Chicago White Sox top pitching prospects headline Double-A Barons' must-watch rotation

Top pitching prospects Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, and Grant Taylor will be starting for Double-A Birmingham.
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For fans, this rotation might be more than just a proving ground — it could be the start of something unforgettable, a future big-league trio growing up right in their backyard.

The Birmingham Barons club could be home to the next White Sox core.

If these three arms live up to their potential, the future might be closer than anyone expected.

Pitching Development on Display in Birmingham

The Birmingham Barons will open the 2025 season with one of the most talent-rich rotations in the minor leagues, headlined by Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, and Grant Taylor. Schultz and Smith are regarded as the two premier left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, while Taylor brings explosive velocity and breakout potential from the right side.

This rotation reflects the organization's emphasis on pitching development — a vision shaped by senior pitching advisor Brian Bannister, whose innovative approach has started to reshape how the organization develops pitchers — emphasizing adjustments that align naturally with a pitcher's existing strengths and movement patterns rather than overhauling what already works.

Noah Schultz

Standing 6-foot-10 with a sweeping low-three-quarters delivery, Noah Schultz presents one of the most visually striking appearances in the minors — a release point that seems to come from behind a left-handed batter’s hip, paired with a presence that fills the entire mound.

But he's more than just a big frame and unique angle — he's the best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball. Schultz had a dominant 2024, posting a 1.48 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 61 innings at Double-A Birmingham.

The slider is his go-to strikeout pitch — often freezing left-handed batters who give up mid-swing as it sweeps across the zone or inducing awkward, late swings from righties when it starts outside and darts back toward the edge — a low-to-mid 80s offering with vicious horizontal movement that overwhelms hitters.

His fastball consistently sits in the 93–97 mph range, touching 99, and he's added a usable changeup and cutter. Despite his size, Schultz shows impressive body control and above-average command, with a level of mechanical consistency and feel for sequencing that would stand out for any pitcher his age — and is even more remarkable given his towering frame.

A key developmental goal in 2025 is for Schultz to increase his innings total, ideally reaching the triple-digit-inning threshold for the first time in his professional career. After logging just 27 innings in his injury-shortened debut season and 88.1 across High-A and Double-A in 2024, it would be surprising to see him far exceed his current cumulative total of 115.1 innings. If he can handle the full-season workload, Schultz has all the traits to emerge as the White Sox's ace of the future.  

Schedule