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

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.  

Hagen Smith

The White Sox didn’t hesitate when Hagen Smith was still available at No. 5 in the 2024 MLB Draft, and for good reason. The former Arkansas ace dominated college hitters with a 2.04 ERA and a staggering 17.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

His elite pitching attributes — featuring upper-90s heat, a biting slider, and a delivery that makes everything more challenging to pick up out of the hand — propelled him to SEC Pitcher of the Year honors and solidified his status as one of the top pitching prospects in the country.

Smith’s fastball works comfortably in the 95–97 mph range and occasionally reaches triple digits. His fastball rides late and climbs past barrels at the last second, often forcing hitters to chase high heat that looks hittable, elevated by elite carry and a low release point.

His slider is a 70-grade wipeout pitch in the mid-80s, with tight, late-breaking horizontal action that mirrors his fastball's initial trajectory. It’s a true swing-and-miss weapon, especially when he’s ahead in the count.

Against lefties, it starts at the knees and vanishes off the plate; versus right-handers, he buries it at the back foot or freezes them by landing it for a strike. The sharp tilt and tunneling effect make it equally threatening to both sides of the plate.

With two-plus pitches that can miss bats in different ways, Smith’s next step will be refining his third option. The development of his splitter will be crucial this season, providing him with a third offering to navigate right-handed hitters more effectively over longer outings.

Smith’s frame and athleticism suggest he can handle a starter’s workload. Viewed as the next in line behind Schultz, Smith has all the ingredients to become a frontline starter in his own right — and if all goes to plan, he could soon share the spotlight in Chicago as part of a formidable left-handed pitching duo.

Grant Taylor

Among the Barons’ trio of top arms, Grant Taylor stands out as the candidate with the largest range of outcomes, combining power stuff with the fewest professional innings — a potential frontline starter who has to prove he can stay on the field.

After missing his draft year due to Tommy John surgery, the LSU product made a strong pro debut in 2024, totaling 19 1/3 innings between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Kannapolis, where he posted a 1.13 ERA over 16 frames with 25 strikeouts. A right lat issue cut the season short, but he still showed flashes of high-end stuff when on the mound.

Spring training gave Taylor a chance to showcase just how electric his stuff can be when he's healthy. He touched 101 mph in his Cactus League debut, then built on that with a two-inning outing against the Dodgers, striking out six and flashing the power fastball and sharp secondaries that earned him a fast-track assignment to Birmingham.

Taylor's pitch mix gives him a diverse arsenal to challenge hitters from both sides of the plate. His fastball is a true power offering, living in the upper 90s and capable of reaching triple digits. However, it's the contrasting movement of his secondaries that helps him keep hitters off balance. His cutter, which sits in the low-to-mid 90s, has a short, firm break and works well inside to left-handers while staying off the barrel against righties.

The slider plays off a similar plane but with a later break, and his tightly wound curveball gives him a north-south option to finish at-bats. Taylor has also begun mixing in a kick-change to show hitters something that fades arm-side — a pitch that’s circulated within the organization as a useful tool for post-surgery arms looking to develop a softer-speed offering to complement their power mix.

The White Sox have worked with Taylor on refining his command and managing the intensity of his delivery, which will be key to keeping him on the starter track. While his control remains inconsistent at times, the quality and depth of his raw arsenal give him one of the highest ceilings among arms in the system.

He has reliever risk, but if Taylor can hold up over a full season and throw strikes consistently, the White Sox might have something special. His assignment to Birmingham shows the club’s confidence in his readiness to take on a much more aggressive development track.

This early-season rotation decision gives Birmingham a rare blend of upside and intrigue, placing three White Sox’s most promising arms on the same developmental track. Schultz and Smith are MLB Pipeline’s No. 16 and 34 overall prospects, respectively.

While Taylor, who sits just outside the top 100, could force his way into midseason rankings with a continued strong performance and prospect graduation. They all impressed at big-league camp, and now they’ll push each other in Birmingham.