Jon Rauch
Chicago White Sox
Position: RHP Height: 6-10 Weight: 230 Born: 9/27/78
| Year |
Team |
Level |
G |
GS |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
K |
W-L |
ERA |
SV |
| 1999 |
Bristol |
R |
14 |
9 |
57.0 |
65 |
44 |
28 |
16 |
66 |
4-4 |
4.45 |
0 |
| 1999 |
Winston-Salem |
A |
1 |
1 |
6.0 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
0-0 |
3.00 |
0 |
| 2000 |
Winston-Salem |
A |
18 |
18 |
110.0 |
102 |
49 |
35 |
33 |
124 |
11-3 |
2.86 |
0 |
| 2000 |
Birmingham |
AA |
8 |
8 |
56.0 |
36 |
18 |
14 |
16 |
63 |
5-1 |
2.25 |
0 |
| 2001 |
Charlotte |
AAA |
6 |
6 |
28.0 |
28 |
20 |
18 |
7 |
27 |
1-3 |
5.79 |
0 |
Background
Rauch was drafted by the White Sox in the third round in 1999, out of Morehead State. Weakened by a virus during his junior year, he pitched poorly and wasn't a top-notch pick. Within a year, however, he was one of the best prospects in baseball, breezing through two levels in 2000, pitching for the U.S. Olympic Team, and earning Minor League Player of the Year honors from Baseball America. I ranked him as the No. 8 prospect in the entire game in the 2001 Minor League Scouting Notebook. Shoulder trouble cost Rauch most of the '01 season, however, and he came into camp this year with only an outside shot at making the major-league roster. Surprisingly, he has made the White Sox rotation.
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The Rookies
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Throughout spring training, John Sickels provided in-depth reports on 10 of the hottest rookies to watch. Here's the complete schedule of when each report appeared:
Feb. 26: Josh Beckett, Marlins
March 2: Carlos Pena, A's
March 5: Nick Johnson, Yankees
March 8: Sean Burroughs, Padres
March 12: Juan Cruz, Cubs
March 15: Mike Cuddyer, Twins
March 19: Morgan Ensberg, Astros
March 22: Kurt Ainsworth, Giants
March 26: Hank Blalock, Rangers
March 29: Jon Rauch, White Sox
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Scouting report
When all is right with Rauch, he is a serious intimidator, a right-handed mirror image of Randy Johnson. His fastball isn't as hot as Johnson's, but is still more than respectable at 93-95 mph. His mechanics are good for such a tall pitcher, and he throws strikes with both his curveball and slider. His changeup is average, but improving. Rauch showed a tremendous feel for pitching in 2000, making him a complete mound prospect. There have been concerns about his mental approach to setting up hitters this spring, possibly a side effect of the long layoff.
Performance
Rauch posted a 187/49 K/BB ratio in 2000, excellent by any standard. He still threw strikes before going on the DL last year, though his ERA was unpleasant. His strikeout rates are quite strong, averaging a bit more than a hitter-per-inning throughout his career.
Health record
It took Rauch almost a year to get over the mono-like virus that ruined his junior year at Morehead State. He lost 50 pounds, and it took time to build his strength back up. The shoulder procedure that limited him to six starts last year was not a radical reconstruction, and he seems fully healthy now. Still, the White Sox should handle him carefully, and avoid pushing him too much too quickly. There is no such thing as a truly "minor" shoulder procedure.
What to expect
Ideally, Rauch would begin the year in Triple-A, but Sox coaches have been impressed with him this spring and he has made the rotation. Chicago's pitching is not shaping up as anticipated: all the main starters have ERAs over 7.00 thus far. Rauch has allowed 21 hits and 16 runs in 15 innings, striking out 12 while walking nine. As bad as those numbers are, they are better than those posted to this point by Todd Ritchie, Dan Wright, and Jon Garland. We should not, of course, put excessive emphasis on spring training numbers, but Sox fans have to have at least a bit of trepidation, especially considering the competitive nature of the American League Central Division.
As for Rauch himself, right now he is a perfect example of the "unpredictable pitcher." He has a world of talent, and when healthy he can dominate. It is quite possible he'll do well for the White Sox, but it is as equally plausible that he'll struggle, at least initially. The key factor to watch will be his K/BB and K/IP ratios. If those are strong from the outset, he should be fine.
John Sickels is the author of the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He is currently writing a biography of Bob Feller. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at hometown.aol.com/jasickels/page1.html.
