It is that time of year again, as the major media outlets are updating their top 100 prospect rankings.
With the White Sox in full rebuild mode, their farm system is becoming one of the MLB’s stronger systems. One of the most notable rankings released by MLB Pipeline further backs up that notion, as six of the White Sox’s top prospects were named on the preseason list this year.
- Noah Schultz (LHP) – No. 16
- Kyle Teel (C) – No. 32
- Hagen Smith (LHP) – No. 34
- Colson Montgomery (SS) – No. 39
- Braden Montgomery (OF) – No. 55
- Edgar Quero (C) – No. 66
This should come as no surprise, as most of these prospects are viewed as consensus top 100 prospects, except for a surprising snub of Edgar Quero from Baseball America.
Anyone who paid attention to the White Sox minor league system in 2024 knew this was coming, but left-hander Noah Schultz lands as the White Sox’s top prospect at No. 16 on MLB Pipeline’s ranking.
It is hard to find a prospect in all of baseball who has as high of a ceiling as Schultz does, as the 6-foot-10 lefty was an absolute force on the mound last year. While sticking to a college-style schedule that saw him only pitch once a week, Schultz logged just under 90 innings on the season. It was a number that was expected, but what wasn’t expected coming into the season, however, was a promotion to Double-A Birmingham at just 20 years old.
Schultz left no doubt that it was the right decision, as he held a 1.48 ERA across 61 innings at the level. On the year, the southpaw held a 2.24 ERA with 115 strikeouts. To make his season even more impressive, he kept his walk rate down to 2.45 per nine innings, showing a level of command that should be unthinkable given his youth and lanky build.
Before last season, the idea that he was getting close to making his MLB debut would have been unthinkable. After the dominant showing he had throughout the 2024 season, though, it might be more surprising if he doesn’t make his debut sometime this season. He will likely still be on an innings limit as he transitions to a more traditional every-fifth-game schedule. Regardless, if Schultz repeats this performance, it will be difficult for Getz and Co. to keep him down in the minors.
The headliner of the trade that sent ace Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox, catcher Kyle Teel, is next on the list. He lands as the White Sox’s second-ranked prospect and 32nd overall.
A surprise faller in the 2023 MLB Draft, the Red Sox drafted Teel with the 14th overall pick. In hindsight, that appears to be a steal as the left-handed hitter had a phenomenal first full minor league season. Through 84 games at the Double-A level, Teel hit 11 home runs and put up a .852 OPS with a 145 wRC+. His performance earned him a promotion to Triple-A after being just one year removed from college.
While his numbers took a bit of a dip after the promotion, Teel heated up to end the season with a .429 batting average in his final six games. He has shown an impressive approach at the plate, allowing him to work counts and draw walks. There are also no concerns about his ability to stick behind the plate, giving him a ceiling to potentially grow into an All-Star caliber catcher.
Drafted fifth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, left-handed pitcher Hagen Smith cracks the top 40 of MLB Pipeline’s rankings at No. 34. The SEC pitcher of the year put up video game-like numbers in his junior season at Arkansas, generating over 17 strikeouts per nine innings and holding opposing hitters to a minuscule .144 batting average.
The White Sox took a cautious route with him after a heavy college workload, limiting him to just 7.2 innings in three appearances with the High-A Winston Salem Dash. He did provide a glimpse of his upside, fanning seven batters and holding a 3.59 ERA in that stint. He is expected to be a fast riser through the system and has the potential to develop into a front-line starting pitcher.
While he didn’t quite live up to the expectations that made him a top-10 prospect heading into the 2024 season, Colson Montgomery is still firmly cemented as one of the better prospects in baseball. He lands at 39 overall in MLB Pipeline’s updated rankings.
At just 22 years old, Montgomery spent the entire 2024 season at the Triple-A level, significantly younger than the average age. Unfortunately, his numbers took a bit of a dip during the season, as he hit only .214 during the season and saw his strikeout rate spike from 9% to 28.6%.
It wasn’t all bad for the young shortstop. He hit 18 home runs, kept his OPS over .700, and seemed to hit his stride in the final month of the season. He carried that momentum into the Arizona Fall League and impressed there as well, showing that there’s more to his game than the previous season showed. GM Chris Getz has seemed to indicate that Montgomery will be given every opportunity to earn the shortstop job out of Spring Training, and with little established competition on the roster, one more strong showing could cement him in the opening-day lineup.
Braden Montgomery, also acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade, checks in at No. 55 on the list. While Montgomery has yet to make his minor league debut due to an ankle injury that ended his junior season at Texas A&M, his tools are loud and his ceiling appears to be unlimited.
As a former pitcher who sat in the mid-90s with his fastball, Montgomery has a cannon of an arm that should play well in right field. That said, it’s his bat that gives him so much value as a prospect. A switch hitter who can slug for power from both sides of the plate, Montgomery showed off an impressive ability to barrel the ball in college and put up some of the best exit velocities in the country. He will be healthy to begin this season and could move quickly up the system if he performs well.
After falling off the list to begin the 2024 season, catcher Edgar Quero had a resurgent season that saw him mash at both the Double-A and Triple-A levels, finishing the season with 16 home runs and a .829 OPS. He has also received positive reports on his development behind the plate, although there is still room to grow.
This season was strong enough that MLB Pipeline reintroduced him to the list in their mid-season update, and he checks in at 66th overall to begin the 2025 season. Quero finished last year’s campaign on the White Sox taxi squad, indicating that the club essentially views him as MLB-ready. He should be given a shot to earn the opening-day catcher job out of Spring Training.
While placement on these lists does not guarantee that any of these prospects will be successful major leaguers, it does indicate the strength of the farm system. Chris Getz has revitalized the system with young talent, which was much needed after a historically bad season. With most of these prospects set to begin the season in the upper minor league levels or even to be competing for MLB jobs in Spring Training, we should expect a much more exciting White Sox team within the next year.
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Featured Photo: @BhamBarons/X
