RADIO
PROSPECT: Cristian Mena, SP, Chicago White Sox
ANALYSIS: Signed by the White Sox out of the Dominican Republic in 2019, the pandemic delayed the debut of Mena, and his first showing at the complex level would not have impressed casual observers (7.82 ERA in 48 1/3 innings with a 62/21 BB/K ratio).
However, the evident strikeout stuff played up even further in 2022 as Mena began to control his stuff better, and he struck out 126 over 104 1/3 innings, reaching Double-A by the end of the season. He returned to Birmingham to open 2023, and while many have reported about the excellence some pitchers are getting from the Southern League tackified baseball, Mena is on the opposite end.
So far, even with strong control, Mena is posting a 6.27 ERA over 33 innings, as his once-elite fastball spin has seemingly disappeared with the new ball. He's also struggling to command his stuff, leading to many pitches in the heart of the zone, as evidenced by six home runs allowed already in 33 innings after allowing seven in more than three times as many innings in 2022.
VERDICT: Mena is just 20, so there's no reason for Chicago to push him. He does have legit upper mid-rotation stuff, though, which should make him a desired stash in deep leagues, especially before his results balance out with a change in the ball in the Southern League in the second half of the year.
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