For White Sox prospect George Wolkow, 2025 was supposed to be a breakout season. The teenager flashed incredible power potential during the 2024 season, launching 11 home runs at the Low-A level as an 18-year-old. Unfortunately, the 2025 season was a struggle for Wolkow, and he didn’t take as big of a step forward as he’d hoped. Wolkow joined Chuck Garfein on his podcast earlier this week where he discussed his recent struggles.
“I’d say this season was just a year for growth,” Wolkow said. “I think overall just from starting the year kicking myself in the foot a little bit and then picking it up, then playing really well, and then getting really sick”. Wolkow later said: “But I mean, parts of the ups and downs of the game, you know, things you can’t control. But I think that’s also just another way to help you learn and grow.”
When asked which areas Wolkow would like to improve, he mentioned wanting to hit more home runs and spray the ball around the field more. It's clear that both Wolkow and the White Sox are confident in his ability as a baseball player and haven't let a down season change their minds. It shouldn’t ruin the fans' confidence in him either. While the 2025 season wasn’t ideal for Wolkow, White Sox fans have plenty of reason to be excited about his future.
The White Sox have reason to be excited about George Wolkow
The Chicago-area native was one of the more intriguing picks in the 2023 draft for the White Sox, who selected Wolkow in the 7th round and paid him well over slot value to sign him away from his commitment to South Carolina. At 17 and with all the physical tools to go pro, Wolkow reclassified to the 2023 draft to get an early start on his big league career even knowing that he would’ve likely been taken in the top two rounds a year later. Some evaluators loved Wolkow's size, athleticism, and massive raw power enough to call him a left-handed version of Yankees MVP Aaron Judge. As one of the younger players in the White Sox system, the expectation was that the White Sox would be slow and deliberate with Wolkow’s development. But a hot start to the 2024 season at the Rookie level gave the White Sox everything they needed to move Wolkow up to A ball. He showed flashes of his upside throughout the 2024 season, with a rock solid .770 OPS in 76 games at the level. The biggest critique of Wolkow’s season was his sky-high strikeout rate (132 in 76 games), but a high strikeout rate can be okay if the walks and power come with it.
Wolkow reported to Low-A Kannapolis again in 2025 hoping for a quick stay, but he ran into a bit of a hiccup. Wolkow played 116 games in 2025 and his OPS dropped from .808 to .679. He matched his 2024 home run total with 13 even though his calling card has always been his power. It wasn’t all bad for Wolkow in 2025 though. In nearly 100 more at bats, Wolkow’s strikeout total was lower than his 2024 mark. Possibly the most memorable moment from Wolkow's 2025 season was a stunning one-handed RBI single, showing everyone just how strong he is.
White Sox prospect George Wolkow makes the one-handed swing look CRAZY easy 🤯 pic.twitter.com/iNNeGN7hyb
— MLB (@MLB) August 13, 2025
Wolkow will still be 20 years old at the start of the 2026 season, so he’ll have plenty of time to take steps forward and get his development back on track. My guess is he’ll begin the year once again in Kannapolis, but a good start to the year will get him moved up fairly quickly. With one of the highest ceilings in the system, his development will be an important test for the White Sox over the next few years. George Wolkow has the potential to be a difference-maker at the big league level for the White Sox, and a down 2025 season isn’t going to change that.