The Chicago White Sox have always struggled to develop position players in their minor league system.
Dating back to 2000, only three position players have been drafted by the White Sox and been selected to the All-Star Game during their time with Chicago: Ray Durham (2000), Joe Crede (2008), and Tim Anderson (2021, 2022).
The ogranization has developed their fair share of dominant starting pitchers, but having high-upside bats in the farm system is unheard of, especially when they are drafted out of high school.
The White Sox have sunk early draft picks into high school bats Courtney Hawkins, Keon Barnum, and Ryan Sweeney. But they've never really hit on the high-upside developmental player that becomes a star in the big leagues...But that might change pretty soon.
White Sox shortstop prospect Caleb Bonemer was drafted in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft. In his first professional season, he is doing something that no White Sox player has done in the last 20 years.
Caleb Bonemer's unprecedented season
As I previously mentioned, the White Sox organization has never been loaded with teenage position players. Since 2006, the highest OPS ever by a White Sox teenager playing above rookie ball is .786.
That mark was set by Trey Michalczewski in 2014, but he never really put it together at the upper levels of the minor leagues.
At just 19 years old, Bonemer is blowing that record out of the water. He currently has a .931 OPS in Kannapolis after 145 at-bats. He has a .297 batting average and is taking his walks for an on-base percentage of .428. In the month of May, Bonemer is hitting .301 with a .959 OPS.
There's a reason the White Sox signed him to an over-slot bonus of $2,997,500. He has ridiculous bat speed and the tools to be a polished hitter that sticks in the middle infield.
Baseball America recently named Bonemer one of baseball breakout prospects, citing his 19.7% barrel rate and elite bat-to-ball skills as a reason why. He also cracked Baseball America's Top 100 prospects list. My guess is that he's not far off of MLB Pipeline's list either.
White Sox fans have reason to believe that Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero, and Kyle Teel will all be solid Major League contributors for many years to come. The early results in the minor leagues from outfielder Braden Montgomery are encouraging as well. Throw Bonemer and future White Sox draft picks into the picture, and the organization might actually have a nice pool of internally developed position players.
It won't be long before Caleb Bonemer is household name for Sox fans. That's what happens when you accomplish something that hasn't been done in 20+ years.