20 years ago today, the Chicago White Sox were desperately trying to hold off Cleveland in their pursuit of the 2005 AL Central crown.
That team, of course, would go on to not only win the AL Central, but bring a World Series trophy to Chicago for the first time since 1917.
The White Sox starting rotation was a key reason for the success in both the regular season and postseason. White Sox starters put together a famous stretch of four consecutive complete games in the ALCS, a record that will likely never be broken.
Right-hander José Contreras had one of those complete games and was an essential member of the White Sox rotation, famously dealing seven quality innings in Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. Contreras made four playoff starts for the 2005 White Sox, and all of them were quality starts.
Contreras is now back in the headlines 20 years later. His son, Joseph, a right-handed pitcher out of Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Georgia, recently announced his intention to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University.
Right-hander pitcher Joseph Contreras, son of Jose Contreras, announced his commitment to Vanderbilt.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) September 15, 2025
Joseph, 17, reaches 93–96 MPH with his fastball and shows notable growth potential to become a starting pitcher in the future. pic.twitter.com/7wsIb3S99f
Joseph Contreras is a future MLB prospect
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Joseph Contreras seems to be a more athletic version of his father, featuring a fastball in the 94-97 mph range and a devastating slider. Contreras also throws a sinker and a splitter/forkball similar to the pitch his father was known for.
He was recently ranked by Perfect Game USA as the 18th best high school player in the 2026 class.
Contreras will be draft eligible in 2026, and current projections think he can be a late first- or early second-round pick. If that becomes a reality, there’s a decent chance he never heads to Nashville next year to play for Vanderbilt, and instead elects to sign with his pro team.
If Contreras does go to college, he’ll join a Vanderbilt program that is highly regarded in the realm of pitching development. Walker Buehler, Sonny Gray, Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, David Price, Kyle Wright, and Mike Minor are all pitchers with some degree of big league success in recent years that played their college ball at Vanderbilt.
Safe to say that Contreras will be in good hands when it comes to his development. It doesn't hurt to have a coach at home in the form of an 11-year MLB veteran and former All-Star.
With a whole high school season to play, and the draft order not yet finalized, it’s unclear whether Contreras will be an option for the White Sox in the draft. But getting an opportunity to play for the club his father spent five seasons with and won a World Series for would undoubtedly be a cool experience for both of them.
As José Contreras gets ready to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of a White Sox World Series Championship, Joseph will get set to start his own quest to the big leagues.
Ultimately, his road to Major League Baseball and a World Series title of his own could begin in Nashville.