This summer needs to lead to a rediscovery of this once bright prospect’s contact and power
Ryan Burrowes
Shortstop
6´2´´
170 pounds
Age: 20
2023 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 16
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 24
2024 High Level Kannapolis (Low-A)
Age relative to high level -1.5 years
SSS rank among all shortstops in the system 8
Overall 2024 stats 83 games ⚾️ 1 HR ⚾️ 35 RBI ⚾️ .220/.308/.260 ⚾️ 35 BB ⚾️ 115 K ⚾️ 24-of-29 (82.3%) SB ⚾️ .934 FLD%
Sometimes, scintillating DSL stats predict a quick rise through the White Sox system. More often, they present a mirage, piles of numbers accumulated against the weakest competition a player will ever encounter as a pro.
In the case of Ryan Burrowes, he may be bending to a the norm, as his two seasons in the U.S. have hardly held a flame to his hot debut in the org three years back.
Burrowes, signed out of Panama as an international free agent on April 3, 2022, blazed through the DSL that summer — flashing a speed and power game — but hit a speed bump Stateside in 2023. There, in the ACL, he floundered with an OPS drop of 69 points, a power sap, and even Burrowes’ vaunted speed took a hit.
Still, he was very, very young, in his age-19 season — just Burrowes’ teammate, catcher Ronny Hernández was a younger “full season” player in the org. But Burrowes’ turn at Low-A Kannapolis sputtered with injury to start, and never got grounded: In just 83 games, the shortstop took a step back in every area but baserunning. The hesitation we have to endorse him as a potent prospect — defense, swing-and-miss, power — has only gotten greater, thus his precipitous drop in our Top 100.
South Side Sox spoke with Ryan at the end of 2023, when he was on the Kannapolis developmental squad, and you can’t help but root for him to right the ship. There’s a lot of ground to make up, though.
Burrowes’ Baseball Cube player ratings
Speed 84 (-1 from last season)
Durability 76 (-3)
Runs 67 (-7)
Hitting 57 (-9)
Contact 40 (-14)
Power 35 (-13)
XBH 33 (-13)
RBIs 30 (+4)
Average 52.75 (-7.00)
Given his age and possible ongoing recovery from injury, Burrowes could well start once more in the ACL this season, although his likely full-season assignment will be at Kannapolis, giving him one more shot to master Low-A.
2025 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
58. Ryan Burrowes, SS
59. Garrett Schoenle, LHRP
60. Jackson Appel, C
61. Tommy Vail, LHSP
62. Bryce Collins, RHRP
63. Tanner McDougal, RHSP
64. Stiven Flores, C
65. T.J. McCants, CF
66. Gil Luna, LHRP
67. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
68. Zach Franklin, RHRP
69. Drew Dalquist, RHRP
70. Nick Altermatt, RHRP
71. Carson Jacobs, RHRP
72. Alec Makarewicz, 1B
73. Jacob Burke, CF
74. Calvin Harris, C
75. Terrell Tatum, CF
76. Phil Fox, RHRP
77. Reudis Diaz, RHSP
78. Jurdrick Profar, SS
79. Drew McDaniel, RHSP
80. Michael Turner, C
81. Caleb Freeman, RHRP
82. Braden Shewmake, SS (since designated for assignment and lost to Kansas City)
83. Connor McCullough, RHSP
84. Shane Murphy, LHSP
85. Mikey Kane, 1B
86. Daniel González, LHRP
87. Wes Kath, 3B
88. Pierce George, RHRP
89. Tristan Stivors, RHRP
90. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHRP
91. Chase Plymell, RHRP
92. Eddie Park, CF
93. Loidel Chapelli, 2B
94. Adam Hackenberg, C
95. Adrian Gil, 1B
96. Jared Kelley, RHRP
97. Lyle Miller-Green, 1B
98. Marcelo Alcala, RF
99. Drake Logan, LF
100. Cole McConnell, CF