The White Sox have the ability to add to their ascending farm system with another strong draft, as they have done a fantastic job of adding talent to their farm system over the last few drafts. Now, we take a look at the notable selections made in the 2024 draft.
First Round- Hagen Smith
In 16 starts in his junior year, Smith pitched 84 innings for the Razorbacks. Smith had a 2.36 ERA with an elite .893 WHIP. In those 84 innings, Smith struck out an outstanding 161 batters for a 17.3 K/9 ratio, which lead all of Division One and set a NCAA record. Here is more on Hagen Smith and what his selection means for the White Sox.
Second Round- Caleb Bonemer
With their first position player selection, the White Sox picked Caleb Bonemer, a prep shortstop out of Michigan.
Bonemer was ranked 71st on the MLB Pipeline top draft prospects list, as he is a Virginia commit. Scouts love his bat speed, as it is one of the best in the class. The White Sox are going for upside with this pick, as this could be a high risk, high reward selection.
Competitive Balance Round B- Blake Larson
With the pick acquired in the Gregory Santos trade, the White Sox have selected Blake Larson, a LHP out of IMG Academy.
The White Sox have now taken a their second prep player, this time a pitcher. A TCU commit, the White Sox are betting on the upside of Larson, as he has a mid 90s fastball that can play right away. Luckily, the White Sox have done a good job of developing left handed pitching, so Larson is in good hands. MLB Pipeline has him ranked as the 101st ranked prospect.
3rd Round- Nick McLain
With the 4th pick in the 3rd round, the White Sox selected Arizona State outfielder Nick McLain, brother of MLB player Matt Mclain.
McLain was ranked as the 129th prospect on MLB Pipeline after hitting .342 with 12 homeruns and 54 RBIs last season. He also had an insane .663 slugging to go with a 1.120 OPS. This is a very solid pick for the White Sox, as baseball runs in the family.
4th Round- Casey Saucke
With their 4th round pick the White Sox selected outfielder Casey Saucke from Virginia.
Coming in ranked 127th on the MLB Pipeline 250 top draft prospects list, Saucke hit .344 with 14 homeruns and 65 RBIs.
5th Round- Sam Antonacci
With their 5th round selection, the White Sox have selected Sam Antonacci, an infielder from Coastal Carolina.
After being one of the highest rated JUCO players in the portal, Antonacci hit .367 with a .523 OBP, which were some of the best marks in his conference. While not known for his power, Antonacci has very good contact skills that will likely transfer over to professional ball.
6th Round- Jackson Appel
With their 6th round pick, the White Sox took Jackson Appel, a catcher from Texas A&M.
Appel was not ranked on the MLB Pipeline top 250 draft prospects list, but he was productive at Texas A&M last year. Appel hit .331 with 10 homeruns and 41 RBIs, while adding 16 stolen bases. He also threw out 25% of runners who tried to steal a base on him.
7th Round- Phil Fox
In the 7th round, the White Sox selected Phil Fox, a pitcher from Pitt.
Last year at Pitt, Fox was used strictly as a reliever, appearing in 23 games. He posted a 1.47 ERA in 36.2 innings while striking out 45. He also had a phenomenal .79 WHIP. This is a solid pick, as it will add another talented arm to the bullpen talent pool that could use a boost.
8th Round- Aaron Combs
In the 8th round, the White Sox double dipped with college pitching, as they take Aaron Combs, a pitcher out of the University of Tennessee.
Last year Combs was very solid for the Vols, as he had a 3.35 ERA in 45.2 innings. He was used mainly as a reliever, but he has the ability to pitch more than one inning. Combs has some very good stuff, as he struck out 66 batters in those 45 innings for a very good 13 K/9. He is a solid addition to the farm system, as it seems as they are trying to stock up on arms that can make it to the MLB quickly to help out the bullpen in Chicago.
9th Round- Jack Young
In the 9th round, the White Sox go pitching for the third consecutive pick, as they go with Jack Young, a reliever from the University of Iowa.
In his last season at Iowa, Young had a very good 2.76 ERA in 32.2 innings. He struck out 47 in that timeframe, which was good for a solid 12.9 K/9. Another addition to the farm system bullpen, which has been restocked in today's rounds.
10th Round- Cole McConnell
With their last pick today, the White Sox took Cole McConnell, an outfielder from Louisiana Tech.
McConnell had an amazing 2024 season, as he hit .378 with 18 homeruns and 71 RBIs. He also added an amazing .671 slugging percentage to go along with a 1.132 OPS. He was a 5th year senior, but there is a lot to like about McConnell's game, as he could be a steal for the White Sox in the 10th round.
Day 3 Picks
Round 11- Blake Shepardson. Shepardson is a pitcher from the University of San Fransisco. Last season, he had an 8.40 ERA in 30 innings, striking out 34 batters.
Round 12- Nathan Archer. Archer is an outfielder from Bowling Green who had a great season. Last year, he hit .300 with 18 homeruns and 64 RBIs. Chris Getz has added a bunch of outfielders in this draft and Archer is another talented outfielder to add to the draft haul.
Round 13- Pierce George, Pitcher, Alabama. George is probably the most interesting pick of the day, as he could be the most successful out of the bunch taken.
While George struggles with his command, it's no secret he has a dominating fastball. In the 13th round, he's a low risk, high reward player.
Round 14- Justin Sinibaldi, Pitcher, Rutgers. Sinibaldi had a very solid year last year, starting 13 games for Rutgers. In 83 innings, he had a 3.47 ERA and 64 strikeouts. Another solid addition to the farm system.
Round 15- Mason Moore, Pitcher, Kentucky. Moore struggled a bit as a starter for Kentucky last year, as he had a 5.05 ERA. However, in 2023, as a reliever, he had a 1.8 ERA over 55 innings, striking out 54.
Round 16- TJ McCants, Outfielder, Alabama. Last year at Alabama, McCants hit .306 with 15 home runs and 54 RBIs. Another solid outfield addition to the farm system.
Round 17- Lyle Miller-Green, Two Way Player, Austin Peay. Miller-Green might be the most interesting 17th round pick of all time, as he had an insane season last year.
Last year he hit .393 with 30 homeruns and 94 RBIs. You don't get this kind of production in the 17th round, so this is a great pick. He also pitched, as he had 43 strikeouts in 50 innings. He could fly through the system as a hitter, so he is a name to watch.
Round 18- Liam Paddack, Pitcher, Gonzaga. Last year at Gonzaga, Paddack had 6.09 ERA in 65 innings. He did strikeout 77 batters in those innings, so he does have an impressive arsenal.
Round 19- Nick Pinto, Pitcher, Cal-Irvine. In 94 innings, Pinto had a 3.91 ERA with 99 strikeouts, which gives the White Sox another addition to the pitching staff in the minor leagues. He is already 24 so he could move quickly through the minor leagues if he is successful.
Round 20- Myles Bailey, First Base, Lincoln HS, FL. Ranked as the 145th prospect in the draft, this is a move that could pay off big if the White Sox can sign him, as he is committed to play at FSU.
While it is unknown how likely Bailey is to sign with the Sox, I like the aggressiveness with their last pick.
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