White Sox Select 3B Wes Kath with the 57th Pick in the MLB Draft

With the 57th pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, the White Sox selected Wes Kath, a third baseman out of Desert Mountain high school in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Arizona’s Finest

The 6-foot-3, 200 lb. left-handed hitter is considered by some to be one of the best high school bats in this draft class, and the White Sox appear to agree. Reports were that the Sox had been keeping an eye on Kath throughout the first round.

Kath is aggressive at the plate with a strong bat. He hits with power even when just making contact and produces exit velocities approaching 100 MPH as displayed throughout his showcases.

The 18-year-old had an amazing senior season for Desert Mountain, earning himself the 2021 Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year award.

Heading into the draft, MLB.com had Kath listed as the #34 ranked prospect, but he continued to increase his draft stock through an impressive showcase circuit.

In their draft profile, MLB.com describes Kath and his toolset as follows.

“Kath became a bit of a sleeper favorite among scouts because of his abilities from the left side of the plate. He showed the ability to impact the baseball repeatedly at a number of events against very good competition. There have been times in the past where he’s been more of a defensive hitter, but he attacked the ball more this summer and there’s size and strength to hope for more power if he can continue to be aggressive at the plate.”

MLB.com Draft Profile – Wes Kath

Kath played shortstop throughout high school but is projected to be a third baseman long term. The White Sox drafted him as such.

Although he did commit to Arizona State, should the White Sox successfully lock in their second-round pick, the projected slot value is currently $1.24M.