Cal Baseball: Andrew Vaughn Relishing His Chance at White Sox Summer Camp

The 22-year-old first baseman homered during Sunday's intra-squad game

Photo by Tom Borowski

Andrew Vaughn figured to be playing somewhere in the minors leagues right now, moving up the White Sox ladder in his second season as a professional baseball player. Perhaps he'd be at Double-A Birmingham or Triple-A Charlotte, but not yet rubbing shoulders with big leaguers

Instead, the 22-year-old former Cal star is completing Summer Camp in Chicago with the big kids — Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Yasmani Grandal — as baseball prepares to finally begin a season nearly derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vaughn, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2019 draft, is not expected to be on the White Sox active roster for their July 24 opener. But while there will be no minor-league baseball this summer, Vaughn is part of the White Sox 60-player pool and will continue to work out at the club’s alternate training site in nearby Schaumburg, Illinois, available for call-up if the big club needs him.

“This camp has been phenomenal. Getting to work around the field, getting to hit and play with the guys on the big league club, is definitely beneficial to me,” said Vaughn on Monday during a Zoom call arranged by the White Sox. “The biggest thing is mindset, having the drive to know we’re going to play, to be ready at the right time.”

*** Here is Monday's full video interview with Vaughn, provided by the White Sox with thanks also to Brett Ballantini of SI's South Side Hit Pen:

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So far Vaughn continues to impress his team. He was batting .304 during spring training before that was halted by coronavirus. He homered in an intra-squad game on Sunday and is part of an impressive core of young talent awaiting the chance to move onto the big league stage.

Besides Vaughn, a two-time All-America first baseman for the Bears, the White Sox are grooming 22-year-old Luis Robert, a five-tool Cuban player who is expected to win the starting center field job this summer, and 23-year-old second baseman Nick Madrigal, the No. 4 overall pick out of Oregon State in 2018.

White Sox bench coach Joe McEwing said the unusual circumstances of this season provide all three the chance to get major-league exposure that might have otherwise been delayed.

“These guys are getting a unique opportunity, situation, to be able to do it here in Chicago,” McEwing said, “(So that) when they come up for the first time, it’s not going to be a surprise for them. They’re already going to play with that next deck, and they’re not going to be in awe of any situation that may come their way. That first one is out of the way, which is huge.”

Vaughn said he’s paying attention to the veterans, trying to pick up tips and work habits. “It’s pretty phenomenal being around that caliber of player and just trying to fit in and see how I groove with the guys,” he said.

Vaughn got the chance to face White Sox veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel over the weekend and said the experience highlights the difference between pitching at the college, minor league and big league levels.

“The biggest thing is command. In A ball, guys throw really hard but the command’s not really there. Pitchers at the big league level . . . facing Keuchel yesterday, he hits his spots,” Vaughn said. “Just getting used to that and knowing they’re going to be around the zone and being ready for it.”

Vaughn is taking this season day by day, not expecting to play in the majors but doing all he can to prepare himself if the opportunity arises. Asked by one reporter on the video how’d he react if general manager Rick Hahn told him he was sticking on the active roster, Vaughn didn’t blink.

“I love the challenge. Obviously, that’s why we play baseball — it’s a challenging game,” Vaughn said. “If he said I was in there, I’d be extremely pumped up and ready to go, trying to help the team out.”

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Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo

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