Don’t look now, but we have a homegrown catching prospect!
Stiven Flores
Catcher
5´11´´
180 pounds
Age: 19
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 73
2024 High Level ACL (Rookie)
Age relative to high level -1.8 years
SSS rank among all catchers in the system 5
Overall 2024 stats 43 games ⚾️ 1 HR ⚾️ 24 RBI ⚾️ .287/.338/.329 ⚾️ 11 BB ⚾️ 32 K ⚾️ 6-of-6 (100%) SB ⚾️ .990 FLD% ⚾️ 15-of-52 (28.8%) CS
Flores was signed out of Venezuela by the White Sox in July 2023 as a 17-year-old catcher. In 147 PAs, he did really well, slashing .391/.456/.477 while also throwing out 20 would-be basestealers in 49 opportunities in the Domincan Summer League. As a result, he was named to the DSL All-Star team.
Flores’ near-.400 batting average was propped up by a .402 BABIP, but the bat-to-ball skills were apparent. He struck out only seven times and walked more than twice as often in those 147 PAs. A 152 wRC+ with good run prevention numbers behind the plate in the DSL was a nice start for the uber-young backstop.
Moving right on to the ACL at just 18 years old, Flores mostly stayed the course and solidified himself as a legitimate catching prospect. While his percentage of runners nabbed dropped from a crazy 41%, a 28.8% rate Stateside will play, although a jump to 14 passed balls merits concern.
Of greater concern is Flores’ drop in power. While his ability to put the ball over the fence remained steady (not good, at one homer per season), the extra-base power the backstop flexed in the DSL dissipated: One double, one triple and one homer may make for a crazy-looking back of the a baseball card, but it will not pass muster as a professional hitter. Odder still, for a catcher with enough speed/quicks to be working a perfect stolen-base record (7-for-7 DSL, 6-for-6 ACL) it seems incredibly odd that not one of Flores’ 38 singles in 2024 could have been stretched into a speed double. Is the kid only hitting rockets right in front of outfielders, and legging out infield safeties?
Flores’ Baseball Cube player ratings
Hitting 93 (-7 from last season)
RBIs 93 (-5)
Contact 84 (-16)
Speed 57 (-3)
Durability 36 (0)
Power 12 (-7)
XBH 7 (-4)
Runs 7 (+4)
Average 48.63 (-7.23)
With Flores’ contact ability, it would seem the gaping need to develop power is an afterthought, and he’ll continue to progress through the White Sox system. Whether that progress begins with a thin-air test back in the ACL to start 2025 on a delayed basis, or straight to Kannapolis at a young 19 remains to be seen.
2025 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
100. Cole McConnell, CF
99. Drake Logan, LF
98. Marcelo Alcala, RF
97. Lyle Miller-Green, 1B
96. Jared Kelley, RHRP
95. Adrian Gil, 1B
94. Adam Hackenberg, C
93. Loidel Chapelli, 2B
92. Eddie Park, CF
91. Chase Plymell, RHRP
90. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHRP
89. Tristan Stivors, RHRP
88. Pierce George, RHRP
87. Wes Kath, 3B
86. Daniel González, LHRP
85. Mikey Kane, 1B
84. Shane Murphy, LHSP
83. Connor McCullough, RHSP
82. Braden Shewmake, SS
81. Caleb Freeman, RHRP
80. Michael Turner, C
79. Drew McDaniel, RHSP
78. Jurdrick Profar, SS
77. Reudis Diaz, RHSP
76. Phil Fox, RHRP
75. Terrell Tatum, CF
74. Calvin Harris, C
73. Jacob Burke, CF
72. Alec Makarewicz, 1B
71. Carson Jacobs, RHRP
70. Nick Altermatt, RHRP
69. Drew Dalquist, RHRP
68. Zach Franklin, RHRP
67. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
66. Gil Luna, LHRP
65. T.J. McCants, CF
64. Stiven Flores, C