White Sox prospect continues great season with immaculate inning in minor leagues

Phil Fox was a seventh-round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Standing 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds, Fox has always been underestimated. He started his college baseball career with the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs (2023) before transferring to the his hometown University of Pittsburgh.

As Pitt’s closer in 2024, Fox was nothing short of dominant. He posted a 1.47 ERA, recorded eight saves, and walked only three batters in 36.2 innings pitched.

That’s 45 strikeouts to just three (3) walks for Fox in the ACC as a junior. He’s a strike thrower that gets the most out of his stuff. His low-90s fastball occasionally touches 96 and gets a ton of whiffs. He’s also working to develop a secondary changeup and slider.

Fox is one of my favorite under-the-radar draft selections the White Sox have made over the last few years. He's also one of my favorite underrated White Sox prospects.

He signed for $197,500, but waited until the 2025 season to make his professional debut. Fox has been showing why the White Sox love him in High-A Winston Salem this season.

Phil Fox tosses an immaculate inning

Fox came in for the save on Wednesday night against the Asheville Tourists. He made quick work of all three batters he faced, throwing nine pitches for nine strikes, and three strikeouts.

It was an immaculate inning and the eighth save of the season for Fox. To make it even better, seven of the nine strikes recorded came on swings. Fox was untouchable.

There have only been 116 immaculate innings in the history of Major League Baseball. It’s a fairly rare accomplishment for any pitcher.

“Getting that immaculate inning was a very cool experience and was something I had never done before. Was super cool to be able to close out a game like that," said Fox, per Joe Binder.

"As for the mindset that I was in, it wasn’t anything different than my usual self, attacking the hitters. I never truly thought about it until two strikes with two outs. Once it hit the glove and I processed what had occurred, I was ecstatic.”

The lights-out outing brought Fox’s season ERA down to 3.38 over 50.2 innings. In true Phil Fox fashion, he has limited the walks this year and only issued 12 free passes. His WHIP is an impressive 0.99.

With his collegiate success, transferring over to professional baseball seamlessly, I think it’s about time the White Sox gave Fox a chance to prove himself in Double-A Birmingham.

He’s only 22 years old, but his ability to command the strike zone and maximize his arsenal is something that will help him move through the minor leagues fairly quickly. It won’t be long before we see Phil Fox on the South Side of Chicago in a White Sox uniform.