White Sox Prospect Season Recap: No. 5, Jairo Iriarte

The 2024 season for the Chicago White Sox was one of the worst in modern day baseball history. They were 41-121 and the worst team in the league by far. The bright spots were few and far between, as the team was very hard to watch for many White Sox fans. 

However, down on the farm, the White Sox have some very intriguing players that can give fans a glimmer of hope for the future. We will be recapping the seasons of some of the best prospects in the White Sox system, starting from #30 and going in order to #1 as MLB Pipeline has them ranked. As you’ll see, there are some very intriguing prospects that can help bring the White Sox back to relevance.

Ranked at number five on the White Sox top-30 prospect list is starting pitcher Jairo Iriarte. Iriarte was one of the key pieces in the Dylan Cease trade, and he has lived up to the hype, as he made his major league debut with the White Sox in 2024.

Iriarte would start the year off in the stacked Birmingham Barons rotation, as he was on an insane start to the season. Overall, in 126 innings with the Barons, he had a 3.71 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP, as the walks elevated his WHIP a bit. He struck out 122 batters while walking 57. Iriarte has elite stuff, however sometimes he doesn't have the best control of it.

This solid season led to a late season promotion for Iriarte, where he would work exclusively out of the bullpen for the Chicago White Sox.

In six innings, Iriarte had a 1.50 ERA. He struck out six batters, but walked eight. That brought his WHIP to 1.83, however, he wasn't hit hard at all, as he had a .143 batting average against. Iriarte showed the potential, but he still needs to work on cutting down the walks.

Jairo Iriarte with his first Big League K. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/9g5xMroKtL

— FutureSox (@FutureSox) September 4, 2024

If Iriarte focuses on his command with Brian Bannister in the offseason, he could be one of the best pitchers on the White Sox in 2025, as he has truly elite stuff. It's unclear if he is viewed as a reliever or starting pitcher by the White Sox, but they should keep him in the rotation, as he has ace stuff.

Iriarte should get a huge chunk of innings in 2025 for the White Sox, so he should be fun to follow as the season progresses.