Josh Fields

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #2 prospect in 2007
  For some organizations, a bust the magnitude of Joe Borchard would have scared them away from two-sport players. But the White Sox went the quarterback/slugger route again four years later by taking Fields 18th overall and signing him for $1.55 million. Fields had a big year in 2006, making his big league debut. He has made great strides since concentrating on baseball. He generates impressive bat speed from a solid righthanded stroke, and he easily set career highs in average and homers in 2006. He's a plus baserunner with the speed to steal some bases, and he also has an above-average arm. He was raw defensively when he entered pro ball but has improved his footwork and throwing accuracy to become a sound third baseman. When Fields gets overaggressive, his swing gets long and he's prone to strikeouts. He could need time to adjust to big league breaking pitches. He might not hit for a high average, though if he hits 25-30 homers a year that will be fine with the White Sox. Joe Crede doesn't become a free agent for two more years, so Fields has no clear path to a regular job. They hoped he'd become a left-field candidate by playing there in Venezuelan winter ball, but he came home early. There's nothing left for Fields to prove in Triple-A, so a trade may be in order for him or Crede.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #5 prospect in 2006
  A two-sport standout at Oklahoma State, Fields still holds the Cowboys' record for career passing touchdowns with 55. He comes from an athletic family, as his mother Rhonda was the first female athlete to earn a full scholarship to Oklahoma State. Signed for $1.55 million as the 18th overall pick in 2004, he spent his first full pro season in Double-A. Fields has above-average bat speed and strength, which could help him develop into a middle-of-the-order presence. He has the strong arm and leadership expected from a former Big 12 Conference quarterback. Because he divided his attention between two sports in college, Fields still has a lot of rough edges. He made strides defensively in the Arizona Fall League, but he still can appear mechanical at times. His plate discipline is below-average and didn't show much improvement in 2005, in part because he can do damage on pitches off the plate. While the White Sox have been aggressive with several of their recent top draft picks, they can afford to let Fields repeat Double-A. With Joe Crede entrenched in Chicago after a strong postseason, Fields seems a good bet to get another 500 to 1,000 minor league at-bats before being a serious consideration.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #4 prospect in 2005
  A two-sport star at Oklahoma State, Fields set a school record for career passing touchdowns (55) and a Cotton Bowl mark for passing yards (307). He comes from athletic stock as his mother Rhonda was the first female athlete to earn a full scholarship to Oklahoma State. He gave up football to sign for $1.55 million as the 18th overall pick in the 2004 draft. He made a smooth transition to pro ball, helping Winston-Salem recover from a poor first half to reach the Carolina League playoffs. Fields is a potentially dynamic hitter, combining strength and bat speed to generate power. He drives the ball to all fields and should hit for average as well as extra bases. He has a hard-nosed approach and strong work ethic. He has a plus arm at third base. Fields spent just two seasons as a third baseman in college and needs work on his fielding, especially his footwork and his release. He can get impatient at the plate and pile up strikeouts. He's a below-average runner. He likely will spend 2005 in Double-A. The White Sox are growing increasingly disappointed with Joe Crede and are looking to Fields to provide an alternative--the sooner the better.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #4 prospect in 2007
  In 667 at-bats at the Triple-A level during 2006-07, Fields hit .298/.384/.510 with 29 homers and 46 doubles, proving he was more than ready to step in when Joe Crede went down with a season-ending back injury early in June. Though Fields struggled to hit for average in the majors because of a sky-high strikeout rate, he continued to hit for power, with 23 home runs in half a season. The ball sounds different off Fields' bat. He has strength, bat speed and above-average power from left field to right-center. Though he didn't show it as a rookie, he should be a solid-average hitter. He tended to be overaggressive against major league breaking balls from righthanders, the source of most of his strikeouts. Fields has worked hard to become an average defender with a strong arm at third base, and his bat profiles in left field, too, if and when Crede returns. An athletic and gritty player, Fields is a slightly below-average, though smart runner, successful in 36 of 46 Triple-A stolen base attempts.
• 
  Ranked International League #6 prospect in 2006
  Fields consolidated all his talents and had a breakout season, but he faces a formidable obstacle in the form of Joe Crede, who won't become a free agent until after the 2008 season. Unless the White Sox trade one of them, Fields probably faces a move to left field. The former Oklahoma State quarterback has the agility to make that transition, and he also has turned himself into a solid third baseman with good hands and a strong arm. Wherever he plays, Fields' bat is ready for a big league lineup. He has above-average strength and bat speed, with the power from left field to right-center to produce 25-30 homers on an annual basis. Pitchers could get good fastballs by him when his swing got too big, and his 136 strikeouts were third-most in the league. Fields runs well and has first-step quickness, but his 28 steals in 33 tries may have been attributable to the element of surprise. "This kid has the power potential to do something special on the major league level," Shines said. "The way he works at it every day is something special."
• 
  Ranked Carolina League #12 prospect in 2004
  The eighteenth overall pick in this year's draft out of Oklahoma State jumped right into high Class A--which shows you what the White Sox think of their first-round pick. Fields starred as a quarterback in college, setting school records for touchdown passes (55) and a Cotton Bowl mark for passing yards (307), yet he chose baseball over the gridiron. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Fields doesn't have the prototype NFL quarterback size and wasn't a big-time football prospect. But in his first taste of professional baseball, he showed that he should hit for power and average as well. Fields is raw at the corner right now, but managers and scouts said he should be a solid defender down the road. "I like him there," said an AL scout. "He's got good size and a strong, accurate arm. His footwork could be a little better, though, and his reaction time hasn't been exceptional. He needs more time there to really feel it out."

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #45 prospect in 2007
• Ranked Baseball America's #95 prospect in 2005

• December, 2006 Scouting Report
  For some organizations, a bust the magnitude of Joe Borchard would have scared them away from two-sport players. But the White Sox went the quarterback/slugger route again four years later by taking Fields 18th overall and signing him for $1.55 million. Fields had a big year in 2006, making his big league debut. He has made great strides since concentrating on baseball. He generates impressive bat speed from a solid righthanded stroke, and he easily set career highs in average and homers in 2006. He's a plus baserunner with the speed to steal some bases, and he also has an above-average arm. He was raw defensively when he entered pro ball but has improved his footwork and throwing accuracy to become a sound third baseman. When Fields gets overaggressive, his swing gets long and he's prone to strikeouts. He could need time to adjust to big league breaking pitches. He might not hit for a high average, though if he hits 25-30 homers a year that will be fine with the White Sox. Joe Crede doesn't become a free agent for two more years, so Fields has no clear path to a regular job. They hoped he'd become a left-field candidate by playing there in Venezuelan winter ball, but he came home early. There's nothing left for Fields to prove in Triple-A, so a trade may be in order for him or Crede.