White Sox Will Reportedly Sign Top Draft Pick Later This Week

Now that the draft has come and gone, the next order of business for the White Sox is to sign their new draftees. Jaden Fauske, the team's second-round pick, appears to be one of the first dominoes to fall. He will reportedly sign with the team for $3 million later this week, per James Fox of FutureSox. That figure is significantly higher than the $2.2 million allotted for his draft slot.

Fauske's Player Profile

Fauske, 18, is a local product. The 6'3, 200-pound, left-handed hitter played for Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park, where former White Sox slugger Jim Thome was one of his assistant coaches. Fauske also grew up as a White Sox fan, citing former players Adam Eaton, Alexei Ramírez, José Abreu, Tim Anderson, and Avisaíl García as some of his favorites as a kid. "I've said all along, local kids, we feel they have the ability, the White Sox are going to be in there. This is our city, man. We believe in the people that live here." White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley said.

High Ceiling Talent

The White Sox didn't just draft Fauske because of his local ties. Scouting reports viewed him as one of the best high school prospects in the draft, giving him 55 grades for his hit and run tools as well as 50 grades for power, run, and field. Fauske won back-to-back state titles early in his high school career and even won the 2025 Gatorade High School Player of the Year award in Illinois, backed by a .461 batting average and 29 stolen bases. He also played for the White Sox Area Code team, a common theme amongst the team's recent high school draft picks.

Scouts praise his smooth swing from the left side, plate discipline, and above-average power. Fauske has played catcher in the past, but the word is that he will move to center field at the start of his professional career. Even if he does move to a corner outfield spot down the line, scouts believe his bat will be good enough to become a productive player. Shirley also praised his maturity and desire to be great. "His on the field makeup, how he goes about it is pretty special," Shirley said. "I was talking to Jaden today. [He's a] super serious kid. The goals are real."

Overslot Signing Bonus

Because he is a high school draft pick with a commitment to LSU, the White Sox will pay him above his slot to get him signed. It remains to be seen if fellow high school top pick Billy Carlson will also be overslot, but the team took several older college players throughout the draft who will sign underslot to make room for the extra money going to Fauske.

Potential Hometown Hero

As a high school draft pick, we won't see Jaden Fauske in a White Sox uniform for several years. Even in the best-case scenario, he is likely three or four years away from the big leagues. Still, he adds a much-needed high-ceiling position player prospect into the organization. And the fact that he grew up as a White Sox fan makes him easy to root for and a potential fan favorite. "You think about that when you're sitting in the stands when I was 12 years old. I want to be wearing this [White Sox] uniform. I want to be playing on this field one day." he said. 

That could come to fruition sooner rather than later.