the bottom of the 15-team league, tied for last in the West Division.

But all told, this probably wasn’t the worst team in Arizona rookie ball, as three clubs sported a worse run differential than Chicago’s -44, and the Complex Sox actually played 15-13 ball against ACL teams with a winning record.

Best of all, there were highlights all season, beyond a few key and quick call-ups to Kannapolis. Among the players whose primary work came in the ACL, there are some to be really excited about.

By far, topping that list was Javier Mogollón, a shortstop straight out of the DSL who just set Arizona aflame. Among ACL mainstays, Mogollón topped the team in OPS (.930), slugging (.525), on-base (.406), homers (eight) and doubles (14). He didn’t lead the Sox in steals, but he did swipe 16 without being caught. On the diamond, he logged 40 games at short (five at second base) and held his own well enough; 10 errors are dismal, but not out of line for an 18-year-old adjusting to his toughest competition yet and in his first weeks on American soil. The short version: There’s reason to be VERY excited about Mogollón.

Abraham Núñez logs a similar speedy profile as Mogollón, sans homer power. Núñez is slightly younger than Mogollón and played almost flawlessly in another challenging defensive position, center field. The arm will keep him in center, or even left, but his wheels should keep him on the field: a team-best 20 steals (but nine times caught, time for base-stealing drills, A.N.!) Based on his buff debut at 17 in the DSL, it’s arguable that Núñez disappointed slightly, but there’s still reason for optimism as he re-sets and strikes out on a full season of pro ball next year, at Kannapolis.

The third bat of intrigue might be the most confounding one, that of Adrian Gil. He split his time between first and third base, but also got significant run at … second. The righthander stopped just short of a 1.000 OPS in his debut pro season in the DSL and packed the rowdiest bat in the lower rings of the system when he arrived at Camelback. And Gil, mostly, did not disappoint. As expected, his DSL prowess was humbled to the tune of a .782 OPS. And Gil’s straight batting average ended up a woeful .225. But his OBP and slugging both nipped at .400, and that’s what the White Sox are happy to see right now. Yeah, Gil could transpose into a three-outcomes hitter, but he’s a good bet to see Kannapolis in 2025, and there those gaudier numbers of yesteryear could come a-calling again.

Infielder Edrick Felix is a tough sort to figure, as he played older than his level to start the season at Kannapolis — and then was quickly demoted back to the ACL! His production in Glendale didn’t overwhelm, either, so the 2023 14th-rounder finds his career in more flux than you’d expect in returning back to Kannapolis for 2025.

Another disappointment per a promising 2023 summer in the DSL was catcher Stiven Flores. There was no more anticipated ACL arrival at Camelback Ranch in 2024 than Flores, who devoured his DSL competition and helped his White Sox to a rare winning season. In Arizona this summer, Flores shouldered a full (30 games) catching load and acquitted himself pretty well with the arm and glove. But the righty’s bat, mightier than all coming Stateside for 2024, withered: solid average (.287) and decent OBP (.338), but ZERO power. Doubtless this is a harsh assessment, but it’s not assured that Stiven doesn’t stay back and get one more run in the ACL before moving to full-season ball.

The most promising arm from a variety of standpoints, was ACL-repeater Daniel González, a southpaw reliever who has simply carved up hitters in the desert for two years now. He followed up a stellar 2023 (1.83 ERA over 16 games) with an even more dominant 2024 (1.04 over 20). But there are two problems with turning González’s prognosis too sunny for 2025. First, his careful progress through rookie ball (two DSL seasons, two ACL) places him right at, or even a shade old, for his level. More damning was his merited promotion to Kannapolis after the ACL season was finished — whereupon Low-A batter murdered the lefty. He’ll get a chance to sort things out in 2025 there, but crisper control will be a keystone to future progress.

Ricardo Brizuela similarly split his season between the ACL and Kannapolis, and like González fared far better in rookie ball. The righty starter struggled Stateside in 2023 but got out of the gate like gangbusters this summer, starting just two of 10 games but running out a 2.33 ERA over 27 innings, with 34 walks against three strikeouts. The early call to Kanny came, as did a transition to regular starter, but the 21-year-old stumbled at the higher level. He’ll repeat Kannapolis to start 2025.

The final arm of note is 2023 fifth-rounder Christian Oppor. The southpaw starter had a rough run of 38 innings at Camelback Ranch this summer, starting nine games and like González unearthing a wild streak in the process (6.6 BB/9). At 19 still very young for the level, Oppor will give the ACL his third spin in 2025, but time’s a-ticking.

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Javier Mogollón photo from MLB Pipeline/Twitter.