White Sox Minor League update: Mitchell finding his groove

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Class AAA Charlotte Knights

Right hander Jhan Martinez saw minimal action in his relief role this week. Martinez threw a total of 2.3 innings in two appearances. He only allowed one run on two hits in his two innings of work. With a fastball lingering at 98 mph and an active two-seamer around 92, if Martinez can develop his third and fourth pitches (slider and change-up), he could be an ideal set-up man for the Sox somewhere down the road.

Class AA Birmingham Barons

Speedy outfielder Jared Mitchel is starting to find his groove, but only in doses. Mitchell was 6-for-24 (.250) last week with three extra base hits, a homerun and four RBIs. He has made it clear that once on base, Mitchells speed is his greatest weapon. His .384 OBP is not off the charts but it is getting better. Another significant improvement is his approach at the plate. He only struck out twice last week which is a good sign, coming off a 2011 season where he recorded an astronomical 183 Ks. Mitchell has shown substantial vulnerability when facing left-handed pitching, something he must focus on rectifying. My only concern with Mitchell other than the sustainability of his health is his streaky tendencies as he needs to find a way to become a more consistent hitter on a day-to-day basis.

Coming off of two excellent starts, Simon Castro slipped a bit in his progress this past week. In his two starts, Castro was touched up for nine runs on 18 hits and went 0-1 in 12 innings pitched. On the plus side, Castro did manage to fan 13 batters and only walked three. It looks like he is starting to manage the control issues scouts were concerned with. Castro did have a 6.75 ERA over the two starts raising his season total to 4.26.

Class A Winston-Salem Dash

Some consider Trayce Thompson to be the top prospect in the White Sox organization and he is finding a way to get things done. No, his stats do not jump off the page at you, but it is the intangibles that have set him apart this season. Last week, Thompson went 7-for-25 (.280) with three extra base hits, a homer, four runs and seven RBIs including the game winner on May 18th (team high 28 total). Thompson touts a .376 OBP with three swiped bags. His .234 average needs some improvement, but if he continues to find ways to drive in runs and score runs, scouts may not be as critical of his sub-par average.

Jake Petricka continued to dominate in his one start last week. In six innings pitched, he allowed one run on three hits while striking out six, with a .143 batting average against. He held Lynchburg to no runs through five, but due to the lack of run support early, Petricka was slapped with a no-decision. After a rocky start to the season, Petricka is beginning to right the ship and is moving up the charts of White Sox pitching prospects.

--Joe Musso also contributed to this article--

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