The White Sox have given Ryan Burrowes a tougher test after a standout July, promoting the 21-year-old from Winston-Salem to Birmingham. For a player who has spent 1 1/2 seasons trying to find traction stateside, the move is a clear sign that his bat is forcing the issue.
Burrowes’ July was the kind of month that changes a prospect’s path. In 94 plate appearances, he hit.325/.441/.636 with 14 walks and 15 strikeouts, a line that stands out not just for the damage he did, but for the control he showed while doing it.
Why the White Sox moved Burrowes now
This is the first real statistical breakout Burrowes has put together in four years stateside, and that matters. The White Sox were between Farm Fortnights and had been shuffling players to create room for recent draft picks, so there was movement coming anyway. But Burrowes made the decision easier by giving the club a reason to challenge him sooner rather than later.
He has not always been a headline prospect in the system, but the combination of on-base ability, power and a workable strikeout rate gives the promotion some logic. At this stage, Birmingham is less about reward and more about information. The White Sox need to know whether this surge is sustainable against better pitching.
Guillermo Quiroz sees a clearer fit on the left side
One useful note from the White Sox player-development side is that Guillermo Quiroz has said he likes Burrowes best on the left side of the infield. That is not a minor detail, because the organization has been managing bodies and roles across the system and needs players who can fit where the roster opens up.
Burrowes has shown enough flexibility to remain part of that conversation, and the promotion suggests the club believes the bat can lead the way while the defensive picture continues to settle.
More roster shuffling around the system
Burrowes was not the only name on the move. On July 27, Javier Mogollón was sent to Winston-Salem, while Jose Urquidy joined the Charlotte rotation. The weekend before that, Jurdrick Profar and Arxy Hernández were released.
Mogollón’s move comes after a season shaped by limited playing time and leg issues, with his 2025 campaign cut short after 51 games because of a hamstring issue and his 2026 season limited to 57 games because of a lesser leg issue. Profar had seen his playing time tilt toward first base before the White Sox used their top three picks on infielders, so there was less room to keep everyone in place.
Urquidy’s arrival gives Charlotte a notable arm to work with. He was once a middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Houston Astros in 2021 and 2022, so his addition brings a very different kind of experience to the system.
For now, though, the attention sits with Burrowes. A promotion to Birmingham does not guarantee anything, but it does tell you the White Sox want a better read on a player whose July was too good to ignore.
