Rookies have captured the headlines for the Chicago White Sox in 2025. 11 different players have made their Major League debuts in a Chicago White Sox uniform this season. Many of them have stuck at the big league level and have become really solid contributors for the club.
These rookies are providing hope for White Sox fans. This is the next core and the next foundation for a contending team, which might not be too far away.
I expect multiple White Sox players to receive votes for AL Rookie of the Year, but none of them will win the award. So as I give out team awards for the 2025 season, I thought it would be fun to weigh in on who most deserves to be named "White Sox Rookie of the Year."
I settled on rookie catcher Kyle Teel over Colson Montgomery, Shane Smith, and Edgar Quero.
White Sox Rookie of the Year - Kyle Teel
He doesn’t have the home runs of Montgomery or the All-Star selection like Smith, but Kyle Teel seems to be separating himself from the pack as time goes on.
His .799 OPS and 125 OPS+ are the best of any White Sox starter. He calls a good game behind the plate and his league-average sprint speed is elite for a catcher.
Teel is a leader in the White Sox clubhouse, even as a rookie. He plays the game with a heart and hustle that is contagious to his teammates. That part of his game is so apparent that it’s obvious through a television screen.
Let’s also factor in the clutch gene that Kyle Teel has. According to Baseball Reference, Teel is batting .318 in high-leverage situations. It’s no coincidence that the White Sox are 20-19 this season when Teel gets a hit and 9-23 when he does not.
Chicago is also 5-3 when Teel hits a home run and 13-9 when he drives in a run. If that doesn’t make him the best rookie on this team, I don’t know what does.
Montgomery and Smith have both shown flashes of greatness. But Teel has been the most consistent of the group. He has a mature approach that makes him play more like a 10-year veteran than an MLB rookie.
His ceiling might not be the highest, but for the 2025 season, Kyle Teel has been the best rookie that the White Sox have called up. He’s the player I’m the most certain will be an All-Star in the future.