The Chicago White Sox on Tuesday completed a multi-player trade which saw the team acquire No. 1 overall prospect Yoan Moncada, No. 67 overall prospect Michael Kopech, outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and right-hander Victor Diaz from the Boston Red Sox for All-Star left-hander Chris Sale.
A Mount Pleasant High School graduate and a 2014 first-round pick, Kopech is known primarily for his velocity, reportedly reaching 105 mph this summer, although he typically sits in the mid- to high-90s.
His season hit a snag before it began as he broke his hand in an altercation with a teammate at Spring Training. He was dominant after returning and posted a 2.25 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 82 strikeouts and 29 walks over 52 innings with Salem.
Beyond the heater, Kopech has a slightly above-average slider but will need to improve his control as he climbs the ladder toward Chicago. He overtakes Carson Fulmer as the top pitching prospect in the White Sox system.
White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn said "We did a lot of due diligence in terms of makeup and background, and with Michael, there were a couple incidents that we looked into and got comfortable with what went into them," referencing the right-hander's 50-game suspension in 2015 and the Spring Training altercation.
"He's an extreme competitor. You can see that just from the physicality of his mound presence. The stuff is obvious with the plus-plus fastball and his slider. We project him [to be] just as good as basically any Minor League starter out there right now."
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