8 White Sox prospects will continue 2025 season in Arizona Fall League

The Chicago White Sox have announced their roster for the 2025 Arizona Fall League, highlighted by a mix of top prospects and emerging talents.

This year’s group includes some top arms and rising position players. Here are the eight White Sox prospects set to continue their 2025 seasons in Arizona this fall:

LHP Noah Schultz
LHP Hagen Smith
OF Braden Montgomery
IF Sam Antonacci
IF Ryan Galanie
RHP Tyler Davis
RHP Carson Jacobs
RHP Connor McCullough

Frontline starters

Leading the White Sox’s group for the AFL are Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, two Top 100 prospects set to represent the club in the desert.

Noah Schultz, a 2022 first-round pick, heads to Arizona looking to make up for innings lost to injury and mechanical adjustments.

A bout of patella tendinitis in his landing leg sidelined him in July, halting a year in which the organization focused on fine-tuning his delivery to restore late life to his pitches and sharpen his approach against right-handed hitters.

The club had once hoped he’d eclipse the triple-digit inning mark and debut in Chicago this season, but instead, he’ll use the AFL to build towards that target, with his first big league appearance now expected to come sometime in 2026.

Hagen Smith, taken fifth overall by the Sox in 2024, heads to the AFL after a season at Double-A that showed flashes of dominance, highlighted by a 13.5 K/9 with 75 strikeouts in 50 innings.

Smith's positive flashes were often interrupted by elbow soreness and ongoing command issues, and his velocity has dipped at times this season. Baseball America recently removed Smith fro their Top 100 prospects list, while MLB.com dropped him over 60 spots to 93rd in baseball.

The White Sox will look to get Smith's stuff back on track and closer to how it looked during his days at the University of Arkansas. The emphasis will be on refining his pitch sequencing and using his changeup more effectively to disrupt hitters' timings.

For both Schultz and Smith, the AFL represents a crucial step in making up for lost time, building their innings, and regaining form against top-tier competition before turning the page to 2026.

Impact bats

The position-player group brings a mix of offensive upside and versatility, anchored by some of the system’s most promising bats. 

Braden Montgomery has climbed three levels in the White Sox system this season, producing a 130 wRC+ since arriving in the Garrett Crochet trade last winter.

Recently crowned the organization’s top prospect by MLB Pipeline and ranked 33rd overall, Montgomery showcased his talent on a national stage in the 2025 Futures Game alongside Noah Schultz. The AFL will give Montgomery a few more valuable at-bats to close out the year, with a realistic shot at competing for a Major League outfield spot as soon as 2026.

Since earning a promotion from Winston-Salem after a dominant stretch, Sam Antonacci has helped fuel Birmingham’s 16-5 surge. The White Sox Minor League Player of the Month for June has been an on-base machine, posting a combined 154 wRC+ between High-A and Double-A while running an impressive 4.6% swinging-strike rate.

Even after missing time with a broken finger, Atonacci's elite bat-to-ball ability and defensive flexibility make him a candidate for an MLB role as early as next year, whether it's in the infield or potentially in the outfield if his bat continues to play. Antonacci also has 34 stolen bases this season.

Ryan Galanie has emerged as one of the system’s more under-the-radar success stories, drawing praise from coaches for his dedication and adaptability. Drafted in the 13th round out of Wofford in 2023, the 25-year-old has produced at every level, blending contact skills with gap power and the flexibility to play both corner infield and corner outfield.

The AFL presents a prime opportunity for Galanie to showcase that well-rounded offensive game in a hitter-friendly environment, potentially accelerating his path toward big-league consideration.

Lower level arms to watch

The White Sox are also sending a trio of right-handed arms to the AFL. Each pitcher brings a distinct look on the mound, but they are united in their goals of ending the season on a high note, logging additional innings, and positioning themselves for a strong year in 2026. 

Tyler Davis has been a standout in Double-A Birmingham, posting a 3.53 ERA and 2.80 FIP with 49 strikeouts against 22 walks over 43.1 innings. In a bullpen loaded with quality options, something must've clearly caught the White Sox’s attention for him to earn an AFL assignment.

Davis, who also logged 3.1 scoreless innings in big league camp this spring, is positioning himself as a potential bullpen depth option for the White Sox in 2026.

At 6-foot-9, Carson Jacobs brings the kind of towering presence and raw power stuff the White Sox covet in relief arms.

Ranked the 33rd prospect in the system by FanGraphs, Jacobs has a 12.57 K/9 but has also battled command issues and a 5.77 ERA at High-A Winston-Salem this season. His arsenal features a fastball that reaches the upper 90s with strong late life and breaking balls that give him intriguing upside if he can harness his control.

The AFL will give the White Sox a longer look to see whether he can sharpen his command and emerge as a depth bullpen option.

Last season with the Birmingham Barons, Connor McCullough’s year was halted in April by a significant arm injury that led to a full-season IL stint and ended his season. After returning to game action this summer and making rehab stops in the lower minors, he has totaled 18.2 innings as the White Sox gradually build his workload.

The AFL will be a pivotal part of his comeback, offering the innings and competitive reps needed to reestablish his form and build momentum for a bounce-back 2026.