Baseball America has released its updated Top 100 Prospects list following the MLB Draft, and five players in the White Sox organization were included on the list. However, one of the White Sox's top prospects has plummeted in their rankings.
Baseball America’s in-season top-100 prospect list included Noah Schultz (No. 8), Colson Montgomery (No. 38), Hagen Smith (No. 46), Drew Thrope (No. 51), and Edgar Quero (No. 90). This time last year the White Sox only had three players on the list in Montgomery (No. 15), Schultz (No. 37) and Edgar Quero (No. 80)
Colson Montgomery, SS, No. 38
Montgomery has represented the biggest faller from last season, dropping 23 spots in the rankings. The 22-year-old is slashed .287/.455/.485 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs across three different levels last season. He began the year in the Arizona Complex League due to injury but was promoted after just 10 games after posting a 1.099 OPS. He then received another promotion back to Double-A after slashing .345/.537/.552 in High-A during 17 games with the Winston-Salem Dash. It was enough to land him a spot inside the top 10 of Baseball America’s Preseason prospect rankings.
However, the results haven't quite been there for Montgomery in Triple-A Charlotte this season. Through his first 81 games with the Knights he is slashing just .217/.332/.387 with 105 strikeouts. He has hit 12 home runs and drawn 45 walks which is an encouraging sign. However, the high strikeout numbers are concerning for a player who was considered to have the best strike-zone discipline in the White Sox organization by Baseball America last season.
Hagen Smith, LHP, No. 46
Fresh off being selected by the White Sox with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Smith already finds himself inside Baseball America’s Top-100 Prospects list.
Smith was a force on the mound during his final season with the Arkansaw Razorbacks. The left-hander posted a 2.04 ERA in 84 innings of work. He signed with the White Sox for nearly $8 million ($7,005,000), which marks the highest signing bonus for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history.
It was another milestone for a pitcher who had already collected a program record 360 strikeouts across 233 innings, an NCAA Division 1 record average of 17.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his final season, SEC pitcher of the year honors, and a consensus First-Team and All-American selection.
The pick figures to be a replacement for Garrett Crochet, who the team is expected to flip at the deadline.
Noah Schultz, LHP, No 51
Schultz continues to prove why he is considered the best pitching prospect in the White Sox organization. The 26th overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft has posted a 2.91 ERA between High-A Winston Salem and Double-A Birmingham.
Schultz has an intimidating presence on the mound, standing at 6-foot-9. His tall frame creates a tough angle for left-handed hitters to pick up on his slider. It also allows his 97 mph fastball to appear even faster. Scouts considered his slider one of the best in the 2022 draft class due to its high spin rate.
He has proven why this season, limiting opponents to a .193 batting average in his first 15 starts. During that stretch, he has 76 batters and owns a 0.92 WHIP. The most encouraging sign has been his health.
In 2023 he suffered a flexor strain in Spring Training which delayed his professional debut. It was worth the wait. Schultz posted a 1.33 ERA in ten starts in Single-A Kannapolis. Opponents hit just .175 off the left-hander who also boasted a 0.85 WHIP. However, on top of the flexor strain, he also missed some time due to a “shoulder impingement” which landed him on the IL in August.
The organization has been handling his development with caution, with the hopes the combination of Schultz and Smith can be a staple atop their MLB rotation for years to come.
Drew Thorpe, RHP, No. 51
Thorpe feels like he is a little low on the list, given how well he has pitched this season. However, since he has already cracked the MLB it is a moot point since he won’t be considered a prospect for much longer.
Thorpe was the headliner for the White Sox in a trade package that sent Dylan Cease to the Padres. The early returns have been extremely positive. In 11 starts in Double-A Birmingham, he posted a 1.35 ERA, limited opponents to a .170 batting average, and had a 56/17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. These numbers allowed him to bypass Triple-A and earn an early promotion to the MLB.
In his first seven MLB starts it is clear that his stuff plays. In 38.2 innings of work, he owns a 3.03 ERA, held opponents to a .162 average, and has a 1.01 WHIP.
Edgar Quero, C, No. 90
Quero is another White Sox prospect who continues to fall in the top 100 rankings. This time last season he was listed as the MLB’s 80th prospect by Baseball America. Baseball Prospectus had him listed as the No. 78 prospect in its preseason rankings.
Quero is a switch-hitter but has done more damage from the right side in his young career. Like, Montgomery he has shown excellent plate discipline in the early stages of his career. In 101 games he was able to draw 57 walks last season.
Quero was recently promoted to Triple-A Charlotte after hitting .275 with 12 home runs in Double-A Birmingham. He also drew 26 walks. The 21-year-old has only gotten 27 at-bats in Triple-A at this point in the season and has already hit one home run with six RBIs and has drawn five walks.
Defense is the primary concern with Quero. He has a decent arm but showed some mobility issues on the basepaths and behind the plate in 2023. According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, he is still working on his receiving, framing, and blocking behind the plate.
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