The MLB Draft Lottery was held during the Winter Meetings and the Chicago White Sox came away with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Given that they had the fourth best draft lottery odds going in, getting the fifth pick is a slight disappointment but right in the range of expectations.
The White Sox's track record in the draft has been a bit spotty to say they least. They have made two top 5 picks in the last six drafts with Nick Madrigal in 2018 and Andrew Vaughn in 2019. Madrigal already got shipped out to the Cubs and hasn't shown any power to speak of in the big leagues while Vaughn has shown glimpses of his potential, but nothing more. It remains to be seen how picks like Colson Montgomery, Noah Schultz, and Jacob Gonzalez will turn out.
Potential White Sox 2024 MLB Draft Targets
Given that we know the White Sox draft position and we already have a sense of some of the best players in next year's draft class ($), here are some of the names to keep an eye on that could be in play for the White Sox in the 2024 MLB Draft. These names will obviously change once we get more information from the upcoming high school and college seasons, so this is an early look and nothing more.
Jac Caglianone - 1B/LHP
Caglianone was arguably the most impressive college hitter in the country in 2023 outside of LSU's Dylan Crews who went second overall in the 2023 draft. In terms of raw power, you won't find many guys in the game of baseball period that has more than him and he translated that strength into actual production last season with 33 home runs for the University of Florida against some of the best college competition there is in the SEC. On top of that, he also has a fastball on the mound that reaches the upper 90's. The guess is that he ends up as a position player only and he needs to swing and miss less, but he should remain a top draft prospect in 2024 unless he completely craters this spring.
Mike Sirota - OF
Smaller school guys are always tricky because you never know if their college numbers are a function of the competition they are up against, but Sirota's all-around game has a lot of teams and scouts very excited. He hits for averages, draws a bunch of walks, and has both some pop and can run. If he struggles this spring, his stock could drop significantly as the bar he is going to have to clear coming from Northeastern is high, but well-rounded college bats like this are very hard to come by.
Chase Burns - RHP
Every team needs arms, but the pitching class in the 2024 draft isn't particularly great at the moment. However, Chase Burns out of Wake Forest stands out due to his wipeout slider that gets a lot of swing and miss and his fastball that has hit triple digits. Unlike a lot of amateur arms that throw hard, he also pounds the strike zone which is a huge plus in his favor. There is a bit of reliever-risk with him, but as one of the few standout arms in this draft class, the White Sox need to keep close tabs on him.
Braden Montgomery - OF/RHP
Other than some potential future confusion given that Braden shares a last name with White Sox top prospect Colson Montgomery, there is a lot to like here. Montgomery is a switch-hitter who is equally dangerous from both sides of the plate with plus raw power and who walked a TON last season. There is a chance that he could pitch at the next level as well, but it does seem like the most likely option is that he hits as a pro and plays right field with a cannon for an arm.
Seaver King - SS
College middle infielders with a track record of production should always get a long look. King is transferring from a Division II school (Wingate) to Wake Forest this year, so it will be important to see how he does against a higher calibar of competition. However, most scouts think he is a guy that will be able to play in the dirt anywhere and should be a plus hitter with some speed as well. A strong performance in the Cape Cod League helped cement his status as a top draft prospect in 2024, but he will need to prove it at Wake next season before Chicago (or any team) goes all-in on him.