Casey Rogowski

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #12 prospect in 2006
  Added to the 40-man roster after the 2004 season, Rogowski finally escaped Class A last year. He hit just .211 in big league camp but impressed the major league staff with his potential. A shoulder injury in 2002 contributed to his slow rise, but he's a headstrong player who believes in himself and will keep pushing. He won a Michigan high school wrestling championship as a heavyweight, two more state titles in football and the state's Mr. Baseball award in 1999. While Rogowski's home run output suffered at Birmingham's pitcher-friendly Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in 2005, he finished with career highs in doubles and extra-base hits as well as batting average. He has solid strike-zone awareness, though he wasn't as disciplined last year as in the past. He's a below-average runner, but he's very athletic for a first baseman and has seen some time in left field. Still trying to make up for lost time, Rogowski landed a job in the Dominican Winter League and proved himself further as a run producer. He'll try to do the same in Triple-A this year.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #15 prospect in 2005
  Rogowski was a top all-around athlete as a high school athlete in Michigan. He won the state's Mr. Baseball award, played on two football state championship teams and captured Michigan's heavyweight wrestling title. He has paid his dues in a slow climb up the ladder, showing promise at low Class A in 2001 before being slowed by a shoulder injury in 2002 and spending most of three years in high Class A. He finally put up big numbers again in 2004, showing both power and strong strike-zone judgment. Rogowski moves better than most players his size and has reached double figures in steals for five straight seasons. The White Sox have given him some time in left field, and he also played there in the Arizona Fall League. He never has hit for much of an average, and Rogowski will have to prove he can handle more advanced pitching and start to move more quickly toward Chicago. He'll get the chance to do that this season in Dobule-A. The White Sox haven't developed a quality lefthanded hitter since Robin Ventura, which increases the attention being paid Rogowski.
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  Ranked Chicago White Sox #14 prospect in 2002
  If prospects were measured on neck size alone, Rogowski would be among baseball's elite. The powerfully built heavyweight wrestling champ from Michigan is a brute but not an oaf. His athleticism allowed him to be a high school standout in football as well as baseball and wrestling. Unranked on this list a year ago, he's No. 14 with a bullet. While the White Sox love his potential as a power hitter--he homered into the upper deck at Tiger Stadium while still in high school--managers also rated him the best defensive first baseman in the South Atlantic League last season. Rogowski improved as a hitter in 2001, chasing fewer pitches and driving the ball in hitter's counts. He's a long way away from Comiskey Park but will get every opportunity to get there if he continues to show 30-plus homer potential.