Caleb Bonemer made a splash in Double-A with his first homer, and he did it in style. The MLB's No. 13 prospect had a standout day at the plate, going 4-for-5, including a grand slam, to power Double-A Birmingham to a 10-5 win over Knoxville at Regions Field. This marked Bonemer's first four-hit game of the season and only the second in his professional career.
The White Sox's top prospect kicked off his afternoon by slicing an RBI double down the third-base line against Cubs' right-hander Keon Moreno. After a flyout in the third inning, Bonemer came back strong in the fifth, smashing a 3-2 fastball from Erian Rodriguez, the Cubs' No. 21 prospect, off the left-field wall for another double.
The highlight of Bonemer's day came in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, the 20-year-old engaged in a six-pitch duel with righty Kenyi Perez. Bonemer turned on an 85 mph slider, launching it into the left-field seats for his first homer in 11 Double-A games.
That grand slam was Bonemer's 19th home run of the season, tying him for the most in the White Sox system and the second-most by a 20-year-old in the Minors this year, according to FanGraphs.
Bonemer has been a nightmare for right-handed pitchers this season, boasting a .953 OPS in 214 at-bats against them across High-A and Double-A.
To cap off his impressive performance, the 2024 second-round draft pick added a single, ripping a 95 mph fastball to left off southpaw Marino Santy.
In the White Sox organization, Bonemer has been a standout performer. Leading the system in home runs, he's also in the top 10 for extra-base hits (37, first), hits (65, fifth), OPS (.917, fifth), and walks (45, tied for fifth).
The top third-base prospect, according to MLB.com, Bonemer signed for a hefty $2,997,500 after the Draft. In his 2025 debut season, he made waves at Single-A, posting a .281/.400/.458 slash line with 10 homers and 27 steals, earning Carolina League MVP honors. Now, halfway through the 2026 season, Bonemer seems poised to eclipse that impressive debut.
In Other News...
White Sox May Be Seeing Another Chris Getz Draft Find Emerge
The White Sox have spent much of the summer seeing young players push their way into the conversation, from Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas to Braden Montgomery and Sam Antonacci, and that wave of development has only added to the optimism around a club sitting atop the AL Central. With the first pick in the 2026 MLB Draft still ahead of them, the organization is also continuing to mine value from the lower levels, where another recent draftee has started to turn heads with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.
Matthew Boughton, taken in the 11th round last year after being pulled away from his Texas A&M commitment, has been making a stronger case by the week that he is more than a lottery ticket. He earned Carolina League Player of the Week honors two weeks ago and has followed that up with a June surge that has him looking increasingly like one of the more intriguing young players in the system, the kind of late-round find every front office hopes to uncover. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face Obvious Move As Catching Struggles Persist
Kyle Teels return from the injured list gave the White Sox a small boost, but the catching picture still looks unsettled. Chicago has been searching for more production behind the plate, and Drew Romos bat has not given the lineup much help, with his .137 average underscoring how little offensive impact the position has provided.
Korey Lee, meanwhile, has been in Triple-A and has shown better offensive numbers, which naturally keeps his name in the conversation as a possible upgrade in a backup role. For a White Sox club trying to piece together more reliable offense wherever it can find it, the next move at catcher is starting to look less like a question and more like an obvious decision waiting to be made. [Read more 🡒]