Kris Honel Stats & Scouting Report

IP	476
ERA	4.046
WHIP	1.399
BB/9	4.33
SO/9	8.13

Full name Kristopher Robert Honel
Born 11/07/1982 in Kankakee, IL
Profile Ht.: 6'5" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Providence Catholic
Drafted in the 1st round (16th overall) by the Chicago White Sox in 2001 (signed for $1,500,000).

View Draft Report

Honel opened the year as the fourth-ranked high school pitching prospect in the nation and missed a month with a strained ligament in his wrist. His velocity was way down when he returned, temporarily alarming scouts, before he returned to his old self and cemented his status as a first-rounder. His knuckle-curve is the best breaking ball in the prep ranks. He throws it at 79 mph, and it combines power and bite. Honel also has the requisite fastball, averaging 90-93 mph and reaching 95. He has smooth mechanics, especially for a 6-foot-5 youngster. He's expected to go in the middle of the first round and could prove tempting to the local White Sox, who pick 16th.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Honel was the 16th overall pick in 2001, making him the highest-drafted Illinois high school pitcher since Bob Kipper went eighth in 1982. Honel ranked No. 2 on this list after tearing through high Class A as a 20-year-old in 2003, but little has gone right since. He pitched just six innings in 2004 while battling inflammation in his elbow, which started bothering him sporadically shortly after he turned pro. Honel was able to pitch 93 innings last season, but had arthrocopic elbow surgery afterward. The White Sox hope he'll be able to pitch again early in 2006 and at this point they don't know what to expect from him. At his best, Honel had a low-90s fastball and a nasty knuckle-curve. But in the last two years, he has lost velocity and command while his knuckle-curve ceased being an out pitch. He never has had much of a changeup. If Honel can ever regain his health and stuff, he could benefit from what he's learned about pitching and himself while battling adversity.
The organization's top pitching prospect a year ago, Honel took the mound just three more times after an Opening Day 2004 start in Double-A. Initially expected to miss about a week, he struggled with shoulder tendinitis all season. Honel's knuckle-curve made him the 16th overall pick in 2001, the earliest an Illinois high school pitcher was drafted since Bob Kipper went eighth 19 years earlier. It has a sharp break and he generally can throw it for strikes in any count. He has good command and challenges hitters. Velocity seems to be a constant struggle for Honel. He pitched in the high 80s in 2002 before climbing to the low 90s in 2003. Chicago thinks his shoulder problems stemmed from bulking up and overthrowing. He developed bad habits that put stress on his shoulder. His changeup is a clear third pitch. The White Sox are crossing their fingers that Honel comes to spring training healthy and ready to pitch in Double-A. They've lowered their expectations for him, counting on him being no more than an end-of-the-rotation starter, no earlier than mid-2006.
A local product, Honel went 16th overall in the 2001 draft, making him the earliest Illinois prep pitcher picked since Bob Kipper was chosen eighth in 1982. Honel continues to justify his selection, earning all-star recognition in both of his full seasons. He helped Winston-Salem capture the high Class A Carolina League championship in 2003 with two wins in the playoffs, including the clincher. Since his mid-teens, Honel has thrown a knee-buckling knuckle-curve, and he'll use it in any count. His fastball climbed back to 91-93 mph last year after dipping a little in 2002. He has a lot of natural movement on his heater, with late break down and away from righthanders. He gets deception from a natural snap at the end of his delivery. He repeats his delivery well, giving him good command. Honel has enough fastball now, but his frame is so projectable that the White Sox continue to watch for him to develop more velocity. That's all he needs to have front-of-the-rotation stuff. The Sox rushed Jon Garland and Dan Wright to the majors but are more cautious these days. They want Honel to be ready when he gets there, with the second half of 2005 a reasonable goal. He'll pitch in Double-A this year.
Honel is a rare package for a Chicago team--an elite prospect who knew the way to the city's ballparks before signing a contract. He grew up in the city's southwest suburbs before going 16th overall in the 2001 draft, the highest an Illinois prep pitcher had been taken since Bob Kipper went eighth in 1982. Honel has the basic package that scouts look for, starting with a low-90s fastball and a breaking ball that keeps hitters off his heater. His velocity was down a little in 2002 but was still plenty good because of his command of other pitches. His knuckle-curve, which acts like a slider, might be his best pitch. His fastball is rarely straight, often getting devastating late movement. A shortfall in experience is about the only remaining issue. Honel made strides with his mound presence in 2002 and showed that the elbow problems he developed late in 2001 were nothing to be overly concerned about. Honel will start 2003 at high Class A Winston- Salem. He could be in the mix for Comiskey Park by late 2004, but the Sox haven't gotten great results from recent prospects they rushed to the big leagues, including Jon Garland, Jon Rauch, Kip Wells and Dan Wright.
Following in the footsteps of Oakland's Mark Mulder, Honel is the rare first-round pitcher who has survived an education in the batting cages around Chicago. He was projected as a possible top 10 pick before slipping to the 16th overall. That's the highest an Illinois high school pitcher has been selected since the Angels took Bob Kipper with the eighth pick in June 1982. Honel is big, strong and has excellent mechanics. He has hit 95 on guns and averages 91-92 with good movement. That's plenty of heat, considering he has two pitches better than his fastball--a knuckle-curve that acts like a slider, and a plus changeup. Like most kids just out of high school, Honel has some growing up to do. His emotions can get the better of him on the mound. He was bothered by minor elbow problems after signing, which caused his velocity to sink to the mid-80s at times. Scouting director Doug Laumann considers Honel to be from the Mark Prior starter kit. If he makes steady progress the next three years, he could become a homegrown star in his hometown.

Minor League Top Prospects

Honel and lefthander Ryan Wing pitched the Warthogs to their first league title since 1993. Winston-Salem swept through Kinston and Lynchburg as Honel won both of his playoff starts, including the clincher. Observers can't agree on his strongest attribute. Some like his low-90s fastball. Some point to his knuckle-curve, which can be unhittable. Some say it's the command of all his pitches. "He's got two plus pitches and he's developing a changeup," Massarelli said. "He creates a good angle and throws strikes. He overmatched a ton of hitters in this league. You can't ask for more at this level than he's already doing."
A few scouts voiced their concern this season when Honel's velocity fell to 86-90 mph and topped out at 91. Some wondered if he was a dead arm during his first full professional season, but managers didn't have the same anxiety because his curveball and changeup are above-average offerings. Possessing outstanding control, Honel accrues strikeouts with an unconventional arm action. His motion includes a long and loose delivery before an unusual jerk at the end, which creates considerable deception. He also locates his fastball well and does an outstanding job of moving his pitches around the strike zone. "He didn't throw hard but he didn't need to throw any harder," Beyeler said. "Our hitters kept saying they couldn't see the ball that well because it jumped on top of them even though he wasn't overpowering."
The White Sox made Honel the 16th overall pick in June, taking the local product from Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, Ill. The righthander wasted little time living up to expectations, and showed no lingering effects from a wrist injury that limited his velocity during the spring. Managers were most impressed with the 6-foot-5 Honel's smooth mechanics and the easy manner in which he released the ball. His fastball was consistently in the low 90s, touching 94 mph on several occasions. He also sported a heavy knuckle-curve that proved difficult for hitters to hit with authority, and he also showed an average changeup. "He's going to pitch in the big leagues," Maloney said. "He knows how to pitch. He changes speeds and moves the ball around. He's got a live arm."