Birmingham Pitching Coach Jose Bautista: Michael Kopech's Recent Progress Is 'Unbelievable'

(CBS) White Sox prized pitching prospect Michael Kopech has long been lauded for his stuff on the mound, but what he's done this season so well in the mind of the organization with the Double-A Birmingham Barons is matured his all-around game.

In other words, to steal an old cliche, he's becoming more of a pitcher than just a thrower.

"That's what I told him -- 'We're going to make you a pitcher instead of be the guy that throws 100 miles per hour and doesn't know where it will go,'"  Barons pitching coach Jose Bautista said on Hit and Run on 670 The Score. "So right now, he is using both sides of the plate really good with the fastball and using his breaking ball and his changeup in proper times."

A 21-year-old right-hander who was acquired by the White Sox in the Chris Sale trade last December, Kopech has been his best most recently. In his past six starts, Kopech has a 0.66 ERA, a 0.68 WHIP and 54 strikeouts across 41 innings. After struggling with command at times in the past, Kopech has walked just seven batters in that 41-inning stretch.

"You can see it the last four games," said Bautista, who had a nine-year MLB career and played for the Cubs in 1993 and 1994. "I think he's only given up four walks. Right now, he's just locked in. We're just working with him, toe to toe, to the front side, go downhill and plant. His fastball is sitting 94 to 99, 100. He maintains himself at 97 pretty much, down in the zone. It's unbelievable, the progress he has made in the last few months.

"I love the way he's working. I love the way he's going to his stuff. It's great to work with him because he takes the instructions really well, why we're working on it. He'd doing a fantastic job right now."

For the season, Kopech has a 2.87 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 155 strikeouts in 119 1/3 innings in 22 starts.