Despite the White Sox having one of the worst records in the league in 2025, they look like a much better baseball team compared to last year, as there have been plenty of close games that could have gone either way.
This leads fans to look into the minor leagues for success stories of players who may be joining the team in Chicago when they are in their window for contention. Here, we will take a look at the High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, the Winston-Salem Dash, and see who has been playing well to start the season, as these players could be on the move to Birmingham sooner rather than later.
Braden Montgomery
One of the main players that has made an impact with Winston-Salem is top-100 prospect Braden Montgomery. After starting the season with the Cannon Ballers, Montgomery was promoted to the Dash and despite a slight slump has still put up some very good numbers.
In 27 games with the Dash, Montgomery is hitting .270 with a .368 OBP. He has added four homeruns, 14 RBIs and one stolen base.
Braden Montgomery has 2 HRs today.
— Dylan Barnas (@NotCease) May 6, 2025
He is now batting .391 (not a typo) with a 1.326 OPS (still not a typo) in A+. pic.twitter.com/CLVyfA6O8M
This is exactly what you want to see out of one of the players that was considered a headliner in the blockbuster Garrett Crochet trade. Since this is the first action for Montgomery in professional baseball there will be slumps, but he will likely get back on track and get a promotion to Birmingham sooner rather than later, as he is still slugging .490 and has a .858 OPS.
Sam Antonacci
Another hitter in the Dash lineup that has been raking to start the season is Sam Antonacci, the White Sox 5th round pick from last year's draft.
In 32 games, Antonacci is hitting .291 with an outstanding .440 OBP. Antonacci has also added two homeruns and 20 RBIs.
Sam Antonacci ropes a 105MPH double into the RCF gap to extend his On-Base streak to 29 games. Sammy Zavala (2B) comes in to score. #Dash trail 2-1. pic.twitter.com/0an4ID7flS
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) May 9, 2025
While Antonacci isn't much of a power hitter, he still finds a way to hit the ball into the gaps, as he has seven doubles and three triples so far. Additionally, he gets on base a ton, as he has 20 walks compared to 21 strikeouts, which is an outstanding ratio. Antonacci also has 11 steals, so he knows how to swipe a bag when he gets on base.
Antonacci was an elite college hitter so he will continue to fly through the system. I could easily see him getting promoted to AA sooner rather than later and then earn a possible promotion to AAA to end the year.
Lucas Gordon
On the pitching side Lucas Gordon has pitched very well to start the season. Through 48 innings, Gordon has a very good 3.17 ERA and a solid 1.12 WHIP.
Lucas Gordon was absolutely dominant for the #Dash on Thursday night. He tosses 6 innings of 1 hit ball. He walks 2 and strikes out 9 on 48/84. He receives a ND, as the lead evaporated in the 9th, but Winston-Salem picks up the W in extras 8-6. pic.twitter.com/8WYYU9K6SG
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 18, 2025
If this wasn't impressive enough, Gordon has struck out 56 batters in 48 innings, which is well above where a starter should be.
Gordon is 23 and was a 6th round selection in the 2023 draft out of Texas so he will likely find himself promoted to Birmingham soon. This could set him up to potentially make his MLB debut in 2026 if he continues to pitch like this.
The Dash have a ton of interesting players and some that will definitely be in Chicago in the next year or two, so they are definitely a team to watch.
