The 2025 MLB Draft has come and gone, and the Chicago White Sox have added a new crop of young talent to their strong farm system.
The White Sox entered draft day with definite needs on the offensive side of the ball, and their early picks reflected as much.
The Sox used their first four picks on position players, with Billy Carlson, Jaden Fauske, Kyle Lodise, and Landon Hodge joining the organization.
Six of the first seven picks the White Sox made were position players, with Oklahoma State righty Gabe Davis being the only exception in the fifth-round. There was a clear emphasis on bats early in the draft, however, the organizational need for power bats specifically doesn’t feel any less present.
Power is lacking in the White Sox organization
The power department has been an organization-wide issue in 2025. Only the Royals and Pirates have less home runs at the Major league level than the White Sox.
The young players that have come up to Chicago have shown excellent plate discipline and contact skills, but have also struggled in the power department. Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel, and Colson Montgomery represented four of the White Sox top hitting prospects, and they’ve combined for just three (3) home runs in 542 big league at bats.
Pure power is lacking in the minor leagues as well. As mentioned in one of my previous articles, out of the White Sox top 30 prospects, only two are graded with “plus” power.
The 20-80 scale serves as the standard scale for scouting and evaluating players. On this scale, a grade of 50 is considered “average”, while 55 is considered “above average” and 60 is considered “plus."
FanGraphs even attributes a projected home run total to a value on the 20-80 scale. For example, a prospect graded with a 50, or “average” grade, projects as a 15-18 homer player at the big league level. A 55 grade projects at 19-22 home runs, and a 60 projects at 23-27 homers.
In the White Sox system, Braden Montgomery and George Wolkow grade at a 60, and nobody else in the organization is above 55.
The White Sox did not address power in the 2025 MLB Draft
Despite the position-player heavy approach in the 2025 MLB Draft, most, if not all of the hitters the White Sox drafted have a more contact-oriented approach.
This is not to say they aren’t good players. A guy who hits .300 at the Major League level with 15 home runs can be very valuable, but there seems to be a lack of talent with 30 homer potential in the organization, and that hasn’t changed with the 2025 draft class.
It’s not that those options weren’t available. When the White Sox were on the clock at 44, Indiana outfielder Devin Taylor, who is the all-time home run leader in Indiana baseball history, was still on the board. Taylor’s not much of a defensive prospect, but his solid hitting ability and massive power have turned heads.
Oregon outfielder Mason Neville was on the board at 44 and 76 for the White Sox. Neville slugged 26 homers for Oregon this season and was considered one of the better power prospects in the class.
Both options would’ve made a ton of sense for a team looking for more slugging in their farm system. Instead, the Sox opted for Jaden Fauske and Kyle Lodise in those spots, who are both very solid players, but take more of a contact-first approach at the plate.
The highest power grade in the White Sox 2025 draft class is a 50 (average). Billy Carlson, Jaden Fauske, and 13th-round pick Rylan Galvan are all tied with that grade.
It’s always possible that some power could develop later on, especially when we’re talking about 18 year-olds who are fresh out of high school like Carlson and Fauske, but it’s a risky gamble. The White Sox may ultimately need to spend some money in free agency to make up for their power deficit.
Without many reinforcements coming in the realm of power, Chris Getz will need to make sure he gets it right when signing free agents. He has very little room for error.
There are definitely reasons to be excited for the White Sox draft, and they have certainly added some talented young players to the system. But if you were looking for the White Sox to end their organization-wide power outage this week, you may have to keep waiting.