Chicago White Sox Prospects: 2024 Midseason Top 30 Update

Notable Risers 

Noah Schultz, LHP

While still limited to four innings per start, Schultz has allayed durability concerns by making every start this season split between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham. He’s been just as unhittable at the higher level, moving himself into the conversation for the best overall pitching prospect in the game.

Brooks Baldwin, SS

The 2022 12th round pick from UNC-Wilmington was on fire to start the season at Double-A Birmingham with an OPS of 1.030 in April and has continued to show that the improvement in his hit tool is no small sample fluke. While playing mostly at shortstop, the versatile Baldwin has also seen time at second base, third base and outfield.

Mason Adams, RHP

Adams has consistently ranked just outside the top 30 of White Sox prospects since joining the organization in 2022. His performance at Double-A Birmingham has him jumping up the rankings due to his feel for pitching and plus command of five pitches.

Notable Fallers

Peyton Pallette, RHP

Now more than two years removed from the Tommy John surgery that wiped out his final college season at Arkansas, Pallette continues to struggle to get batters out with his fastball. He’s leaning more on his slider, curveball, and changeup looking for better results. A future bullpen role where his fastball velocity could tick up now seems more likely.

Wilfred Veras, OF

While he continues to hit for power and is adapting to the outfield after a position change from corner infield, it’s the high strikeout totals (around 30 percent) and low walk totals (under five percent) that raise concerns about Veras’ hit tool. 

Sean Burke, RHP

Previously a top 10 prospect in the White Sox organization, Burke’s inability to stay healthy clouds his future.

Notable New Additions

15. Mason Adams, RHP

BA Grade/Risk: 45/High

Track Record: A 13th-round pick out of Jacksonville in 2022, Adams has been a very reliable starter for the White Sox. He has taken a further step forward this year as part of a loaded Double-A Birmingham rotation.

Scouting Report: Adams fills the zone with a wide array of pitches to keep hitters guessing. He relies heavily on a low-80s slider while mixing in a 90-92 mph four-seam fastball, a 90-92 two-seam fastball, a curveball and a changeup. None are plus pitches, but all five are fringe-average or better to go with plus control.

The Future: Adams is a reliable strike-thrower who can keep hitters guessing. It’s not a sexy profile, but it can be an effective one, especially if Adams can keep the ball in the park more often.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 60

19. Ronny Hernandez, C

BA Grade/Risk: 45/Extreme

Track Record: The signing of Hernandez in 2022 by the White Sox for just $30,000 almost looked like an afterthought, but the native Venezuelan is turning into an interesting catching prospect for an organization needing depth at the position. He has been a consistent hitter for Low-A Kannapolis this year.

Scouting Report: Lefthanded hitting catchers are always a valuable commodity, and Hernandez looks to have juice in his bat to go with strong intangibles. He’s relaxed at the plate with a wide base, making hard contact with gap-to-gap power and registering good exit velocities. He’s more hit-over-power now, but he could develop more over-the-fence pop with strength and experience. He recognizes spin, is adept at hitting breaking balls and uses all fields, hitting as many balls to left field as he did to right in 2023. Like any young catcher, he has a lot of work ahead of him, and he projects as an average defender with a below-average arm. He threw out 30% of runners attempting to steal in 2023, but his arm and the speed of his exchange need to improve, as he’s only thrown out 6.5% of baserunners so far in 2024.

The Future: Hernandez still has a lot of development ahead of him and is likely to move just one level at a time. But this has been a strong start to 2024, and it has him on a good path.

Scouting Grades: Hitting: 50 | Power: 40 | Speed: 40 | Fielding: 50 | Arm: 40

20. Eric Adler, RHP

BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium

Track Record: The White Sox selected Adler in the sixth round in 2022 despite abysmal numbers in his final season at Wake Forest when he walked 25 and hit nine batters in 21.1 innings while fanning 37. A truer indication of his potential was seen in the summer of 2021 when he was one of the better relievers in the Cape Cod League, posting a 1.15 ERA and striking out 29 in 15.2 innings. His 2023 season started late due to a shoulder issue, and he reported to Low-A Kannapolis in early May that year. He pitched in 12 relief appearances there before moving back to the city in which he pitched in college with his next assignment at High-A Winston-Salem. Adler has earned a promotion to Double-A Birmingham in 2024 as he continues to mix quality stuff with control issues.

Scouting Report: Adler has battled control issues throughout his career, but he’s quieted his delivery and is using his slider/cutter more often this year. His fastball sits 93-94 mph, touching 96, with high spin rates on his pitches. A downer curveball at 80 mph has tight spin and his power slider sits 86-90. The fastball/slider mix is especially tough against righthanded batters, registering high in-zone miss rates and opposing batting averages well under .200. He has a cross-fire delivery with a long arm stroke. The command and control issues surface when his hand is late coming out of the glove, and he gets behind and tries to catch up in his delivery.

The Future: Adler is a one-inning reliever all the way. If he can start throwing more consistent strikes, he could have a quick path to the big leagues.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Control: 40

21. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHP

BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium

Track Record: The White Sox added Hoopi-Tuionetoa in the May 2024 trade that sent Robbie Grossman back to the Rangers. A slow-moving, eighth-round pick in 2019, Hoopi-Tuionetoa didn’t reach Double-A until this season. But he’s been an impressive reliever this year in both the Texas and Southern Leagues.

Scouting Report: Hoopii-Tuionetoa attacks hitters with a an above-average fastball that sits 94-96 mph and touches 97, as well as an average 83-85 mph downer slider. He’ll also spot a mid-80s fringe-average changeup at times to lefthanded hitters. Hoopi-Tuionetoa’s control has improved and is now average.

The Future: Hoopi-Tuionetoa is an excellent pickup for an outfielder who wasn’t in Chicago’s long-term plans. He could help the White Sox pen as early as 2025.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50

22. Tyler Schweitzer, LHP

BA Grade/Risk: 45/ High

Track Record: The MAC pitcher of the year in his final season at Ball State, Schweitzer was the White Sox fifth-round pick in 2022 and signed for a $325,000 bonus. He earned a promotion to Double-A Birmingham with a strong start to the season at Winston-Salem and had no problems adjusting to the Southern League.

Scouting Report: Schweitzer takes the mound with a solid mix of four pitches that all grade as fringe-average to average. He commands his low-90s fastball, occasionally getting it into the mid-90s and showing good life up in the zone and plenty of spin. His breaking balls—a slider in the low 80s and a curveball in the mid-to-upper 70s—previously blended too much, but he has done a better job of differentiating the two pitches. He rounds out his arsenal with an average changeup at 82 mph, and he’s been working on getting more separation between the curveball and changeup. Scheweitzer has good pitchability and feel for throwing strikes and is described as having plenty of moxie when he’s on the mound.

The Future: Projected as a solid back of the rotation starter, Schweitzer is showing he can get more advanced hitters out. It’s not flashy stuff, but he’ll get the job done with his mostly average stuff playing up.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55

23. Gil Luna, RHP

BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium

Track Record: The White Sox’ ninth-round pick in 2022 out of Arizona, Luna walked more than a batter an inning at Double-A Birmingham in 2023. In his return to the Southern League, Luna has cleaned up his delivery. Be repeating his mechanics better he’s found much more success.

Scouting Report: Luna has struggled to find a breaking ball to pair with his fastball and changeup. This year, he’s started to throw a splitter that gives hitters something else to worry about. At this point, it’s a fringe-average pitch, at best, but its presence makes his above-average fastball and average changeup more effective.

The Future: The Barons have the best ERA in Double-A, as the White Sox have poured a ton of prospects onto the roster and made it the team’s hope for the future. Luna has been one of the best relievers on that club and is a developmental success story.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Splitter: 45 | Control: 40

Significant Injuries

Connor McCullough, RHP

Signed as a free agent after the 2022 draft, the Kansas State product was off to a good start at Double-A Birmingham before injuring his elbow. He will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after undergoing surgery.

Grant Taylor, RHP

After a strong return from Tommy John surgery underwent prior to the 2023 draft, Taylor went down with a lat injury.

Mathias LaCombe, RHP

A native of France, the 2023 12th round pick out of Cochise College has yet to pitch in an official game as he recovers from a lat injury.