As we inch closer to the end of the 2024 season, Sox on 35th is officially refreshing our prospect rankings to account for all of the season’s developments. While the Chicago White Sox have been an all-time disappointment this season, the farm system has steadily improved and is now one of the more respectable minor league systems in baseball.
Revealing the bottom half of the 2024 mid-season top 30 prospect rankings, we take a look at plenty of players who have the potential to make an impact at the MLB level. With this team’s farm system being stronger than it’s been in years, many of these prospects would have cracked the top half of the rankings a few years ago.
In case you missed it, check out our Honorable Mentions here.
30. Peyton Pallette, RHP
The second-round pick for the White Sox in 2022, Peyton Pallette made his professional debut in 2023 with the Kannapolis CannonBallers after he missed all of his 2022 Junior season recovering from Tommy John surgery. If not for the injury, he very likely could have been a first-round pick.
Unfortunately, Pallette’s minor league career has not gone according to plan so far. Though 12 starts at the High-A level, he held a 7.21 ERA and struggled to pitch deep into games due to command issues. The Sox eventually decided to transition him into a bullpen role, however, and he has been able to find found new life. He only surrendered 2 runs in 23.2 innings while striking out 35 batters in that span, and earned himself a promotion to the Double-A Birmingham Barons. His stock takes a hit due to his transition to the bullpen, but Pallette has the upside of a high-leverage reliever with his plus stuff.
29. Sean Burke, RHP
A third-round pick back in 2021, Sean Burke’s once-promising minor league career was derailed by injuries in 2023. After being elevated to Triple-A in his first full minor league season back in 2022, Burke was only able to pitch 36.2 innings in 2023 due to shoulder inflammation, and it was clear he wasn’t fully healthy when he was on the mound.
Finally healthy after a delayed start to his 2024 season, Sean Burke has battled inconsistency but has showcased in flashes why the Sox were so high on him in the 2021 draft. Spending the entire season in Triple-A, he has battled control issues but has also shown a knack for punching out opposing hitters. He still possesses the upside of a mid-rotation starter and could see time in the White Sox rotation very soon.
28. Seth Keener, RHP
While he may have been overly advanced for the level, Seth Keener had an exceptional season for the Low-A Kannapolis Cannonballers. Through 64.1 innings, Keener held a 3.36 ERA with 75 strikeouts in that time, although his walk rate was a bit higher than expected. Still, the Sox were eventually impressed enough to elevate him to join the High-A Winston-Salem rotation.
The White Sox selected Keener in the 3rd round of the 2023 draft. The 22-year-old right-hander has a three-pitch mix which highlights his slider as his best pitch. He also has a fastball ranging from 91-97 miles per hour and a changeup that he mainly uses against left-handed hitters. Keener’s ability to keep his WHIP low was one of the main standouts for him in college at Wake Forest, although he has struggled to carry that over since being drafted. He has all of the ability to develop into a big-league starter but will need to work on building up his arm to go deeper into games. If he were to make a move to the bullpen, his slider should allow him to be an effective one.
27. Eric Adler, RHP
Through the 2024 season, Eric Adler has established himself as arguably the best reliever prospect in the WHite Sox farm system. He was dominant in a brief stint with the High-A Winston-Salem Dash, and earned a promotion to Double-A in May. He has held his own at that level, continuing to rack up strikeouts while also allowing more walks than you would hope.
There aren’t many pitchers in this entire organization that possess the pure stuff that Adler brings to the mound. His arsenal includes an upper 90’s fastball and both a curveball and slider that are plus, that is when he can control them. Command has always been the biggest question with Adler, as he struggled with walks in college. Since turning pro, he has appeared to clean up those issues a bit, and while he can stand to limit his walks further still, he has honed it to the point where he has been an effective relief pitcher who generates plenty of strikeouts. If he continues to develop on this trajectory, he has high leverage, maybe even closer, potential.
26. Ronny Hernandez, C
Ronny Hernandez put himself on the map in 2022 while playing in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 136 wRC+ with six home runs and a 15% walk rate, with his strikeout rate being only slightly higher at 17.5%. While his numbers haven’t quite been that gaudy, he has still solidified himself as the second-best catching prospect in the system, behind only Edgar Quero.
Hernandez has gotten his first taste of full-season ball, spending the entire season with the Low-A Kannapolis Cannonballers. During that time, he has held a respectable batting average while showing elite plate discipline, holding a walk rate that is higher than his strikeout rate. While he has some raw power in his bat, he hasn’t been able to tap into it much since he came stateside. If he can start to put the ball over the fence a bit more, he could skyrocket up rankings.
25. Nick McLain, OF
The McLain family saw another family member make it into professional baseball, as the White Sox drafted Nick, younger brother of Matt, in the 3rd round. A switch hitter, McLain has an above-average hit tool from both sides of the plate. While the power is a bit behind, he has been able to tap into it more as he has further removed himself from a broken hamate bone. While he hasn’t made his professional debut yet in the Sox minor-league system, it is clear that the Sox are excited about his potential.
24. Tyler Schweitzer, LHP
A 5th-round pick for the Sox in 2022, Tyler Schweitzer had to wait until 2023 for his professional debut where he dominated the Low-A level before holding his own in High-A to finish the season. He has taken another jump in 2024, where he pitched well enough in High-A to earn a promotion to the Double-A Barons.
After topping 100 innings in his debut season, he is already over 120 innings and counting in 2024, earning himself a look as a potential workhorse starter. He combines a low-mid 90s fastball with several solid secondary pitches, and gets the most out of them with high spin rates and solid command. He has shed any worries about an eventual transition to the bullpen, and could be ready to make some starts for the Sox next season.
23. Casey Saucke, OF
Drafted in the 4th round this season, Casey Saucke commanded an over-slot signing bonus and was sent straight to High-A Winston-Salem, where he has held his own to this point. He has solid power that he can spray to all parts of the field, although he will need to develop a bit more patience at the plate if he wants to fully maximize it. He also has solid bat-to-ball skills, holding low strikeout rates throughout college. Defensively, he projects best at Right Field, where he has enough range and more than enough arm strength.
22. Wilfred Veras, OF
While he has been somewhat overlooked throughout his minor league career, Wilfred Veras has produced above expectations while being one of the youngest prospects at every level he has faced. At just 21 years old in Double-A this season, he has once again looked like he belongs while facing much older competition.
While he has yet to figure out how to more consistently tap into his plus raw power, he has till been effective both at the plate and on the basepaths. While he continues to work on his craft in the outfield, a position he fully transitioned to just last season, he is still considered below average there and may be looked at as more of a DH type of prospect. He does have enough athleticism and arm strength to eventually develop into a capable outfielder, but he will need to continue working on his fundamentals there. Offensively, he still has a ton of upside, but will always be a bit capped by an overly aggressive approach.
21. Javier Mogollon, SS
Javier Mogollon seemingly came out of nowhere to put up a monster debut season with the DSL White Sox. Signing for just $35,000 in January of 2023, the middle infielder hit over .300 and slugged 10 home runs while also walking almost as often as he struck out. On top of that, he showed off his base-stealing prowess with 11 swipes on the season.
He has carried that production to his stateside debut with the ACL White Sox in 2024, keeping an OPS over .900 by showcasing his power while getting on base at a high clip. His strikeout rate has skyrocketed to a concerning rate just below 40%, however, and he will need to cut that way down if he wants to sustain this success as he climbs the ranks. With the power, on base ability, and his impact on the basepaths, Mogollon has everything required to eventually turn into an impact type of player.
20. Aldrin Batista, RHP
Acquired for international bonus slot money last season, Batista was a strikeout machine for the Dodgers Arizona Complex team, fanning 54 batters in just 39 innings. He didn’t post quite the same numbers after the Sox acquired him and promoted him to Low-A Kannapolis, but he still held a 2.66 ERA and seemed to have decent control in his 23.2 innings at the level.
In 2024, however, Batista seems to have figured it out on the mound. FOr the Low-A Kannapolis Cannonballers, the 21 year old right-hander held a 3.51 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 84.1 innings. He kept his walk rate at a respectable number as well, and showed the Sox enough improvement for them to deem him worthy of a promotion to High-A. He has been even better since the promotion, and his stock has never been higher. Behid his mid-90s fastball that could gain velocity as he matures, and two solid secondary offerings in his slider and changeup, Batista has all the tools to develop into an MLB starting pitcher.
19. Samuel Zavala, OF
Savala was a highly sought-after international prospect in the 2021 class, inking a $1.2 million signing bonus to join the Padre’s organization. Throughout his minor league career, Zavala has displayed both power potential and elite on-base ability, despite having some holes in his swing that he is still working out.
2024 has been more of the same for Zavala, as the 19 year old outfielder has struggled to hit over .200 at the High-A level, but has been able to draw walks at over a 17% rate. His power production has dipped a bit, however, leading to concerns about his long-term value. There are plenty of tools to work with in Zavala’s game, but until he can clean up his swing and make contact more consistently, he will never be able to tap into them to become an MLB player.
18. Alexander Albertus, INF
A $75,000 signing for the Dodgers back in the 2022 international signing period, Albertus excelled in both the Dominican Summer League and the Arizona Comlex league in his first two minor league seasons. He earned himself a promotion to the DOdgers Low-A affiliate, where he didn’t quite live up to his previous production before being part of the trade that sent Erick Fedde, Michael Kopech, and Tommy Pham to the Dodgers. Unfortunately, due to a lower leg injury, ALbertus will not be able to make his debut in the White Sox system until the 2025 season.
On the field, Albertus has shown an impressive combination of bat-to-ball skills and on-base ability. While he hasn’t shown a ton in over the fence power, he has added strength as he’s matured and should have at least average power at his peak. He has spent time at second base, third base, and shortstop, and while he has just average range he makes up for it with solid actions and a high baseball IQ.
17. Blake Larson, LHP
Drafted with the supplemental second round pick the White Sox received in the Gregory Santos trade, Blake Larson, inking him to an above-slot bonus of $1,397,500. The 18 year old southpaw currently sits in the 92-94 mph range with his fastball, although at just 185 lbs it is expected that he will gain a considerable amount of velocity as he matures. He pairs the fastball with an above average slider that he can get good spin rates on, and a developing changeup. He throws from a low three-quarter arm slot, and will need to clean up his delivery if he wants to stick as a starter. There is a lit of projection and a considerable amount of risk with the Larson pick, but his ceiling could be a front-line starter when it is all said and done.
16. William Bergolla, INF
Acquired for Tanner Banks right before the 2024 MLB trade deadline, Bergolla was one of the top international free agents in the 2022 class before signing with the Phillies for a signing bonus of just over $2 million. He reached High-A with the Phillies this season, hitting .295 and drawing walks at an 8.2% rate and keeping his strikeout rate right around 11% in 267 plate appearances before the trade. His numbers have been even better since the Sox acquired him, bumping his batting average over .300 and cutting his strikeout rate down even more.
There is little to no power potential in Bergolla’s bat, but he brings some of the best bat-to-ball skills in the system and combines it with an impressively advanced approach at the plate. He was primarily a second baseman with the Phillies this season, but the Sox have allowed him to play more at shortstop, where he should have the arm, rage, and instincts to stick.
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Featured Image: Featured Image: Syndication: Canes Baseball/X
