On the final day of MLB's second Spring Breakout showcase, the Chicago White Sox put their top prospects to the test against those of the Colorado Rockies.
Although the White Sox lost the game 3-1, the organization's future was demonstrated, and there is reason for optimism.
Chicago is amid a heavy rebuild after its historically awful 2024 season. Things might be gloomy now, but with six of the top 65 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, there are bound to be a few bright spots in the organization.
Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith are as good as advertised...
White Sox fans got to see Garrett Crochet fire bullets from the left side of the mound last season before he was shipped to Boston. They won't have to wait much longer to see another stud southpaw starting on the South Side.
Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, the top two left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, flashed their excellent arsenals on Sunday. The duo combined tossed four scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Only two of the 13 batters they faced reached base.
Smith started the game, inducing a double play ball after walking the second batter to get through unharmed. After walking the lead-off man in the second inning, Smith again battled through to record a scoreless frame. His final pitch was a nasty slider that fooled the Rockies' No. 15 prospect Benny Montgomery, resulting in Smith's lone strikeout.
Hagen Smith with the slider for the K 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/IwgOGGREkt
— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) March 16, 2025
Schultz followed with two perfect innings, needing only 22 pitches to get it done. He struck out the final two batters he faced. Both were on swings-and-misses, which were among the 16 strikes he threw.
Schultz is closer than Smith in terms of reaching the big leagues, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone if they're both in the White Sox rotation at some point this season. Great left-handed starters aren’t always easy to come by. Chicago appears to have two that can be top-of-the-rotation guys.
White Sox bats struggle to find rhythm...
A team can have the best pitching staff in baseball, but wins won't come regularly if it can't generate runs. It was only one game, but Chicago's offense was virtually nonexistent in the showcase event.
The White Sox had seven players reach base against the Rockies, three coming via a hit. Colorado retired the last 11 Chicago hitters in order.
The White Sox struck out 10 times, four of which came from Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery, the top two position players in Chicago's farm system. Neither collected a hit in seven combined plate appearances, though Teel drew a walk and Montgomery made a fantastic play at short in the top of the fourth inning.
Colson Montgomery, ladies and gentlemen 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/7m8IgNCYBm
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 16, 2025
There's only so much you can take out of one spring training prospect game, but this result shows why pitching develops quicker than hitting in the minors. The White Sox have offensive talent in their system. Some might not progress as quickly as they want.
Chicago can build a contender, but patience is needed...
Building on that point, the White Sox and their fans must be prepared to wait before a winning team takes the field.
There's an argument to be made that Chicago should bring their top minor-leaguers up and give them regular MLB playing time. However, the risk of shooting down a young player's confidence is always there.
Acting on the side of patience isn’t a bad thing. The White Sox know they won’t be a playoff team this season. This gives them the freedom to do what they believe is best for positioning their prospects for success in the majors.
The good news is it can’t get much worse than last year. There’s hope that multiple All-Stars reside in this group of prospects and can bring a winning culture back to the South Side.