The Chicago White Sox farm system has gone from one of the worst in baseball to one of the best in just a couple of years, thanks to the Chris Getz-led overhaul of the roster and front office. On the flip side, the Sox have just undergone one of the worst seasons of professional baseball in the history of the league. It is easy to see why fans are skeptical about this rebuild logging any more success than the one led by former general manager Rick Hahn, but should fans be optimistic that better things are coming?
The White Sox farm system has plenty of star power, with as many as seven prospects popping up on various top 100 lists. Where this system is different than the last rebuild, however, is the depth. There are more prospects who have the potential to make an impact or have the talent to break out at any point than last time around.
In our first installment of the release of the Sox on 35th Top 30 White Sox prospects, we break down the prospects who didn’t crack the top 30 but are worth monitoring as players of importance.
In case you missed it:
- 2024 Mid-Season Top 30 White Sox Prospects: Honorable Mentions
- 2024 Mid-Season Top 30 White Sox Prospects: 30-16
- 2024 Mid-Season Top 30 White Sox Prospects: 15-1
Pitchers
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.
While Pallette’s outlook as a starter has not gone to plan, he transitioned well into a bullpen role in 2024. He transitioned into this role at the beginning of July and pitched well enough to earn a promotion to Double-A. There, he continued his success with a 1.80 ERA and struck out 16 batters in 15 innings. Solidifying himself as a high-leverage relief prospect should allow him to fast-track himself into an MLB role soon, possibly as quickly as this season.
Eric Adler, RHP
Eric Adler has some of the best stuff on the mound of any pitcher in the White Sox organization. He has never had an issue missing bats, even after his promotion to Double-A this past season. Command is where he struggles, as he has struggled to limit his walks, dating back to his college days. In 31 innings with the Double-A Birmingham Barons, Adler’s ERA jumped a bit to 4.06, although his 3.31 FIP and 3.53 xFIP showed that his performance was a bit stronger than that. In that stint, he struck out 52 batters while walking 24. He has always possessed the upside of an MLB closer but will have to continue to hone in his command to ever reach that potential.
Christian Oppor, LHP
The White Sox had a deal in place to draft and sign Christian Oppor in the 11th round of the 2022 draft, however, the Athletics opted to draft him instead, leaving him unsigned and allowing him to re-enter the draft in 2023. The Sox were clearly motivated to bring him into their organization because they did draft him in the 5th round that year.
Listed at 6’2 175 lbs, Oppor was a multi-sport athlete in high school, and that athleticism shows up on the mound. The 20-year-old lefty has good stuff, with a mid-90s fastball currently as his best pitch, and generates his fair share of swings and misses. He struck out 46 batters across 38 innings at the Arizona Complex League last season but overall struggled with command and consistency issues. There is still plenty of upside here, and he will have a chance to showcase it more after another season of working with this developmental staff.
Luis Reyes, RHP
Luis Reyes was the prize of the White Sox 2023 international signing class. Ranked 41st in MLB Pipeline’s top international prospects, Reyes was inked to a $700,000 signing bonus, tied for the largest in the Sox 2023 class. The 6’3 right-handed pitcher got off to a rough start last season in the DSL but looked much more like what the White Sox envisioned him to be from July through the rest of the season. In 2024, pitching stateside for the ACL White Sox, he still dealt with command and consistency issues. Despite this, he has been able to miss plenty of bats with his plus fastball and promising secondary pitches. While he has struggled with walks, he has a smooth delivery that he should be able to repeat well and hone in his command. 2024 wasn’t perfect for the talented right-hander, but overall, he improved in several important aspects.
Prelander Berroa, RHP
Acquired in a package that sent Gregory Santos to the Seattle Mariners, Prelander Berroa came into the 2024 season with expectations of bolstering the White Sox bullpen at some point this season. Unfortunately, Berroa struggled with his command at the Triple-A level, delaying his opportunity to make an impact at the MLB level. He did eventually receive the call to join the White Sox bullpen and faired pretty well with a 3.32 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 19 innings. He was in line to carve out a more prominent role with the Sox in 2025, potentially even seeing some save opportunities, before an elbow injury in Spring Training ended his season before it began.
Tanner McDougal, RHP
Despite some underwhelming results throughout his minor league career, there are still plenty of fans of Tanner McDougal in the scouting community. His fastball still touches the upper 90s and generates promising spin metrics on his pitches, which is what ultimately led the Sox to bet on his upside with a 5th-round pick back in 2022. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistency have limited his production to date. He did pitch well to start the season in Low-A Kannapolis and earned a promotion to High-A Winston Salem but struggled against the more advanced competition. He still misses plenty of bats, and the Sox organization still believes in him, so a breakout in 2025 cannot be ruled out.
Position Players
Tim Elko, 1B
Tim Elko quickly became a fan favorite in 2023, mashing 27 home runs across three minor league levels, including Double-A. It was more of the same for him in 2024, where he slashed .289/.338/.420 with 9 more home runs before earning a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte. The production was nearly identical at that level, and the 25-year-old first baseman is now knocking on the door to make his MLB debut. He does still need to work on his approach at the plate, where he is swinging too often, leading to a near 30% strikeout rate. Regardless, his power and contact abilities have little left to prove at the minor-league level.
Rikuu Nishida, UTIL
Drafted in the 11th round by the White Sox in 2023, Rikuu Nishida was always viewed as an advanced hitter who was expected to succeed in the lower levels. In 2024, however, he has done enough to put himself in legitimate prospect conversations, hitting over .300 in 597 plate appearances across Low-A, High-A, and Double-A combined. With his bat-to-ball skills combined with his unique ability to draw more walks than strikeouts, he is a pest to deal with as an opposing pitcher. He offers even more value on the basepaths, where he stole 49 bases throughout the season. While his ceiling is limited, he is looking more and more like a potentially useful MLB player.
Alejandro Cruz, 3B
The White Sox signed infield prospect Alejandro Cruz for approximately $2 million when the 2025 international signing period began. Despite being eligible to sign in the 2024 signing period, it was reported that Cruz waited due to limitations with the team’s previous international budget.
Ranked 33rd on MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 list for international prospects, Cruz most likely profiles as a third baseman. He is a solid athlete with good contact ability and an above-average arm, making him a very intriguing addition to the organization. Cruz was a member of Cuba’s U-18 National team at just 16 years of age in 2023, batting .337 (30-for-89), with six doubles, two triples, 12 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases with the club. He should spend the 2025 season in the Dominican Summer League.
Strong showings in both of the White Sox complex leagues allowed Ronny Hernandez to receive some credibility as a legitimate catching prospect for the White Sox, earning a promotion to Low-A Kannapolis for the 2024 season. He continued to show off a similar skillset of making solid contact and good decisions at the plate, although there was very little power production to speak of. Behind the plate, he works well with the pitching staff but still has some room to grow with his actions. Hernandez was in our top 30 last season and would have remained in prior to the Garrett Crochet. If he can develop a bit more power while showing off the same advanced approach at the plate in High-A Winston Salem this year, he could very well earn a spot back on the list by midseason.
Jurdrick Profar, INF
The younger brother of former top prospect and long-time Major Leaguer Jurickson Profar, Judrick signed with the White Sox for $600,000 during the 2024 international signing period. He was one of the few bright spots for the 2024 DSL White Sox, slashing .264/.397/.390 and holding a 121 wRC+. Profar also added in three home runs and went 8-for-8 on stolen base attempts. He is a toolsy prospect who can be a threat both at the plate and on the base paths. Despite being 6’3″, there is a belief that he can stick at shortstop. He should make his state-side debut in the Arizona COmplex League this season.
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. He is ready to make his debut in the White Sox organization in 2025, likely with the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.
Abraham Nunez, OF
Abraham Nunez tied with Luis Reyes for the largest signing bonus commanded in the White Sox’s most 2023 international class. While Reyes was ranked higher by most outlets, it was Nunez who broke out in the 2023 season in the Dominican Summer League. His stateside debut season wasn’t quite as strong, however, he did hold his own with a 101 wRC+, slashing .292/.382/.371. He failed to hit a home run in the 2024 season but does have some raw power in his bat. He was dangerous on the basepaths, however, swiping 20 bags on the season. His bat-to-ball skills and his propensity to draw walks should allow him plenty of opportunities to expand that skill as he progresses through the minors.
Eduardo Herrera, 3B
Eduardo Herrera headlined the White Sox 2024 international signing period class, as the power-hitting third baseman was signed out of Venezuela for $1.8 million. He was MLB Pipeline’s 11th-ranked international prospect overall and was the only one to receive a 60 grade on his power, even drawing comparisons to a young Albert Pujols based on his frame and his power potential.
Unfortunately, he was not able to translate that into in-game power during his debut season in the Dominican Summer League, failing to hit a home run in his first season. He showed some patience at the plate with a 13.6 walk rate, but there was not much else to point to as a clear positive for Herrera in 2024. While still just 17 years old and possesses plenty of talent, Herrera has a long way to go before working himself into the White Sox’s future plans.
Orlando Patiño, OF
Amid the Dodgers’ successful pursuit of Roki Sasaki, a few international prospects slated to join their 2025 class opted to pursue other opportunities due to the uncertainty of their available bonus pool. One of these prospects was Orlando Patiño, who became David Keller’s first legitimate signing since taking over international scouting for the White Sox.
Signing for $570,000, Patiño is a physically imposing presence at 6’2 200 lbs. The outfielder projects to have above-average power potential and a strong arm, making him a prototypical fit in right field. He will most likely begin his minor league career with the DSL White Sox in 2025 and will be a name to watch going forward.
Follow us @SoxOn35th and @Pipelineto35th for more White Sox prospect content throughout the season!
Featured Image: Laura Wolff Photography
