With the minor league calendar starting to run out of room, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has finished his farm-system rankings, and the White Sox landed 20th on his list. That puts them in the same general area as MLB Pipeline, which had them 15th, and Baseball America, which slotted them 17th, but McDaniel was the most down on the group of the three.
His ranking leans on a Future Value-based model that tries to assign organizations a calculated worth, though the process still starts with subjective FanGraphs evaluations. Even so, McDaniel’s read comes with a clear warning label: this could look very different a year from now.
That’s because the White Sox have already moved some of their biggest names out of the system. Noah Schultz, Braden Montgomery and Sam Antonacci all graduated this year, while the club also brought in a strong draft class led by No. 1 pick Roch Cholowsky to help fill the gaps.
There’s still plenty of upside in the pipeline, but it’s a lot of upside that hasn’t settled into anything concrete yet. Caleb Bonemer has put together a massive season with 33 homers across High-A and Double-A, though questions remain about where he’ll end up defensively and how much contact he’ll make.
Hagen Smith is already in the big leagues, but he still needs one more notch of control to hold down a starter’s role. Billy Carlson has raw power, but he has to get the ball in the air more often to turn it loose in games.
McDaniel also flagged Joey Volchko as a possible 2027 breakout if the development clicks, and the same idea applies to outfielder Jaden Fauske if he adds more loft to his swing. Add in Cholowsky, Carlson and Fauske just getting started, plus prep picks Landon Thome and Cole Prosek not expected to appear in games until next year, and there’s still a lot of projection baked into this system. The White Sox are hoping that by this time next year, at least half of that group has begun carving out a real MLB path.
On the field, Memphis edged Charlotte 3-2 in 10 innings, and Edgar Quero finished 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout. Ryan Galanie went 1-for-5, while Junior Pérez was 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
Davis Martin turned in a sharp outing with 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB and 5 K, throwing 40 of 59 pitches for strikes. Tanner McDougal followed with 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB and 0 K, and Jaden Woods worked 1.1 IP, allowing 1 H and 1 R, with 0 ER, 1 BB and 4 K while throwing 25 of 36 pitches for strikes.
Rocket City topped Birmingham 7-4, with Caleb Bonemer starting in center again and going 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Anthony DePino was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Ryan Burrowes singled, walked, struck out twice and stole a base. Connor McCullough logged 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K and 1 HR, with 46 of 71 pitches for strikes.
The Barons had the game in hand going into the ninth, leading 4-3, but Jonathan Clark gave it away after a double, an RBI single and then back-to-back homers. Birmingham is now two games back of Rocket City. The first double in the ninth was just beyond Bonemer’s reach on the center-field warning track, and he started his route looking over the wrong shoulder.
Winston-Salem beat Bowling Green 10-7, with Javier Mogollón going 2-for-5 with a strikeout and getting picked off/caught stealing. Kyle Lodise singled, walked twice and struck out twice, George Wolkow went 1-for-5 with a bases-clearing triple and two strikeouts, and Jeral Perez was 1-for-4.
The Dash are now tied with Bowling Green atop the division at 30-26, though the real target is simply staying ahead of Greenville. Winston-Salem still holds a 2½-game edge there.
Hill City defeated Kannapolis 7-6.
In Other News...
White Sox Deadline Regret Starts With 3 Missed Opportunities
The White Soxs deadline haul is already looking like the kind of move set that invites second-guessing, especially when the additions are lined up against the players Chicago might have targeted instead. Joey Bart, Luis Castillo, Huascar Brazoban and Brenton Doyle were supposed to help fill needs in a season that has demanded more stability than the roster has provided, but the early returns have ranged from underwhelming to unavailable.
What makes the evaluation sting is that the alternatives were not some fantasy-land upgrades, but realistic fits at comparable cost who have since offered more useful production or cleaner role certainty. For a club trying to piece together a better future while still managing the present, the missed chances at the deadline may matter as much as the names it did land, because the margin for error in a rebuild is often measured in the moves you do not make. [Read more 🡒]
Caleb Bonemer Is Giving The White Sox A New Reason For Hope
Caleb Bonemer keeps giving the White Sox another reason to think bigger about their next wave of talent. The top prospect has started taking reps in center field, a move designed to add versatility to his profile and potentially speed up his climb toward the majors. He even made his professional debut start there in a recent game, another sign the organization is willing to stretch his responsibilities while working him closely with coaches on the adjustment.
For the White Sox, the appeal is obvious. If Bonemer can handle a premium defensive spot, he becomes even more useful as a future option, much like Sam Antonacci earlier this season when added flexibility helped shape his path forward. The move does not guarantee anything on its own, but it does show the club is thinking about ways to make Bonemers rise smoother, faster and more valuable when the time comes. [Read more 🡒]
Davis Martins Return Could Answer A Big White Sox Rotation Need
Davis Martins first step back went about as well as the White Sox could have hoped. In his minor league rehab outing after landing on the injured list with a blister issue, he worked five scoreless innings, gave up one hit and struck out five, giving the club a useful reminder of what he can offer when hes on the mound and right.
For a rotation that has been looking for stability, Martins progress matters beyond one clean rehab start. The White Sox are hoping he can keep building without any more blister trouble, with an early-September return still the target if all goes smoothly. If he gets there, it would give the staff a much-needed arm back at a time when every healthy starter counts. [Read more 🡒]