6 Chicago White Sox prospects who will likely make their MLB Debut this season

The Chicago White Sox signaled they are going to be patient with their top prospects' development based on who made their Opening Day roster.

Pitchers Sean Burke and Shane Smith were the only top 30 prospects to make the initial 26-man roster.

Burke was a surprise choice to be the Opening Day starter, but he showed why it was a wise choice to go with him as he was brilliant on the mound. Smith was the top pick in the Rule 5 Draft, so he had to make the roster for the Sox to keep him.

However, he had a great spring to earn the fifth spot in the starting rotation. That does not mean Smith will be the only prospect making his big-league debut.

The White Sox have six prospects who should be up with the team at some point this season.

It is just a matter of time before catching prospects Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero debut.

Teel is off to a hot start at Triple-A Charlotte. MLB Pipeline considers him the Sox's second-best prospect, the No. 32 prospect in all of baseball, and the third-ranked catching prospect.

He had a great spring, but one reason he was sent down was for two simple reasons. The first is the Sox will want both Teel and Quero in the lineup every day. However, since only one can catch, the other will have to DH or play another spot.

Teel has the athleticism and the background to play in the outfield, so it is matter of just getting him some reps there and used to DHing too.

The same goes for Quero, who should get reps at DH and first base. Better to do that in games that do not matter at Triple-A.

The other reason the Sox sent Quero and Teel down is that Korey Lee and Matt Thaiss can professionally cover the catcher spots to allow the club to give Quero and Teel those reps at other spots.

Teel is going to force his way up if he keeps up this great start. Teel has crushed two home runs in the first two games of the season in Charlotte.

Quero, the Sox's sixth-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline, No. 9 catching prospect, and No. 65 overall prospect, is 3-for-7 with three walks and three runs scored.

If the White Sox keep struggling to score runs, they will likely call upon these two players' bats for an upgrade.

Colson Montgomery will likely be the starting shortstop if he keeps hitting home runs.

A back injury prevented Montgomery from winning the starting shortstop job in spring training. The team's fourth-ranked prospect does have five strikeouts in his first two games for the Knights.

However, the Sox will have to live with his strikeouts if they want his power bat.

The No. 39 prospect in all of baseball did crush his first dinger on Friday.

The back spasms and struggles in spring training are what landed him back in Charlotte. If he had a strong spring, he would likely have been the Opening Day shortstop despite hitting .218 last year for the Knights.

The hope is that he produces more home runs and a good average at Triple-A. If that happens, he will then likely get called up by June.

Chase Meidroth is getting on base and making highlight defensive plays.

Meidroth was another candidate to win the starting shortstop job. The team's eighth-best prospect is an on-base machine. The problem was he did not put the ball in play much in Cactus League play.

That earned him a ticket to Charlotte.

However, he has already drawn three walks and two hits in the first two games of the season for the Knights.

He has been flashing some serious leather at second base.

The belief is that Meidroth's best defensive position is at second base. It might be just two games, but Montgomery and he are showing flashes that those two could be the middle infielders through the rest of the decade.

Tim Elko just keeps hitting and could be a viable bat off the bench.

Elko never gets listed among the White Sox's top 30 prospects. He is an older prospect at 26 and is a former 10th-round pick, so that might have something to do with it.

However, all the first baseman has ever done since entering the Sox organization is hit.

He had a .289/.346/.439 slash line last season between Double-A and Triple-A. He also has 52 home runs in four seasons in the minors.

Elko is also off to a good start with three hits, four walks, and a home run.

The Sox lineup could use some power, and he could be an option to provide some. Also, if Andrew Vaughn somehow produces decent numbers before the trade deadline, Elko could finish out the season as the starting first baseman if Vaughn is dealt.

Grant Taylor could be pitching out of the bullpen at some point this season.

It is just a matter of time before Taylor cracks every prospect publication's top 100. He likely would already be there had he not suffered a lat injury that limited his appearances last season.

He was throwing some serious heat during spring training. The team's pitching director, Brian Bannister thinks Taylor could be up this season in a relief role.

However, the goal is to develop the team's No. 7 prospect into a starter. That is one reason he will start the season at Double-A Birmingham along with the team's two top pitching prospects, Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith.

The hope is that veterans like Penn Murfee and Cam Booser pitch well enough to be flipped at the trade deadline. If that happens and Taylor is humming along in the minors, it might make sense to break him into the big leagues coming out of the bullpen.