Chicago White Sox Top Prospects 2024

Chicago White Sox top prospects including Colson Montgomery, Noah Schultz, Edgar Quero, Bryan Ramos and more.

White Sox Top Prospects, written by Nate Handy

Follow him at PitchingSpecs and check out the B-Sides Prospects Podcast.

Welcome to our team prospect rankings. Over the next two months, I will be pumping out team top prospect rankings and evaluations for dynasty baseball. These reports are generated from live looks, film study, and advanced data analysis to bring you in-depth fantasy scouting reports on every player you need to know, with today’s being the Chicago White Sox Top Prospects.

Not all 30 players in each writeup will be dynasty relevant, but many will, and if you play in a deep league, certainly most of the names will be worth knowing.

You can check out our previous Top Prospect Rankings:

Atlanta, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Chicago, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Arizona, Los Angeles, Colorado, San Francisco, Baltimore, Boston, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Guardians

Each player has a detailed write-up. The top 10 rankings and writeups are free for all, but the rest of the top prospects are for paid subs. Get an edge in your dynasty leagues and get in on some of these players first! Let’s get to it: our Chicago White Sox top prospects.

Chicago White Sox Top Prospects

1. Colson Montgomery, SS, 21, 6’3”/205

Injury slowed down the 22nd pick of the 2021 draft in 2023, missing two months. Montgomery ended his campaign with 167 double-A PA, slashing .244/.400/.427 with a 15% walk to 21.6% strikeout rate. Montgomery tossed on an impressive AFL showing, making up for time lost. A 2024 debut for the transitioning White Sox may be in the cards.

Montgomery’s athleticism presents everyday shortstop potential on the Southside. The left side's high on-base, line-drive approach is patient and selective. There’s average to plus raw pop in the bat, but it’s not the name of Montgomery’s game, having hit 19 HR in 186 career MiLB games.

Montgomery doesn’t steal bases, only three on eight career attempts, and isn’t fast, presenting a ratios-driven fantasy profile from the dirt. There’s been speculation Montgomery may need to move to third base, but so far, that hasn’t happened, nor does it seem the plan, which bodes well for dynasty owners, as the offensive profile is more palatable in the middle infield.

The data looks solid, as well, as Montgomery posted a 78 percent contact rate and a strong in-zone contact rate as well. The exit velocities flash plus as well, giving us a look at a hitter with plus hit and power ability.

Montgomery was a decorated high school athlete in three sports and has only been a full-time baseball player for two/three seasons, spawning wonderment if there’s still a good chunk of meat on the developmental bone. For now, fantasy owners may need to be content with a relatively safer bet at an everyday job from a plus athlete profile with a high floor bat.

FFG: High Hit Tool/Power SS

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .280/.380/25 HR/2 SB

Variance: Medium

Buy/Sell: Buy as some are down on him

2. Noah Schultz, LHP, 20, 6’9”/220

If you’re playing the highest fantasy ceiling game, Schultz may be your #1 in this system. The White Sox went with another local prep talent during the 2022 first round, selecting the long lefty with plus offerings throughout the arsenal. Schultz's pro track record consists of only 27 2023 A-ball IP, but he showed an advanced ability to harness the shiny weaponry, throwing strikes at a 63% clip while walking only 6 to his 38 strikeouts.

The White Sox tend to move their young arms along cautiously (he averaged 47 pitches over his nine outings, going 4 IP once), so a Schultz share may require patience from dynasty owners, but there are top-of-a-rotation dreams planted here.

Deploying a mid-to-upper 90s fastball, a low-80s slider, and a promising changeup from a tough angle, paired with potential plus command, makes for an exciting start to a future plus fantasy asset. There’s still a long way to go and plenty to prove within a system. Some wonder if there’s too much tinkering involved with their arms.

FFG: SP3-4

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: 150 IP/3.50 ERA/170 K

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Buy the hype

3. Edgar Quero, C, 20, 5’11”/170

The Sox's proclivity to invest in young Cubans struck again when they acquired Quero from the Angels during the Lucas Giolito/Reynaldo Lopez trade in July. The switching-hitting backstop has moved quickly, spending his 20-year-old season in the double-A Southern League, slashing .255/.380/.351, walking 72 times to 76 strikeouts with some drastic R/L splits. 2023’s line was constructed with a hot start and finish paired with struggles in the middle.

The story of Quero’s two developing swings is a curious one. As a right-handed hitter, Quero went from .275/.426/.468 with 3 HR in A-ball to an encouraging .340/.454/.443 with 1 HR in double-A. Yet the more important left-handed production dropped from .326/.438/.553 with 14 HR to .221/.351/.313 with six home runs.

Quero’s line drive rate jumped to 22% as he moved up, while the flyball rate dropped (10%) to 28%. The rigors of catching, jumping from friendlier hitter environs to less so, skipping a level, improvements (not losing production with a big jump in competition) from one side of the plate with concerning struggle on the other, and trade on top of it all makes for tricky speculation by dynasty owners.

The defensive story here is also inconsistent, with reports early in his career that he was very good behind the dish, to now reports he wasn’t but has improved. During this observer’s looks (which is a decent amount), he’s looked solid to quite good back there, especially guiding pitchers through games, and the arm grades out sufficient.

At the end of this day, there’s plenty of intrigue here with an outlook that dynasty owners may want to hold off on defining exactly what’s here offensively. Quero may well get a triple-A opportunity at 21 years old, and there’s reason to hope for a future everyday backstop with a potential hit+pop offensive appeal. Posting a contact rate of 84 percent in 2023 paints a little better picture of who he is as a hitter rather than his batting average. Throw in a lower production bar at fantasy catcher to hit, and Quero may be the second-best bet on a future everyday player in this system.

FFG: C1 in a 15 Team League

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .275/.380/20 HR/2 SB

Variance: Medium

Buy/Sell: Buy the 2023 dip

4. Bryan Ramos, 3B, 21, 6’2”/225

Ramos is another young Cuban who has been challenged, spending all of 2023 in double-A (minus a brief A-ball rehab.) Over 342 PA Ramos went .271/.369/.457 with 14 HR, striking out 21.9% and walking 11.1% of the time. Playing 3B exclusively, Ramos projects as an average defender with a solid (to tick better) arm.

This observer and evaluators alike tend to think there may be more offensive production than meets the eye with Ramos, with an age-to-level type of thinking applied. Equipped with a swing geared toward long balls and a batted ball profile with power grades backing it up, Ramos may merely be seasoning away from more home runs and overall offensive production. The power potential is there, backed by a 106 mph 90th percentile exit velocity.

Ramos’ monthly splits were climbing as the 2023 season moved along, and he showed off some of his power when popping four AFL HRs. Ramos’ biggest hurdle to an everyday outcome is going to be his ability to hit righthand pitching better or not. Versus righties, he slashed just .219/.316/.361.

Ramos may be priced nicely for dynasty owners looking for a potential 3B, but this is far from a lock at the requisite fantasy production from the hot corner. Ramos does have a struggling organization on his side though, in way of opportunity in front of him.

FFG: Power Hitting 2B/3B

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .275/.350/25 HR/5 SB

Variance: Medium

Buy/Sell: Buy

5. Nick Nastrini, RHP, 23, 6’3”/215

Nastrini was the headline return for the Sox when they shipped Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly to the Dodgers in July. The former 4th round pick out of UCLA in 2021 has found upper-level success over the last two seasons, logging 144.1 IP across double-A and triple-A (four starts with Sox triple-A to end 2023) over the last season and a half. Nastrini struck out 181 batters in 145 IP during this stretch, limiting hits at an impressive rate, yet his walk rates have been north of 11% minus a brief 20some-inning run when he first came to the White Sox (double-A.)

Nastrini’s carrying tool is a mid-90s fastball that can touch 97, graded as plus to double-plus. Nastrini compliments it with two breaking balls that may be above MLB average in a vacuum, and he tosses in an unremarkable changeup. Having such a fastball can go a long way, but the execution of the arsenal is the biggest question. Strike percentages in 2023 varied from a putrid 51% on 78 pitches in Charlotte on 9/6/23 to 75% on 57 pitches on 4/27/23 with Tulsa. There’s remarkable inconsistency to this observer depending on when you catch Nastrini.

The Dodgers felt fine letting Nastrini go, and this observer struggles to find much confidence in an expensive bet there’s a future rotation mainstay here. Nastrini may have been getting more consistent and efficient after the trade, though, and if someone is going to ride one weapon, the fastball is the train to get on.

FFG: SP4/High Leverage RP

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: 150 IP/3.85 ERA/165 K

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Buy

6. Sean Burke, RHP, 24, 6’6”/230

The 2021 3rd-round pick out of Maryland asserted himself as a legit MLB starting pitching prospect during his first full pro season, jumping three levels and getting his triple-A feet wet. Burke rode a fastball/slider combo in 2022, which garnered high praise under the hood, but there’s more to the arsenal as well.

Burke was throwing his curveball nearly as much as his slider to start his 2023 triple-A run, and the changeup seemed improved, garnering a CSW north of 40% during its 10% usage. Over 70+ double-A IP in 2022, Burke ran a 31.2% strikeout rate with a 10.4% walk rate.

He hadn’t proved those rates in Triple-A yet and was deprived of his chance to do so in 2023 as Tommy John struck before he could log 38 IP. Yet, during the brief showing, the slider/fastball combo was not getting the results it previously had. The fastball was down a tick or two, averaging 93 mph, and the slider wasn’t getting strikes/whiffs at nearly the same rate.

Burke may not pitch much, or at all in 2024, requiring patience from dynasty owners, and there’s some injury history as an amateur adding to the risk, but playing the long game, considering the arsenal+execution marriage, Burke feels like a smidge better bet (to this observer) at a future sustained rotation piece than the rest of the system, but lack of health could sabotage it all.

FFG: Backend SP/Long Relief

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: 140 IP/4.00 ERA/150 K

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Hold/Sell

7. Jose Rodriguez, 2B/SS/3B, 22, 5’11”/175

“Popeye” made his MLB debut in 2023, scoring a run, but did not log a PA during his one-game shot of coffee. Rodriguez spent the majority of the season in double-A, where it seems the pre-tacked baseball helped his career. The 15% strikeout rate swelled to above 23%. The strikeout rate calmed back down to its normal rate during a 19-game triple-A promotion, where this observer finally got to see some Savant batted ball data.

It was disappointing, as Rodriguez didn’t impact the ball as hoped (85.9 average EV.) Rodriguez is an aggressive hitter but not out of control/chasing at high clips. Popeye maximizes what he’s got by pulling the ball in the air at a high clip, which included a line drive rate north of 21% in 2023. Popeye slashed .262/.292/.437 across both levels.

Rodriguez has some speed to his game as well, adding 31 stolen bases to his 21 home runs. Defensively, Rodriguez is probably best suited at second base (he didn’t play shortstop at all in Charlotte), but the glove isn’t his strong suit, which makes for a tough proposition.

Popeye may get a chance to play regularly in the bigs relatively soon, but he’ll have to make the most of it, and the offense will have to carry him, but that is kinda what he’s always done. 

FFG: UTL INF

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .270/.330/15 HR/30 SB

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Hold/Sell

8. Cristian Mena, RHP, 21, 6’2”/200

Unlike some of their young domestic arms, the Sox have had no issues moving Mena along and letting him rack up innings. It’s taken the young Dominican just three seasons to go from rookie ball to triple-A. 2023 saw him log 133.2 IP (114 double-A/19.2 triple-A.) Not many arms reach those heights at 20 years old. (Of pitchers in their 20 or 21-year-old seasons, only Oakland’s Joey Estes logged more innings in 2023.)

Mena’s best pitch is his more traditional curveball, yet he’s thrown the slider more often at times. The fastball velocity sits around 93 and the pitch itself has seemed to garner inconsistent results over the last three seasons during this observer’s views. Mena has the full starter’s kit, but the changeup seems more strike stealer and may not be big-league quality.

Strikeouts have come at a nice clip for Mena: 30% in A-ball, 26.3% in high-A, and 28% in double-A. Mena also shaved 1% off the walk rate going from high-A to double-A, but it’s still a very poor 11.3%. Mena may be more inexperienced than wild though (in this observer’s opinion.)

Questionable fastball quality and walk concerns aren’t the most comforting ingredients for dynasty owners, but Mena is still a baby in pitching years while perhaps knocking on the big league door.

FFG: Backend SP/Long Relief

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: 150 IP/3.80 ERA/160 K

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Buy in Deeper Leagues

9. Javier Mogollon, 2B/SS, 18, 5’8”/160

DSL lines being what they are (lacking much predictiveness), Mogollon put up some of the most impressive production during the 2023 DSL season as a 17-year-old. Across 199 PA, .315/.417/.582, 10 HR, 11 SB, and 27 walks to 28 strikeouts, Mogollon posted a 156 WRC+. A batted ball profile of 21.3 LD%, 36.2 GB%, 42.5 FB%, 20.4 IFFB%, 18.5 HR/FB%, and a 53.4 Pull% helps paint a picture.

What’s lacking are actual moving pictures of Mogollon, with only one (who knows how old) YouTube video for perusing. But in it was a calm-bodied swing from the right side with a bathead whipping through the zone in a controlled manner. The glove actions in the dirt seemed slick as well.

With the remaining names on this list filled with plenty of questions, a dreamy upside play by dynasty owners may be warranted at this point. Formats, especially without in-season pickups, withstanding. Mogollon may become less of a mystery in 2024 with a move stateside seemingly in play.

FFG: Power Hitting MI

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .270/.355/20 HR/10 SB

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Buy in Deeper Leagues

10. George Wolkow, OF, 17, 6’7”/239

The White Sox plucked another coveted local prep talent in the 7th round of the 2023 draft, selecting Wolkow and prying him away from college with an over-slot $1M signing bonus. Wolkow, one of the youngest players in the draft class, will likely make his full-season debut in 2024.

Albeit quite early in the process, Wolkow was looking like a potential first-rounder in the 2024 draft before he reclassified. There’s a lot of raw ability and hopes here; power potential, a plus arm, some speed, and perhaps even a future staying in the dirt defensively. Reports claim there is work to be done in the lefthanded stroke, but Wolkow’s got plenty of time to do so.

Wolkow might present dynasty owners with a high rate of return in FYPDs this season, as Wolkow doesn’t seem to be on many radars. Considering how much love the Spencer Jones types get from dynasty owners, it’s curious Wolkow hasn’t been as coveted.

FFG: Power Hitting Corner OF

90th Percentile Peak Outcome: .270/.355/30 HR/5 SB

Variance: High

Buy/Sell: Buy

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