Keon Barnum

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #31 prospect in 2016
  Plus raw power is difficult to disavow, and 2012 supplemental first-round pick Barnum generates plenty of thump from his 6-foot-5 frame and leveraged, lefthanded swing. The trouble, as it is for many young power hitters, is making enough contact for the power to play. Barnum has spent two seasons and nearly 1,000 plate appearances at high Class A Winston-Salem and has hit just 17 home runs in that time with a .376 slugging percentage. He did, however, establish a career high for homers (nine) and a career low for strikeout rate (26.2 percent) in 2015, giving the White Sox hope that his approach is maturing. He hits the ball hard when he connects, but he needs to find a way to shorten his stroke and close holes for pitchers to exploit. Working his way into more fastball counts would certainly help, too. Barnum is surprisingly nimble around the first-base bag and has an average arm, though he's a well below-average runner. Natural progression could carry him to Double-A Birmingham in 2016, where the pressure to play well and contribute to winning will intensify.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #26 prospect in 2015
  The White Sox loved Barnum's raw power and swing in the 2012 draft, signing him for $950,000 as the 48th overall pick. He stayed healthy enough to play every day in 2014 for high Class A Winston- Salem, but the White Sox believe they have yet to see the real Barnum. They drafted him thinking they had another Ryan Howard on their hands, and in some ways they do. Like Howard, Barnum has soft hands and solid footwork around the bag at first. He doesn't sniff lefthanded pitchers, and he strikes out in bunches (leading the Carolina League with 163 in 2014). But while Howard hits plenty of home runs, Barnum puts on a batting-practice show but has just 16 career homers, as he gets beat hard in and soft away. He's a baseclogger. Barnum needs to start figuring out how to get to his power more consistently.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #14 prospect in 2014
  Barnum, who signed for $950,000 as the 48th overall pick in 2012, hasn't stayed on the field enough for the White Sox to fully evaluate him. He has solid athleticism, but his limited speed makes him a first baseman all the way. He does have soft hands around the bag and shouldn't be a liability defensively. Barnum's value is all in his bat and 80 grade raw power. His swing is naturally geared toward left-center field, and he still hasn't really learned how to incorporate his lower half into his swing and pull the ball consistently with authority. Barnum has had trouble staying healthy, with a shoulder injury limiting him in 2012, then a hamate injury in March 2013, followed by a left knee problem in May that combined to delay his low Class A Kannapolis debut until June. The White Sox gave him extra at-bats in instructional league and were encouraged by his increased ability to use his legs and turn on inside pitches. If he can stay healthy, he's likely to start 2014 back at Kannapolis but could earn a quick promotion.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #8 prospect in 2013
  The White Sox haven't developed many power hitters in recent years, so they looked to change that by taking Courtney Hawkins with their first pick and Barnum with their second in the 2012 draft. Signed for $950,000, he has drawn comparisons to Ryan Howard and Fred McGriff. Barnum homered three times in his first five professional games, but then missed six weeks with a shoulder injury and wasn't the same after he returned to the field. Barnum has more raw power than Hawkins, using his long arms to hit balls hard and with enviable loft. He can crush all but the best fastballs and has the strength to get hits even when he's jammed. But a lot of scouts consider him a one-trick pony. Barnum struggles to control his oversized strike zone, easily gets fooled by breaking balls and can look clueless by chasing bad pitches. Chicago wants to shorten his swing, which can get loopy at times. He has fringy speed and solid arm strength. His defense at first base needs work, and he may be able to give left field a try. Barnum likely will open his first full pro season at low Class A Kannapolis. His plus-plus raw power could play well at U.S. Cellular Field, but he could need 2,000 pro at-bats before he's polished enough to be ready to play there.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #155 prospect in 2012 draft
  Barnum and Georgia prep Matt Olson have similar profiles as lefthanded-hitting power prep first basemen. Olson has superior hitting ability and ranks higher, but Barnum has more power, which may elevate him past Olson on some draft boards. Barnum has been a prospect since eighth grade, joining Reggie Williams' travel-ball team in the Tampa area as a 14-year-old and playing with older competition. Scouts have seen plenty of his somewhat long but powerful, leveraged swing. He has the strength and loft power to earn 70 raw power grades on the 20-80 scouting scale. Barnum also has long arms that lead to swings and misses, and he's not always confident or comfortable against offspeed pitches. His solid-average arm strength would be wasted at first base, and his fringe-average speed could make left field a possibility down the road. He's a Miami recruit.

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The White Sox haven't developed many power hitters in recent years, so they looked to change that by taking Courtney Hawkins with their first pick and Barnum with their second in the 2012 draft. Signed for $950,000, he has drawn comparisons to Ryan Howard and Fred McGriff. Barnum homered three times in his first five professional games, but then missed six weeks with a shoulder injury and wasn't the same after he returned to the field. Scouting Report: Barnum has more raw power than Hawkins, using his long arms to hit balls hard and with enviable loft. He can crush all but the very best fastballs and has the strength to get hits even when he's jammed. But a lot of scouts consider him a one-trick pony. Barnum struggles to control his oversized strike zone, easily gets fooled by breaking balls and can look clueless by chasing bad pitches. Chicago wants to shorten his swing, which can get loopy at times. He has fringy speed and solid arm strength. His defense at first base needs work, and he may be able to give left field a try. The Future: Barnum likely will open his first full pro season at low Class A Kannapolis. His plus-plus raw power could play very well at U.S. Cellular Field, but he could need 2,000 pro at-bats before he's polished enough to be ready to play there.