Former Dash stars are making noise in Spring Training
Multiple Dash alumni are off to a great start to 2020
There’s nothing quite like Spring Training. Maybe the games don’t actually count, but baseball is baseball. Across the game, there are few teams creating the same level of buzz as the 2020 Chicago White Sox. A three-year rebuilding process has brought the South Siders plenty of young talent, supplemented by free agent acquisitions including Yasmani Grandal, Dallas Keuchel and Edwin Encarnacion.
For Minor League players, one of the best aspects of Spring Training is getting the opportunity to face off against Major League talent. Throughout the spring, multiple Dash alumni have proven they’re well on their way to making an impact with the big club. Let’s check in to see the impact some former Winston-Salem Dash stars are making out in the desert:
Luis Robert
2020 Spring Training: .333 AVG/.394 OBP/.567 SLG, 1 HR, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBIs, 3 SB in 11 games.
Perhaps no player in Dash history has put together a more impressive run than La Pantera’s start to the 2019 season. He continued that tear across two other levels on his way to winning the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year. Fresh off signing a six-year, $50 million extension with the White Sox, Robert has carried that momentum to a strong spring thus far. Just one year after being the Opening Day center fielder for the Dash, Robert will most likely patrol the outfield at Guaranteed Rate Field on Opening Day.
Andrew Vaughn
2020 Spring Training: .304 AVG/.448 OBP/.522 SLG, 1 HR, 2 2B, 5 RBIs in 13 games.
After the White Sox selected Vaughn third overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, the former Golden Spikes Award Winner did not disappoint. Displaying a polished approach, Vaughn had success at three different levels following a full college season in 2019. That success has carried over into Spring Training, as Vaughn boasts an impressive .970 OPS. Similarly to Robert and Nick Madrigal last season, there’s a possibility Vaughn could return to Winston-Salem to start 2020.
Yermín Mercedes
2020 Spring Training: .381 AVG/.409 OBP/1.000 SLG, 4 HR, 1 2B, 9 RBIs in 13 games.
After bouncing around the Nationals and Orioles organizations and the independent Pecos League, Mercedes was acquired by the White Sox in the Minor League Rule 5 Draft prior to the 2018 season. Since then, Mercedes has brought a powerful swing and an unquestionable swagger to the plate. With four home runs already this spring, the backstop is making a strong case to be the 26th man on the White Sox Opening Day roster.
Will Kincanon
2020 Spring Training: 2–0, 2.2 IP, 1H, 0 R, 0ER, 0.00 ERA, 3K, 1BB in three appearances.
Bringing a bulldog mentality on the mound and a great sense of humor off of it, Kincanon became a Dash fan favorite in 2019. The Chicagoland native was a Carolina League All-Star and finished with a 1.86 ERA in 2019. In Spring Training, Kincanon has held opponents to a .125 batting average and notched two wins in the process. The right-hander will most likely begin the season with Double-A Birmingham.
Jacob Lindgren
2020 Spring Training: 2–0, 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0R, 0ER, 0.00 ERA, 5K, 0BB, 1 SV
Lindgren reached the Major Leagues with the Yankees in 2015, but injuries cost the left-hander his 2017 and 2018 seasons. After signing with the White Sox as a Minor League free agent in 2019, Lindgren impressed across three levels, including posting a 1.53 ERA in Winston-Salem. In Spring Training, the southpaw has yet to allow a run and has recorded five strikeouts without yielding a walk. Lindgren most likely will begin the season with Double-A Birmingham or Triple-A Charlotte.
Over the course of the White Sox rebuild, Dash fans have been treated to numerous stars in Winston-Salem. As the Major League team creeps toward contention, a new crop of players will arrive in Winston-Salem to start 2020. The Dash open the 2020 season on the road against the Carolina Mudcats on April 9. The home opener at BB&T Ballpark is set for April 16, when the Dash host the Down East Wood Ducks.
