Former White Sox outfielder Nicky Delmonico believes the White Sox have a left-handed Aaron Judge in the making in George Wolcow.
Wolcow has heard the Judge comps before. It’s one he heard plenty of times after he got drafted.
“I hope one day I get to step on the field next to him maybe see whose bigger. I do hear that a good amount” Wolcow told NBC Sports Chicago’s Chuck Garfien during an appearance on the White Sox Talk Podcast. “Being able to get compared to someone like that for me it’s only motivation.”
The White Sox No. 14th overall prospect and Downers Grove native may not be a household name yet, but it is easy to see where the comparisons to Judge are coming from. Wolcow stands at 6-foot-7, making him the tallest player in White Sox camp. Looking the part is one thing. Playing like Judge is another.
White Sox prospect George Wolkow is turning heads and getting compared to an elite name.
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) March 18, 2024
White Sox Talk Podcasthttps://t.co/K3jCSJOh0F pic.twitter.com/ibZpFuxrz2
The 18-year-old should still be in high school and has a long way to go to be on Judge’s level. But that hasn’t stopped him from turning heads this spring. Wolcow had the opportunity to hit with Jim Thome's son Landon this offseason and left an impression on the Hall of Famer.
“What I loved is how he kind of took my son under his wing,” Thome told MLB.com. “He treated him really good. And that goes such a long way, right?
“Young kids remember and look up to guys like him, and he’s going to be a great player. We are excited to have him, but more importantly, he represents himself, the White Sox, and his family in a wonderful way. That’s what I love.”
By the time Wolcow was in eighth grade, he had committed to play at the University of South Carolina. Instead, he opted to graduate high school in three years and focus his attention on pro ball. At the age of 17, he was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 high school class before deciding to reclassify into the 2023 draft in March of 2022. He was drafted with the 209th overall pick and landed himself a $1 million bonus from the White Sox.
Despite being selected in the seventh round of the 2023 draft but still managed to be ranked No. 71 in MLB Pipeline’s draft top 100 draft pick rankings. After the draft, Wolcow told reporters his long-term goal was to become a Hall of Famer. It’s a dream he has had his sights set on from a young age.
“I wanted to start my career a year early. I felt like, development wise, it was the best option,” Wolkow told MLB.com during an interview last July. “I wasn’t too worried about missing out on my true senior year of high school and sticking around and playing. It was a long-term decision.
“Sure, I might not be a first-rounder in the Draft, or I could have been next year. I don’t look at it that way. I made the decision, so there’s no looking back. It was like, ‘No, I’ll go work even harder and I’ll be a big leaguer before those kids that will be [drafted] next year.”
Even though he is still a teenager, Delmonico, who serves as the White Sox hitting coach in Double-A Birmingham, has been impressed by the way he has conducted himself in camp.
"Not only very gifted physically, but like just walking around here he acts like he's a three-year college guy," Delmonico explained on the White Sox Talk Podcast. "I think if he goes into the draft next year and if he didn't this past year he'd be a top three maybe the number one pick."
勝手に注目prospect
— 三塁打 (@kyufukin23) August 21, 2023
〜シカゴ ホワイトソックス編〜
George Wolcow(17) 2023年7巡目(全体209番目)指名
下から作為的に振ろうとするんじゃなくて、ステイバックが効いてる人はレベルに振ってもアッパーになるんだよねの典型。
ギリギリまで待って打てるから、率も残せるのでは。目指せMLBの柳田。 pic.twitter.com/zXHjkFxi8W
Some scouts believe Wolcow is one of the most physically gifted prospects in the 2023 draft class. He is a left-handed bat, who projects to be an outfielder long-term due to his arm strength but has played across the diamond. At 6-foot-7 239 pounds he already processes the strength to become a power hitter at the professional level. His power is graded as a 60, which is considered above average on a 20-80 scale
The Chicago area native hit .363 with seven home runs in 36 games for Downers Grove North last season. He will only continue to get stronger as he continues to develop. Delmonico describes him as a player with "stupid juice" and "a lot of thunder" in his bat.
Wolcow is still a raw prospect but has a massive ceiling if he can be developed properly. Developing in-house talent has been an issue for the White Sox in the past but new assistant general manager Josh Barfield hopes to buck that trend.
Wolcow just turned 18 on January 11th and only has 13 games of rookie ball under his belt. In that small sample size, he slashed .225/.392/.325 with a home run and a pair of stolen bases.
There are some concerns about his loopy swing and high strikeout rate. In 40 plate appearances in Rookie ball, he struck out 17 times. Scouts also believe he has trouble with offspeed pitches. However, it is hard to put too much stock into his numbers last season since Wolcow was still getting his feet wet in professional baseball.
Wolcow says his goal is to play as many games as possible this season. The hometown kid will likely begin the 2024 season in low-A ball. He isn’t projected to be ready for the big leagues until 2027. However, Wolcow is going to be a name to watch in 2024 and beyond.
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