Several White Sox prospects made notable progress this season, but one of the organization’s top young arms has yet to be added to the 40-man roster, leaving him eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 draft.
Tanner McDougal, ranked as the White Sox’s No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, turned in one of his best professional seasons to date. The 22-year-old right-hander started the season with the Winston-Salem Dash in High-A but was promoted to Double-A Birmingham after just 13 starts.
McDougal posted a 3.28 ERA across 57.2 innings in High-A, while racking up 73 strikeouts. After getting promoted to Double-A, McDougal’s results got even better once he put on a Barons uniform. He threw 55.2 innings across 15 starts, posting a 3.23 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and 63 strikeouts.
McDougal also played a key role in the Barons’ Southern League title run, starting Game 2 of the finals with the team facing elimination. He proceeded to fire four scoreless innings while racking up six strikeouts en route to a 7-3 victory over the Montgomery Biscuits to force a winner-take-all Game 3.
Control has been an issue for McDougal since turning pro, but the Las Vegas native made notable strides this season. After averaging more than five walks per nine innings last year, he lowered that mark to 3.89.
McDougal possesses major league-caliber stuff, provided he can harness his command. His fastball ranges in the upper 90s and can reach 100 mph, and his high-spin curveball in the upper 70s ranks as his most dangerous offering. He pairs it with a high-spin slider in the upper 80s, which lacks the same bite as the curve but allows for greater control in the strike zone.
McDougal is likely still a year away from being MLB-ready, but he has all the potential to be a valuable contributor on the White Sox pitching staff. That is, of course, if he does not get poached during the Rule 5 draft.
The Rule 5 Draft lets teams select eligible non-40-man roster players from other organizations. Players signed at 18 or younger must be protected within five seasons; those 19 or older within four. McDougal just completed his fourth season with the White Sox, making him eligible to be taken if he is not protected.
Teams draft in reverse order of the previous season’s standings. A selected player costs $100,000 and must remain on the 26-man roster all season. If waived, he must be offered back to his original team for $50,000.
Rule 5 picks can be traded, but roster restrictions stay in place unless the new team negotiates full rights from the original club, allowing the player to be optioned to the minors.
The White Sox's lone All-Star selection, Shane Smith, is a recent example of one such player taken in the Rule 5 draft after the front office snagged him from the Brewers' organization.
McDougal has plenty to offer other teams. After getting drafted by the White Sox in the fifth round of the 2021 draft, McDougal blew out his elbow and was forced to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. Like many pitchers who have undergone the procedure, McDougal returned looking stronger than ever.
In 2023, he showcased some of his best stuff since joining the organization, averaging 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings and limiting opponents to a .218 batting average.
The White Sox have until December to add McDougal to the 40-man roster; otherwise, he will be eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 10 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando.
