With the MLB Draft less than a week away, the White Sox are actively evaluating their options for the No. 10 overall pick.
The White Sox began their draft meetings on Sunday and will continue discussions throughout the week. Despite finishing with 121 losses last season, Chicago isn’t picking at the top. The new collective bargaining rules prevented the team from selecting any higher than 10th overall.
As the White Sox look to restock their farm system, this year's draft comes at a pivotal time, especially with Chicago in line to potentially hold another top pick in the 2026 draft. Money will play a factor. The White Sox hold a $12,169,100 bonus pool, including $6,238,400 slotted for the No. 10 overall pick. White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley told MLB.com the team is looking to maximize its pool and has been zeroing in on high school position players, which he considers a strength of this year’s class.
Despite No. 5 prospect Colson Montgomery making his MLB debut over the weekend — and fellow rookie Chase Meidroth appearing in over 50 games at shortstop — most mock drafts still have the White Sox targeting high school shortstops JoJo Parker and Billy Carlson with the No. 10 pick.
The White Sox also have Caleb Bonemer, who owns a .826 OPS in Kannapolis this season, and William Bergolla, who is hitting .271 in Double-A Birmingham within their farm system at shortstop. But Shirley says that won’t stop the White Sox from drafting another middle infielder.
“Chris Getz has a serious plan for what he’s trying to build in this organization,” Shirley told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. “Up-the-middle field players are the piece of the puzzle that really you can do a lot with. They have athleticism, the skills, the mindset, the instincts to play multiple [positions] and help your team win in multiple sectors.”
Shirley added that high school shortstops today are typically the best athletes and best players, comparing the position to quarterback.
The White Sox have four national scouts, four regional crosscheckers, and 16 area scouts who have been monitoring players leading up to the draft, with plenty of viable options at 10. Shirley says the White Sox have worked hard with five high school shortstops and are also looking at two college hitters and two college pitchers in the first round.
In recent years, the White Sox have leaned toward college talent in the first round. Colson Montgomery broke that trend by becoming the first high school position player the Sox drafted in the first round to reach the majors since catcher Mark Johnson in 1994.
Two arms that could be available around the No. 10 pick are left-hander Liam Doyle from Tennessee and right-hander Kyson Witherspoon out of Oklahoma. The White Sox have had recent success drafting pitchers from the SEC, including Garrett Crochet and last year’s first-round pick, Hagen Smith.
The top five high school shortstops include Ethan Holliday, Eli Willits, Billy Carson, JoJo Parker, and Steele Hall, however, Holliday and Willits are projected by many to be drafted within the top five. Parker is already committed to Mississippi State while Hall is committed to Tennessee.
“The high school group, the high school position players, have been unbelievable,” Shirley said. “That’s been the strong point of this Draft in my opinion. That’s the place we are looking the heaviest at this point.”
