The White Sox full 2026 draft class has been revealed and it’s filled with exciting names. First overall pick Roch Cholowsky is the most exciting prospect to join the White Sox organization in years, and the team followed it up by selecting Landon Thome, the son of Hall-of-Famer Jim Thome. But White Sox fans shouldn’t sleep on second-round pick Cole Prosek either, especially hearing who White Sox scouting director Mike Shirley compared him to.
Prosek, 19, was selected 41st overall by the White Sox out of Magnolia Heights High School in Mississippi. Ranked 27th on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 prospects list, Prosek is viewed by many as one of the most polished high school bats available in this year’s class. He projects as a plus hitter with the ability to develop his power even further than its current 50 grade, as evidenced by his 18 home runs this season. The White Sox will likely need to pay Prosek over slot value to get him away from his commitment to Ole Miss, but they wouldn’t have taken him without at least some confidence in getting a deal done.
On his podcast earlier this week, CHSN’s Chuck Garfein asked Mike Shirley about Prosek, and the comparison he made will certainly catch the attention of White Sox fans.
Roch Cholowsky and Landon Thome got all the headlines, but a scout said White Sox second round pick Cole Prosek “was the next best hitter in high school behind Grady Emerson.”
— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) July 14, 2026
Mike Shirley compares his swing to Bryce Harper. 👀⬇️https://t.co/IUKkzpMDUY pic.twitter.com/vVgGUNtmUw
“It’s just dangerous,” Shirley said. “The guy swings the bat with dangerous intentions. He wears number 3. His patterns look like that guy famously that plays for the Phillies. He’s kinda built similar, he moves similar with dangerous intentions.”
Mike Shirley's lofty comparison for Prosek shows how highly the White Sox think of his bat
Though Shirley didn’t outright say his name, the Phillies player he’s referring to is nine-time All-Star and two-time MVP Bryce Harper. Harper, of course, is one of the most decorated players still playing today. With a .903 career OPS in over 6,700 at bats, Harper has been one of the premiere sluggers in all of baseball since his 2012 debut. Harper, the first overall pick in the 2010 draft by the Nationals, certainly has more pedigree than a player like Prosek, but even being compared favorably to a player of Harper’s caliber is a huge compliment for the youngster.
Neither Mike Shirley nor I are saying Cole Prosek is going to be the next Bryce Harper, but the comparison demonstrated just how highly the White Sox feel about his bat. Prosek’s defensive home has not yet been decided, and Shirley indicated that he will focus on second base and third base in the early going, but there’s no doubt about his hitting ability. With the updated MLB prospect rankings set to release before the end of the season, I’d expect Prosek to slot easily into the White Sox top ten prospects, along with Landon Thome and Roch Cholowsky.
A 19-year-old prep player has a lot of developing to do before he’s ready to make an impact at the big league level, but the future seems bright for Cole Prosek. If he’s even half the player Bryce Harper is, it’ll be a major win for the White Sox.
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