Young White Sox top prospect could debut earlier than expected
By Jon Conahan
While the Chicago White Sox were a disappointment in 2023 and don't look to be much better heading into 2024, there's reason to be excited if you're a Sox fan.
Colson Montgomery, Noah Schultz, and Edgar Quero, who are top 100 prospects, according to MLB.com, could all make an impact in the near future. Montgomery is expected to debut in 2024 and Quero could debut in 2024, although he's more likely to get a chance in 2025.
Schultz is an interesting prospect to watch for given his age. The 20-year-old doesn't have a ton of innings in the minors, throwing in 27 for Kannapolis in 2023. In those 27 innings, he posted an impressive 0.85 WHIP and 1.33 ERA.
Chicago has two high-end left-handed pitching prospects in Schultz and Jake Eder. Eder should see time in 2024 and Schultz might not be too far behind him, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Merkin views Schultz as a prospect to watch for the White Sox next season.
"Among White Sox prospects, shortstop Colson Montgomery (MLB Pipeline's No. 17 overall prospect) is the most likely to make a significant impact in 2024. In Schultz (White Sox No. 2, No. 61 overall), though, the White Sox have the makings of a bona fide ace for many years to come."
Schultz has elite stuff, including a 65 grade slider and a fastball that can get into the mid-90s. It's evident that he has the makings of a big leaguer and it caught the eye of former White Sox Joe Kelly, Merkin added.
"It was veteran hurler Joe Kelly who thought Schultz should have been in big league camp with the ’23 White Sox based on his high-end raw stuff, and Schultz followed those kudos with a 1.33 ERA in 27 innings for Low-A Kannapolis, recording 38 strikeouts, six walks and 17 hits allowed. At age 20, Schultz really just needs innings to build up to the Majors."
With the position that Chicago will be in during the 2024 season, it wouldn't be surprising to see them bring up a project like Schultz to get innings at the big league level. While unlikely, he's certainly on track to debut earlier than expected.