White Sox prospect receives bold comparison to Orioles all-star Gunnar Henderson

White Sox prospect Caleb Bonemer had a breakout 2025 season and his emergence was a major development in the team's farm system. The White Sox selected Bonemer in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2024 MLB draft out of Okemos High School in Michigan. The White Sox scouted him heavily as a part of their area code team and liked his upside enough to take a swing in round two. Bonemer’s unique blend of power, athleticism, and elite bat speed stood out to some scouts despite his inconsistent results at the plate. Still, the White Sox took the gamble, and it seems to have paid off. 

With the draft now in July, high school players don’t usually have an opportunity to play in games in their first year, so Bonemer trained at the White Sox facility in Arizona but didn’t make his system debut until 2025. Bonemer was assigned to Low-A Kannapolis, where he hit the ground running and never looked back. Bonemer spent most of the season in Kannapolis before a late-season promotion to get his feet wet in High-A. Overall, the 19 year-old slashed .281/.401/.473 in 107 games across two levels. Bonemer also stole 29 bases and played solid defense at shortstop. 

With flashes of five-tool potential on display, the breakout season opened eyes both inside and outside the White Sox organization. Bonemer finished the 2025 season ranked as the fourth best prospect in the White Sox system, and 73rd overall, according to MLB Pipeline’s rankings. Baseball America even made a lofty comparison of Bonemer to Orioles all-star shortstop Gunnar Henderson. 

The 24 year-old Henderson has emerged as a superstar in the middle of the Orioles lineup the past three seasons, winning the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2023 and making his first all-star game in 2024. Henderson’s 37 home runs and 155 OPS+ in 2024 made him one of the premier offensive shortstops in all of baseball and led to a fourth-place finish in the AL MVP voting. Henderson’s “down year” in 2025 even saw him finish with a .787 OPS, which would’ve ranked among the White Sox leaders.  Prior to his debut, Henderson was a top three prospect in baseball, so his emergence as a superstar isn’t necessarily a surprising development.

A bold comparison leaves high expectations for Bonemer

This is obviously a lofty comparison for Bonemer, who is still just 20 years-old and figures to be at least a year or two from his big league debut. But it should serve as an encouraging sign for the White Sox. Bonemer’s talent is legit and another step forward in 2026 will have him among the top prospects in all of baseball. With Colson Montgomery’s defense at shortstop being a pleasant surprise, it’s unclear where Bonemer’s long-term fit is positionally. Either Bonemer or Montgomery could end up sliding over to third base, as both seem to have a bat that’ll play at the position. The White Sox are at least a year away from having to make that decision, however, and this year will be focused on developing both players at the plate. 

Even if Caleb Bonemer never ends up being a superstar like Gunnar Henderson, there’s plenty of room for him to be a solid starter at the big league level. But if the recent analysis is correct and Bonemer continues to develop, he could easily go down as one of the best second-round picks in White Sox history.