The White Sox’s top leap in MLB Pipeline’s latest roundup came from a name that already looks like a classic late-bloomer story: Anthony DePino.
DePino, a right-handed-hitting first baseman, didn’t exactly arrive with the kind of prospect buzz that turns heads. At Rhode Island in 2025, he set single-season and career school records for runs, homers, extra-base hits, total bases and walks.
He was also one of only two NCAA Division I players to post 20 homers and 20 steals. Even with that production, teams had reservations about his age, 22, and the first-base-only shape of his profile.
The White Sox still took him in the seventh round, betting on the power, the hard contact and the mental toughness. That call has paid off quickly. In his first full pro season, DePino hit .262/.363/.481 with 25 homers across 125 games split between High-A and Double-A.
At Birmingham, he finished at .260/.357/.482, a solid line for a 23-year-old getting his first look at Double-A. The question now is whether he’ll need to push the bat even further to make a first-base profile work.
And the White Sox’s pick might have looked even more obvious if they hadn’t already moved him to Seattle.
That trade opens the door to the Mariners’ choice in the same MLB Pipeline piece: Boston Smith, the catcher/outfielder who has turned a hectic season into a massive breakout.
Smith started spring training with the Nationals, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2025, but he was sent to the White Sox before the season began. By the time Seattle got him at the Trade Deadline in the Luis Castillo deal, he had already forced his way to Double-A. He wasn’t on the White Sox Top 30 when the year opened, though he was sitting in the middle of that list after hitting 22 homers in 79 games.
He kept going after the trade. Smith added nine more home runs to finish with 31, one of 22 hitters in the Minors to clear that mark.
He also drew 97 walks, which put him in the top 20 across all of the Minors. His 158 combined wRC+ ranked fourth among all hitters.
Norfolk 3, Charlotte 1
In Other News...
White Sox May Have A Sean Burke Decision Taking Shape
The White Sox have spent much of their extension energy looking elsewhere for now, but the conversation around young pitching is starting to get more interesting. Washingtons reported push to lock up Cade Cavalli, coming on the heels of his strong 2026 season, offers a useful comparison point for Chicago as it weighs how to handle Sean Burke, whose own performance this year has put him in the same general conversation.
Chicago does not appear to be at the decision stage yet, and the clubs current extension focus remains on other players. Still, Burkes emergence gives the White Sox something to consider for the road ahead, especially if they decide the next wave of planning should center on their young arms rather than only the position-player side of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Former White Sox Infielder Just Hit Another Rough Turn
Lenyn Sosas path has taken another sharp turn, with the Toronto Blue Jays releasing the infielder after his stint with Triple-A Buffalo. Sosa had landed in the Toronto system after being outrighted in mid-August, following the trade that sent him over from the White Sox, and he was trying to carve out a role in the organization down the stretch.
For Chicago fans who watched him come through the system, it has been a difficult season to track. Sosa was slowed by injuries and never found much rhythm offensively in 2025, leaving him in a precarious spot before Toronto moved on. His latest release adds another layer of uncertainty to a career that once looked like it might still have a clear path forward. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Win Turned On One Tense Moment And A Huge Vargas Night
The White Sox found themselves in the kind of tight, late-inning spot where one call can shape the whole night, and Will Venables successful challenge made sure a tying run never crossed for Detroit. It was the sort of moment that can get lost in the box score but tends to loom large in a game like this, especially with Sean Burke giving Chicago six solid innings and allowing just one run to keep the club in control.
Miguel Vargas made sure the bigger story stayed on the Chicago side of the ledger. His home run capped a night that kept stacking milestones, including a team first that speaks to just how complete his season has become. For a White Sox club looking for any sign of momentum, it was the rare game where the pitching held the line and one bat did enough damage to make the rest matter less. [Read more 🡒]