The first month of the 2026 season is officially in the books, and there has been a lot to like throughout the White Sox organization. Not only is the MLB club exceeding early expectations, but there have been plenty of positive developments down on the farm. Here are some White Sox prospects that have been heating up, and a few have gotten off to slower starts!
Stock Up
Caleb Bonemer
April Stats (High-A): .284 AVG, 8 2B, 11 HR, 27 RBI, 1.146 OPS, 187 wRC+
No prospect in the White Sox system, and maybe in all of baseball, has gained more steam than Caleb Bonemer through the first month of the season. The 2024 second-round pick has already hit 11 home runs while slashing .284/.396/.750 and posting an incredible 187 wRC+.
There are a few drawbacks that have accompanied his stellar campaign, however. His strikeout rate is up about 7.5% from last season, and his walk rate has dropped by about 5% from his minor league career average. Those are consequences you can live with when a prospect is posting an OPS north of 1.300. It would be a surprise if the 20-year-old doesn’t get a promotion to Double-A soon.
Hagen Smith
April Stats (Triple-A): 0-2, 19.1 IP, 2.33 ERA, 35.4 K%, 15.9 BB%
While still on an innings limit, Hagen Smith has been nearly unhitable through the first month of the Charlotte Knights’ 2026 season. The southpaw has posted a 2.93 ERA through six starts and has struck out 29 batters in just 19.1 innings.
Smith is averaging just over three innings a start and has seen his fastball velocity dip a bit by the time he gets to the third, so his arm clearly still needs to be built up. The production has been consistently dominant, however. Once Smith can clear the final hurdle of going deeper into games, it will only be a matter of time before he gets the call to the White Sox rotation.
Braden Montgomery
April Stats (Double-A): .310 AVG, 5 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 19 RBI, .998 OPS, 157 wRC+
Braden Montgomery is doing everything he can through the first month of Birmingham’s season to prove that he can help the MLB club this season. Through 24 games, Montgomery is hitting .310 with a .998 OPS and a 157 wRC+.
Arguably even more encouraging, he has increased his walk rate by just over 4% from last season while keeping his strikeout rate steady. He has also slugged four home runs and eight additional extra-base hits so far, tapping into the plus raw power that has pegged him as one of the premier prospects in baseball.
With little left to prove at the Double-A level, a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte should not be far off, with sights set on an MLB promotion this season.
Samuel Zavala
April Stats (Double-A): .267 AVG, 4 2B, 5 HR, 14 RBI, .894 OPS, 141 wRC+
Samuel Zavala is doing all he can to salvage the Dylan Cease trade. While he was off many radars heading into the 2026 season, he did post a respectable 122 wRC+ in 2025. This season, as one of the youngest hitters at the Double-A level, Zavala has hit a new gear.
Samuel Zavala goes hunting up top and pulls his 4th HR of the year over the RF fence. 2-0 #Barons. He has a HR in both games of the DH. pic.twitter.com/2RqCgv3guN
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 19, 2026
Through 22 games with the Barons, Zavala has a 141 wRC+ while slashing .267/.406/.488. He has finally begun tapping into his raw power, slugging five home runs and four additional extra-base hits. He has done all this while maintaining elite walk rates and plus defensive prowess in center field. In a system lacking in outfield depth, Zavala’s breakout season would be a much-welcome development.
Colby Shelton
April Stats (High-A): .378 AVG, 8 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 5 SB, 1.205 OPS, 211 wRC+
In Colby Shelton‘s first two collegiate seasons at Alabama, he was known mostly as a power threat at the plate. After transferring to Florida for his junior year, the infielder adjusted his approach to be a bit more contact-oriented, sacrificing his home run totals for a higher batting average.
The White Sox drafted Shelton in the sixth round of the 2025 draft, hoping they could help him regain the power production without sacrificing too much of the hitting consistency. So far in 2026, he has been able to do just that, hitting to a .378 batting average with six home runs and eight doubles.
At 23 years old, Shelton is probably too advanced for the High-A level and will need to maintain this production into the upper minor league levels. Thus far, the early returns have been extremely encouraging for the young slugger.
Stock Down
Christian Oppor
April Stats (Double-A): 0-2, 11.2 IP, 9.26 ERA, 16.4 K%, 23.0 BB%
Christian Oppor has not gotten off to the start that many had hoped for. Through four outings, Oppor has posted a 9.26 ERA and walked more batters than he struck out. He has also struggled to pitch deep into games, averaging less than three innings per start.
His final appearance of April was much better, however, as he struck out six and gave up just one run across four innings. He will look to carry some of that momentum into May and turn his season around.
George Wolkow
April Stats (High-A): .207 AVG, 3 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI, .695 OPS, 87 wRC+
After a somewhat surprising promotion to High-A Winston-Salem, George Wolkow is still adjusting to the more advanced level of competition. His strikeout rate has jumped back up after falling below 30% last season, and his batting average is just .207. He has hit four home runs and still has a walk rate at around 10%, but overall, it has been a slow start to Wolkow’s season.
George Wolkow drops the hammer on this pitch and it screams over the wall in RF for his 3rd HR. 5-4 #Dash. We are on one in Winston-Salem folks. pic.twitter.com/5eMf8Xw1Qj
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 18, 2026
Jeral Perez
April Stats (Double-A): .184AVG, 4 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .567 OPS, 56 wRC+
Jeral Perez had a lot of fans coming into the 2026 season, and the Sox had been impressed with him enough to have him begin the season in Double-A. Unfortunately, he has gotten off to a slow start as he adjusts to upper-minors pitching.
Jeral Perez goes with a pitch down the RF line for a double, driving in Makarewicz (2B). 8-5 #Barons. pic.twitter.com/qJ9Zj3lvyA
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 22, 2026
Perez has posted a mere 60 wRC+ while slashing .184/.268/.299. The power also isn’t showing up like it was in his 2025 season. It is still early, and a .222 BABIP suggests that some bad luck could be at play, but it is fair to say Perez will be looking to turn his season around soon.
Kyle Lodise
April Stats (High-A): .182, 5 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 10 SB, .747 OPS, 128 wRC+
The White Sox’s 2025 third-round pick is still trying to adjust to minor league pitching. After being assigned directly to High-A Winston-Salem following the draft, Kyle Lodise returned to the level this season and has yet to hit above .200, currently batting just .176.
His plate discipline has remained a major strength, though. Lodise owns an impressive 30% walk rate, helping boost his OPS to .747 and his wRC+ to 128 despite the low batting average. That approach should continue to serve him well as he climbs through the organization, but he will need to make significant strides with his hit tool to find sustained success.
Kyle Lodise with a liner to RCF bringing in Colby Shelton from 2nd. #Dash walk off winner! 7-6. pic.twitter.com/pAmAUUcZCh
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 29, 2026
Other Notables
Tanner McDougal
Tanner McDougal was well on his way to being part of the “Trending Up” category; however, he was pulled early from his last two starts due to injuries. The first one was a hamstring issue that was deemed precautionary, but the second one was due to forearm tightness and landed him on the IL. Before this, McDougle looked to be next in line for an MLB promotion with a 3.00 ERA and 27 strikeouts through 24 innings.
Billy Carlson & Jaden Fauske
The White Sox’s top two draft picks in the 2025 class, both Billy Carlson and Jaden Fauske, have held their own in their first months of professional baseball. Carlson is currently posting a 91 wRC+ while displaying his highly advertised plus defensive capabilities at shortstop. Meanwhile, Fauske has a 128 wRC+ but is striking out at a 31.5% clip. Both still have some work to do, but are off to respectable starts.
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Featured Photo: MiLB.com
