The Chicago White Sox ended their first half by defeating the Minnesota Twins for the third time in four games to get the division lead within reach. They have underperformed this season to date but the present is clearly the focus of the organization.
However, the All-Star break was kicked off with a bit of focus on the future. The 2022 MLB Draft got underway in Los Angeles so every team came together to bring in some new prospects. The first two rounds took place and the White Sox made picks at 26 and 62.
With that 26th overall pick, the White Sox selected Noah Schultz who is a high school prospect. The cool part is that he is an Illinois native that went to Oswego East High School. Now, he gets to develop in the system of a team not too far from home.
Schultz is a left-handed pitcher that has high-velocity potential which is always something that MLB teams are looking for. He has a lot of tools that can develop into a pitcher that makes an impact at the big league level.
This is a prospect that was committed to Vanderbilt University which is an outstanding school for pitching. However, he is going to sign with the White Sox so he won’t be going there. That is a big decision but it is fair to understand why he would turn pro when he can.
It will be a while before he makes it to MLB but he will grow in the minors as time goes on. This is something that is likely best for his development because he is already ahead of the curve by singing so young. College would have been nice but the money and opportunity are there for him.
The Chicago White Sox added some really nice prospects on day one of the draft.
In the second round at 62nd overall, the White Sox selected a right-handed pitcher named Peyton Pallette. He is out of Arkansas which is also a really good baseball school.
This is a kid that now knows what winning feels like as his Razorbacks lost in the semi-finals to the eventual champion school in Ole Miss.
Pitching is something the White Sox are looking to add to their organization. We have seen them develop some really nice prospects like Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Michael Kopech, and Garrett Crochet amongst others.
However, the top four prospects in the organization now are position players. Their top pitching prospect is Norge Vera who is hoping to become a great MLB pitcher. Now, kids like Schultz and Pallette will join the mix.
The draft is a great way to make your organization better and the White Sox seemed to do that on Sunday night. There are still a lot more prospects to consider as the rest of the draft rolls on this week.