It’s been a difficult season statistically for Spencer Adams, former White County standout athlete. The Warriors’ alumni (Class of 2014) has righted the ship, however, with an outstanding last two starts for the Birmingham Barons, Class AA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

In the last two starts, Adams has thrown 15 scoreless innings (earned runs), allowing only eight hits and walking just two while striking out 12. He effectively lowered his 2018 ERA from 6.42 to 4.88.

For the season, Adams is 3-6 with a 4.88, logging 62.2 innings and striking out 50. His 1.50 WHIP (walks & hits per inning pitched) is the highest of his professional career. It’s not necessarily that hitters are mashing the ball, but his ground out/air out ratio is 1, lower than he’d like it to be.

However, Adams has continued to find success at the AA level, begging the question on when his next promotion will be. These last two outings — an 8-inning gem of no runs, two hits, no walks and six strikeouts, followed by a 7-inning, no earned runs, six hits, two walks and six strikeouts — show that he might be ready for the call-up to AAA Charlotte Knights.

Adams has impeccable command of the strike zone, and was a second-round pick (44th overall) out of high school by the White Sox in the 2014 MLB Draft. Adams carries a professional career stat line of 35-41 with a 3.95 ERA and 418 strikeouts. That total includes 99 games played, 98 starting and 549.1 innings of work. In that span, he’s walked just 112, giving him a superb 3.73 strikeout/walk ratio and a 1.33 WHIP.

Through 12 starts this season, he’s pitched six times at home and six on the road. The splits are mind-boggling. He’s 3-2 with a 2.68 at home with a 1.19 WHIP and 0-4 with an 8.06 on the road with a 1.95 WHIP. He’s seemingly more comfortable at home when starting, as most players tend to be.

Adams is ranked by MLB as the 14th top prospect in the Chicago White Sox system, and the projected ETA (estimated time of arrival) to the Major Leagues is slated as 2019. It’s coming at some point, but if these last two games are any indication, it could be sooner rather than later.