When the Chicago White Sox drafted left-handed pitcher Noah Schultz out of the Chicago suburb of Oswego in 2022, they knew the arm was special.
Schultz became the first high school arm taken by the White Sox in the first round since 2001, when the team selected New Lenox native Kris Honel 16th overall.
High school players, especially pitchers, come with a high amount of risk, but the White Sox believed in Schultz enough to take him 26th overall.
When Schultz debuted for the White Sox organization, it became easy to see why. Standing at 6-foot-10, Schultz is a towering presence on the mound that features an elite fastball + slider mix and a developing changeup.
A couple of injuries limited Schultz in his first two seasons, but when healthy, the numbers spoke for themselves. A 1.33 ERA in a 27-inning sample size in 2023 was enough to warrant an assignment to High-A to begin 2024, with a goal of increasing his inning count.
Schultz once again saw massive success, with a 2.24 ERA over 88.1 innings between Winston-Salem and Birmingham. Expectations and hopes were high for Schultz coming into 2025.
Schultz struggled after promotion to Triple-A
Schultz entered 2025 with a goal of further increasing his inning count and getting himself to the doorstep of the Major Leagues. Unfortunately, he has run into some obstacles so far this season.
Schultz started at Double-A Birmingham and was solid, but did not look as dominant as he did in his outings at the same level in 2024. Still, Schultz earned himself a promotion to Triple-A in June, putting himself just one level away from MLB and leading some to wonder if his promotion and debut could come this fall.
It was a rocky introduction to the Triple-A level for Schultz, however. He got hit around quite a bit in Charlotte despite the stuff usually looking strong.
In his first three starts with the Knights, Schultz allowed 15 earned runs and 18 hits, and walked eight batters in just 11.1 innings. He also gave four (4) runs on four (4) hits over 0.2 innings pitched during the 2025 MLB Futures Game.
To top things off, the White Sox placed Schultz on the Injured List with a knee injury on July 20, putting a big damper on his development this season.
Schultz touches 97 in return from IL
The White Sox received a much needed positive development over the weekend, as Schultz was activated from the IL on Sunday and made a start for the Knights for the first time in a month.
Schultz looked good despite a limited pitch count, striking out four batters over two innings. His fastball touched 97, so his stuff appears to be just as good as it was before his injury.
Schultz returning healthy for the final few weeks of the season is a huge win for him and the White Sox, and the goal should be to get him as many innings as he can. The White Sox would love Schultz to be in the mix for the 2026 rotation, and the key will be stretching him out to be able to surpass 100 innings next year.
Noah Schultz returned on Sunday. He throws his prescribed 2IP/35 (37) and allows 1 unearned run on 2 singles. He strikes out 4 on 25s/37p. It was a nice outing with a little rustiness on his feel, that will get ironed out. #Knights took a 2-1 lead in the T3, so he receives a ND. pic.twitter.com/Pk34O0c6Ks
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) August 24, 2025
Schultz and fellow first-round lefty Hagen Smith will be heading to the Arizona Fall League in October to continue working and getting innings.
Both lefties are looking to be in the big league mix as soon as 2026, and Sunday’s return for Schultz was a step in the right direction.