Tim Elko has been one of the unexpected storylines in the early part of spring training for the White Sox. In a very small sample size, he already has one home run and just missed another. He has massive power to all fields, which has caught the attention of many White Sox fans given how badly the current team lacks home run threats. Some have begun speculating when we might see Elko on the South Side, and it could be sooner than people think.
Elko had a decorated college career at The University of Mississippi. In five seasons at Ole Miss, he hit .293 with 46 home runs with a .984 OPS. Elko gained notoriety nationally for playing through a torn ACL for most of the 2021 season. Despite the injury, he hit .325 with 16 home runs, 55 RBI, a 1.119 OPS, and multiple clutch hits and home runs that season. Elko was also an integral part of the 2022 Rebels team that won the College World Series, cementing his status as an Ole Miss legend. He even has a statue in his honor at the Rebels’ home stadium, Swayze Field.
Elko’s college success helped put him on the map, and the White Sox drafted him in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He was given a signing bonus of just $35,000 as a college senior draft pick, further adding to his underdog story. Elko had a fantastic 2023 season in the White Sox farm system. In 131 games across the Low-A, High-A, and AA levels, Elko hit 28 home runs, drove in 106 runs, and had a .873 OPS. In addition, he hit .295 and had 25 doubles.
However, there are factors to take into consideration when looking at his stats. The main one is his age, as he was significantly older than his competition for most of the 2023 season. He was over three years older than the average Low-A player and almost two years older than the average High-A player. Once he reached the AA level with players roughly his age as the competition, Elko’s production dropped significantly. In 34 games in AA, he had just a .723 OPS with a minuscule 2.2 walk percentage and a massive 35.8 strikeout percentage. Both his strikeout and walk rates trended in the wrong direction as Elko climbed the levels of professional baseball in 2023, and these areas of his game need to improve for him to become a viable player at the MLB level.
At 25 years old, Elko still has a lot to prove. He has never played above the AA level and strikes out too much. However, he is the epitome of an underdog story and easy to root for, as he fought through injuries in college and is not even ranked in the White Sox top 30 prospects at the moment. Elko should begin the 2024 season in AA and could quickly move up to AAA if he performs well. Depending on what happens with Eloy Jiménez and Andrew Vaughn moving forward, Elko could eventually see an opportunity in Chicago as a DH or first baseman. 2024 will be a pivotal year for Elko’s professional career, and he could make his MLB debut at some point this season. His power and talent with the bat is undeniable. Hopefully, he will continue to hit and become a factor for the White Sox soon.
