The DSL White Sox had their typical season in 2024, which is to say a mediocre one. In spite of being the only White Sox entry in the league (among 51 teams, yep, worth beating this drum again, the majority of MLB clubs field two DSL teams, which the White Sox have never done), the White Sox entry should be an “All-Star” group of sorts, right, better than the typical entry.

Nope.

The DSL Sox finished seventh in the eight-team DSL Central, with a 20-35 record. That made them the ninth-worst team in the league. Worth repeating: The White Sox have one team in the league, thus the talent they have on their roster is not watered-down and split into two squads, and still are consistently terrible. It’s an indictment of the international scouting by the White Sox, period.

That castigation aside, however, there were bright spots on the island this year, as always, and on both sides of the ball.

Jurickson Profar rode his know surname to a strong season as just a 17-year-old. The shortstop stood among organizational leaders in OBP (.397), OPS (.787), and drew walks (15.98% BB rate). He moved all around the infield, primarily up the middle, and fielded like you’d imagine a teenager would. Profar was more solid at third base, which perhaps indicates range and footwork are more of an issue than straight fielding. He led his DSL squad in doubles, total bases, OBP, walks and hits.

Right there with Profar was outfielder Marcelo Acala, repeating the level and equaling the success of his debut. The 2024 season saw Acala sell out more for power, but overall the numbers retain sturdiness and assuredly send him Stateside for 2025. Acala was his squad’s leader in OPS, slugging, triples and homers; five triples plus a team-high 13 steals (four caught) suggest the 18-year-old is by far the top power-speed player heading to the U.S.

Notable also was Ryan Castillo, whose first base-left field glovework implies cloddishness that five steals in six tries does not. Likewise confounding is Castillo’s high-average (.284 topping the bill), meh power (27 of 31 hits were singles). This was Castillo’s third DSL season, which really is at least one too many. At 19, it’s the ACL or bust for 2025.

Christian González is a very young, very raw DSL rookie, just turning 18 and pretty clearly a fawn learning his way around the basepaths (11 steals, 11 caught). González played an errorless center field while also throwing out nine runners, so once the leather is strapped on the kid knows how to roam the green. He is a very low-power, high-OBP player, so if you’re thinking Rikuu Nishida, points for effort; in fact González, Nishida and Ronny Hernández are the only three players in the system ranking Top 10 in both K- and BB-rate, which is a delicious combination. At just 8.9% for K-rate, González blew away every other hitter in the system and was the only hitter south of 10%.

Now, for the bad news among hitters: bonus-baby Eduardo Herrera, basically the biggest traditional signing the White Sox have ever made internationally ($1.8 million), flopped. The buff third baseman played in 40 games and could not cross the Mendoza Line (.197) — and that’s as an 18-year-old basically playing at league-standard age.

When it comes to pitchers, translation up the system can be much more difficult to predict and navigate than batters, Exhibit A being The Norge Vera Experience.

One clear standout for the season was Yhoiker Fajardo, who at age 17 (still!) and nearly two years younger than level took on a full starting load of 13 games on the island and essentially stood for four innings per start — i.e., superior to fellow young-armed Noah Schultz. Two other comparable regular starters paled next to Fajardo. The righty was also the only pitcher in the system aside from Schultz who ranked in the Top 10 in K- and BB-rate — in fact topping the org with a miniscule 1.42 walks per 9. While a pre-19 assignment to Arizona would be a bold play, Fajardo was challenged all season and met everything well (3.91 ERA, 1.184 WHIP); if his makeup is as good as his results, he’ll be in the ACL next summer with an additional tag of Rising Star Arm.

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Yhoiker Fajardo photo from fajardoyhoiker on Instagram.