Oscar Colás is ‘extremely focused’ as the prospect competes for the Chicago White Sox right field job

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Oscar Colás has played in the Serie Nacional, Cuba’s top league. He also spent time in Japan’s Western and Pacific leagues.

After excelling in his first season in the minors, the 24-year-old outfielder is aiming for a spot on the Chicago White Sox roster.

“I’ve thought about it, that’s part of my dream,” Colás said through an interpreter Tuesday at Camelback Ranch. “Sometimes you think that it’s not real. But I’m here working for that and that’s going to be a big accomplishment for me and my family and all the people who have been supporting me.”

Colás, one of the Sox’s top prospects, is competing for a roster spot and the starting right field job. He and Gavin Sheets are among the top options at the position.

Sox manager Pedro Grifol called Colás “an extremely focused kid” who “goes about his business the right way.”

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“There’s no BS about him,” Grifol said. “He comes here to work. He’s competing for a job and he knows it. This is what he loves to do. He takes pride in it. He asks a lot of good questions.

“He’s extremely detailed for a young kid. Obviously he’s got ability. I’m looking forward to watching him progress this spring.”

Baseball America recently ranked Colás, 24, as the No. 2 prospect in the organization and No. 89 in all of baseball. He had a combined .314/.371/.524 slash line last year with 23 home runs and 79 RBIs in 117 games with Class A Winston-Salem (59 games), Double-A Birmingham (51) and Triple-A Charlotte (seven).

He also represented the Sox at the All-Star Futures Game. It was his first season with the organization after agreeing to a $2.7 million deal announced in January 2022 during the international signing period.

Colás homered at all three minor-league levels. But his game was more than just the long ball.

“Last year I increased my focus on my offense to be a better hitter,” Colás said. “Before, I just thought, ‘Hit homers.’ Last year I worked to get better and to be more of a hitter, trying to hit the ball throughout the field, and I got good results doing that.”

Defensively, Colás spent a majority of his time last season in center field (70 starts). He has experience at the corner spots, including 13 starts in right in 2022.

“Actually, last year was my first year playing center field,” Colás said. “My experience was more in the corners. And I think I did a pretty good job. I feel very comfortable playing in the outfield and playing the corners.”

His offseason work centered on plate discipline.

“Once the season ended, (the coaches) all had the reports of how the season went for you and the areas you need to improve upon,” Colás said. “They identified — and I knew it — that I needed to be more selective with pitches that I wanted to swing at. We focused on that during this offseason. They have a very good team of (coaches) there, and that helped put me in a better position.”

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The work might put him in a position to be teammates with close friend and fellow Cuban Luis Robert.

“We’ve known each other for a very long time — we are like brothers,” Colás said. “We spent a lot of time together during the offseason. He has helped me a lot too.

“Being here (at camp) with him, it’s a plus. He’s been telling me how the routine is, what I need to do and how we work here. It’s definitely good in helping me feel a little more comfortable.”

He’s soaking in all he can from the experienced players in the clubhouse.

“It’s good to know I’m going to have a good team around me, good hitters around me,” Colás said. “That means we’re going to be a good team. I don’t know if it takes pressure off you or not, but it definitely makes you feel more comfortable and more secure about the team and the stuff that you have to do.”

His concentration this spring is on “trying to do my best, take the most advantage as I can of this opportunity, do the things that I always do and act like I always do too.”

“I just focus on my work, my daily work,” Colás said, “because I know that’s what’s going to give me the good results I am looking for.”