Oscar Colas Is Focused On Being A Hitter For White Sox

Cuban outfielder Oscar Colas flashed a 95 mph fastball off the mound when he worked as a two-way player in the Japanese minor leagues in 2018 and 2019.

But those days are in the past.

Chicago appreciates the zip in his left arm, but Colas will be limited to making throws from the outfield after signing with the White Sox for $2.7 million in January.

“Pitching is in the past for me,” said Colas, who also hits from the left side. “When I signed with the organization, they told me they weren’t interested in pitching, and I wasn’t really into it . . .

“My focus for now is just being an outfielder.”

Colas’ arm will be an asset in the outfield, but a potent bat is his true calling card.

Over 187 games in the Cuban major league Serie Nacional and in  Japan, predominantly on the minor league side, Colas hit .282/.343/.483 with 28 home runs and 116 RBIs.

“He’s focused on being a hitter, and we feel he’s got a chance to be an impact player as a position player,” White Sox international director Marco Paddy said.

“Something that’s there right now is his power, his bat, his defensive ability and his ability to run the bases.”

The 23-year-old Colas is likely going to open the upcoming season with with Low-A Kannapolis or High-A Winston-Salem.

“He is advanced,” Paddy said. “There’s no doubt we feel like with his experience he’s got a quicker path to the big leagues, but all that stuff is determined once the player really gets engaged over here in the States and starts playing.”

Colas was a few days late arriving at Chicago’s minor league minicamp in Glendale, Ariz. When he does get up and running, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound slugger won’t be lacking confidence.

“To me, this is a big and important opportunity,” Colas said. “It’s just another step, my goals and my progression, that I think I’m going to accomplish.”

CHI-LITES

— Yoelqui Cespedes, another Cuban outfielder who signed with the White Sox in January 2021, is quite familiar with Oscar Colas.

“We’ve been playing together, but on different teams, since we were 15 or 16 years old,” Cespedes said. “He’s a really good player. He’s humble, a good person, too.”

— Chicago-area native Wes Benjamin, who pitched in 21 games (three starts) for the Rangers over the past two seasons, signed a minor league contract with the White Sox.

— Nicky Delmonico, an outfielder with the White Sox from 2017 to 2020, is back with the organization as High-A Winston-Salem’s hitting coach.