That time of year has arrived once again, as major media outlets refresh their top 100 prospect rankings.
With the White Sox embarking on yet another rebuilding year, their farm system remains among MLB’s strongest despite several prospects graduating. Updated rankings by MLB Pipeline have five of the White Sox’s top prospects named on their preseason list.
- Braden Montgomery (OF) – No. 36
- Noah Schultz (LHP) – No. 49
- Caleb Bonemer (INF) – No. 61
- Hagen Smith (LHP) – No. 72
- Billy Carlson (SS) – No. 73
The headliner of the group is unsurprisingly the other Montgomery. As the co-headliner in the Garrett Crochet trade, the Texas A&M product might have more upside than any other position player in the organization. In his first professional season, he made it across three levels and finished the year hitting in the middle of the Double-A Birmingham Barons lineup.
Montgomery impressed in the lower levels, posting a 150 wRC+ in Low-A and a 134 wRC+ in High-A. In 34 games at Double-A Birmingham, he slashed .270/.360/.444 with a 133 wRC+ and strikeout percentage that rose slightly to 28.7%. At a level that is always a tough test for hitters due to more advanced competition and pitcher-friendly conditions, Montgomery’s debut season shouldn’t be viewed as anything less than a massive success, earning him the 36th overall ranking.
Looking to 2026 and beyond, he should continue to develop as a hitter, already showing a patient approach, and will eventually be able to tap into his plus raw power consistently. While he has played plenty of center field in 2025, he still profiles best as the long-term solution in right field for the White Sox. He should challenge to earn his MLB debut at some point in 2026, which could be a good thing given the less-than-ideal outfield situation following the Luis Robert Jr. trade.
Behind him on the list is Schultz, who has firmly cemented himself in 2024 as the organization’s top pitching prospect, but one of the best in all of baseball. While his performance didn’t quite live up to that billing in 2025, Schultz is still working his way toward being the ace of a pitching staff at the MLB level.
Drafted in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-10 southpaw has gained some velocity since then, possessing a fastball that is sitting in the mid-90s. He has also started to pair his four-seamer with a two-seamer, adding another way to throw batters off. The 43rd overall prospect’s best pitch is easily his slider, however, sitting in the low-80s and posting elite spin rates, which generate a ton of horizontal movement. Combined with his nearly side-arm delivery with his long arms, the slider is tough for batters to get a read on, especially left-handed hitters.
While his future outlook was pointing straight up after 2024, both his command and his strikeout rate dipped a bit in 2025. Brian Bannister was able to provide some more context to his struggles, however, citing some mechanical adjustments to his delivery and challenging him to work in more of his arsenal that he has less command of. Still, he was effective at the Double-A level and earned a promotion to Triple-A, but was sidelined for almost two months with a knee injury. He finished the year with a combined 4.68 ERA over 73.0 innings and is looking to continue towards making his MLB debut in 2026 behind a healthy campaign.
Perhaps the most intriguing prospect who has been flying up the rankings is Bonemer, who now comes in at No. 61 overall. The White Sox selected him with the 43rd overall pick in the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft and coughed up an over-slot bonus of roughly $3 million to get him out of his commitment to the University of Virginia. Michigan’s two-time Gatorade High School Player of the Year, it is clear after his first professional season why he was viewed so highly.
Bonemer has some of the best bat speed in the system, and should develop into a 20-30 home run hitter at his peak. While there were some concerns about his approach leading up to the 2024 draft, he has quickly put those to rest this season with a walk rate north of 15.5% and a respectable strikeout rate hovering around 21%. He held a 147 wRC+ at Low-A Kannapolis before earning a promotion to High-A Winston-Salem, where he looked just as good, if not even better.
Defensively, he has exceeded expectations in his ability to play shortstop, although he has gotten some looks at third base as well. Overall, he has an arrow pointing directly up and should continue his quick ascent up both the team and minor league rankings as 2026 goes on.
Another left-hander on the list, Smith comes in at No. 72 overall. Earning SEC Pitcher of the Year honors in his 2024 draft year, the Arkansas product put up video game-like numbers during his final collegiate season. He struck out 17.3 batters per nine innings while allowing just a .144 batting average against as the ace of the Razorbacks’ pitching staff.
The 2025 season wasn’t necessarily a disappointment, although he didn’t exactly live up to his expectations. He produced excellent strikeout numbers, but his command was more of a concern than initially anticipated. With his velocity down a bit from his college days, Smith ended up missing time with injury concerns and overhauled his mechanics with Brian Bannister during the season. A full offseason of adjusting should do him some good as he prepares for Spring Training. Despite any concerns, he still has front-line starter upside and will be a name to follow in 2026.
Finally, Carlson rounds out the list right behind Smith at the 73rd spot. The White Sox’s 2025 first-rounder was arguably the best defensive shortstop in the draft, and there is little doubt he will stick at the position. He shows excellent range and instincts, and his history as a pitcher who could hit the upper 90s with his fastball gives him a powerful arm.
In terms of his bat, Carlson shows solid bat-to-ball skills, possesses plenty of bat speed, and generates solid exit velocities. He may need to clean up his mechanics a bit, as he hits too many balls into the dirt, but overall, the California native had one of the best floor/ceiling combinations of any prep player in this draft.
Looking at the league as a whole, the Mariners lead all organizations with seven Top 100 prospects, followed by the Guardians with six. The White Sox join the Brewers, Cardinals, Dodgers, Marlins, and Pirates with five, though they will soon be adding another mid-season with their first overall selection in the 2026 MLB Draft.
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