2024 Winston-Salem Dash Season Preview
The Dash struggled down the stretch in 2023, but reinforcements are on the way
In 2023 the Winston-Salem Dash finished with a 60-66 record, which was relatively respectable given the White Sox’s bottom-tier farm system. It is worth noting that the Dash went 34-29 in the first half but slipped to 26-37 in the second. There have been some changes, however, and the overall farm system is near the middle of the pack, thanks in large part to the final deadline trades of the Hahn/Williams era and the recent Dylan Cease trade. As a result, there are new, talented faces within the farm system, and a few will be joining the Dash to begin the 2024 season.
It is impossible to preview the 2024 Dash without discussing the potential impact of outfielder Samuel Zavala, who is No. 6 among White Sox prospects, per MLB Pipeline. Zavala is brand-new to the White Sox, as he came over from San Diego in the Cease trade. The 19-year-old has already displayed a lot of potential. Last year, Zavala proved he had outgrown Low-A pitching, as he slashed .267/.420/.451 (140 wRC+) in 101 games at that level. Zavala was also a threat on the basepaths, stealing 20 bases in 26 attempts. In addition, it is important to point out the massive discrepancy between Zavala’s on-base percentage and his batting average. This indicates that Zavala is able to consistently draw walks, and he rarely chases pitches out of the zone. The White Sox desperately need players who do this. Zavala will most likely get the majority of starts in center field for Winston-Salem.
Juan Carela, 22, who came over from the Yankees in the Keynan Middleton trade last summer, is No. 29 in MLB Pipeline’s rankings of White Sox prospects and No. 34 on South Side Sox. Between New York’s farm system and Chicago’s, Carela accumulated 115 2⁄3 innings on the mound in 2023, all at the High-A level. During those innings, had a 3.58 ERA. Carela’s ERA for the Hudson Valley Renegades (3.67) was similar to that with the Dash (3.34), but interestingly, his strikeout rate dropped sharply after the trade (11.77 K/9 to 7.52 K/9). Carela only pitched 32 1⁄3 innings after joining the White Sox system, though, so it is too soon to conclude that his approach or skills changed.
Brooks Baldwin, the South Siders’ No. 27 prospect, according to both SSS and MLB Pipeline, was originally scheduled to start the season with the Dash. However, he already has been promoted to Double-A Birmingham, so amazingly, the Dash only have two players within MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 White Sox prospects. There certainly are some interesting prospects outside of MLB’s Top 30 for the organization, though.
Loidel Chapelli Jr. (No. 25 SSS prospect) is back with the Dash after leading the team in plate appearances in 2023. Last year, Chapelli slashed .254/.361/.411, and he added 26 steals in 32 attempts (81%). Chapelli had a fantastic walk rate in High-A last year, but his strikeout rate was a cause for concern. This will be an important season for the 22-year-old infielder, succeeded under the pressure of an aggressive assignment in 2023 but will be looking to jump to the next level.
Infielder DJ Gladney, 22, is another familiar face with a decent amount of experience at the High-A level with the Dash. Last year, in 96 games in Winston-Salem, Gladney slashed .243/.308/.475 and led the team with 19 home runs. When Gladney was aggressive on the basepaths, it usually paid off, as he went 12-for-14 (86%) in stolen base attempts. However, his high strikeout rate and his low walk rate are currently limiting his ceiling, and those numbers will be worth watching this year.
Third baseman Wes Kath, 21, is also back with the Dash after 95 Winston-Salem games in 2023. In those games, Kath struggled at the plate, slashing .193/.275/.311. Kath was drafted at a young age, so he has had more time to figure out the lower levels of the minors than many prospects, but he will need to make a significant stride in the right direction this year.
Second baseman Mario Camilletti, 24, will start the season with the Dash after leading the Cannon Ballers in plate appearances last year. Despite a lack of power, Camilletti was a major asset for Kannapolis, slashing .289/.432/.375. It will be interesting to see if his ability to get on base will translate to the higher levels of the minors.
Pitcher Connor McCullough, 24, will most likely get plenty of starts for the Dash once again. Last year, in 16 starts for Winston-Salem, he had a high strikeout rate (10.18 K/9) and a decent walk rate (2.13 BB/9). However, he finished with a 5.33 ERA in large part due to his 1.78 home runs per nine innings.
As is the case with most of the White Sox farm teams, turnover rate is likely to be relatively high in Winston-Salem. One player who will likely earn an early promotion from Kannapolis to Winston-Salem at some point is Noah Schultz, 20. Schultz is the South Siders’ No. 2 prospect and the No. 48 overall prospect in baseball. The White Sox drafted Schultz out of Oswego East High School with the 26th overall pick in 2022. Schultz’s fastball and slider, graded 60 and 70, respectively, are firmly above average. Largely thanks to those pitches, Schultz dominated Low-A hitters in 2023, with a 1.33 ERA. Unfortunately, Schultz was only healthy for a limited time last year, as he only pitched 27 innings. While it is very difficult to predict his career trajectory, his potential is off the charts.