With a final decision still looming on where he’ll begin the 2020 season, second baseman Nick Madrigal was very candid when speaking about the roster situation with media this evening.
“I really do want to be a part of this team from the start, I feel like I deserve it,” Madrigal said on a Zoom call. “But, it’s in the hands of the bosses and the coaches and whatever works for them.”
“I’ve never wanted something so much in my life just to be a part of this team right now, and I feel like I can help this team win on the field. It should come out in the next couple of days and I’m excited to see what they say.”
Madrigal, 23, was drafted fourth overall by the organization in the 2018 MLB draft. Since then, the Oregon State product has gone on to slash .309/.371/.398 while also boasting a .992 fielding percentage in his two minor league seasons. For the White Sox, they are now presented with a complicated decision on whether or not to put Madrigal on the roster from the get-go.
Placing concerns regarding his development aside, service time issues could send the team’s fourth-ranked prospect to Schaumburg with the taxi squad for about a week before he gets the call. Though the Sox will likely never admit this to be a factor, gaining another year of team control would be beneficial for the club long-term. When looking at this with a focus on the here and now, it’s important to keep in mind that a 60-game season gives the Sox a very limited window to maximize on opportunities. Putting Madrigal on the roster from the start could boost their chances of winning, if they believe he is ready from a performance standpoint.
As for how he’s feeling, Madrigal said he’s much more comfortable this time around than compared to February and March.
“I had a lot of time to kind of evaluate how I was playing in Spring Training and just slow things down,” Madrigal said. “I feel like I was not pressing but I was not as comfortable as I am now. For whatever reason, just things weren’t bouncing my way in Spring Training, but this time around, I feel like I’m more relaxed and kind of just enjoying the ride more.”
One adjustment that Madrigal mentioned in particular involved his hitting and the lighter bat that he’s now using, thus contributing to a more confident approach.
“One of the big things in spring training I was kind of messing around with – different weights in my bats,” explained the second baseman. “I swung a little bit heavier bat in the first spring training, and it was something I was just kind of testing out. At the end of the day, I didn’t really feel comfortable with it.”
“I also think that I kind of just got back to my roots, and not try to do too much,” he added.
We’ll now wait and see if Madrigal’s performances to date are enough to land him on the 30-man roster. For thoughts on how things could shake out prior to next Friday’s opener against Minnesota, give our Jordan Lazowski’s recent roster breakdown a read.
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Featured Photo: Laura Wolff/Charlotte Knights