The White Sox farm system went 3-3 on Friday, but the biggest storyline came in Birmingham, where top prospect Caleb Bonemer was pulled after taking a pitch to the head. Early indications were encouraging: preliminary tests showed no concussion, though he will keep being evaluated.
That scare overshadowed a productive night at the plate across the system. Korey Lee, Jason Matthews, Boston Smith and Anthony DePino all left the yard, with Smith and DePino driving in six runs combined for the Barons. On the pitching side, Hagen Smith turned in a sharp relief outing for Charlotte, and Drew Thorpe made his first appearance above the Arizona Complex League since 2024 in a rehab start for Winston-Salem.
Charlotte split a doubleheader and got a big swing from Lee in the opener. He homered in a 1-for-3 effort, while Jonathan Cannon was excellent in relief, working six innings and striking out nine after Tyler Gilbert opened the game with one inning. The Knights dropped that first game, then bounced back in Game 2 behind a more balanced attack and a strong finish on the mound.
Jason Matthews was the headliner in the second game for Charlotte. He went 1-for-3 with a homer, RBI and run scored, and Andy Weber added a 2-for-3 day with a double, three RBIs and a stolen base.
Dru Baker chipped in two RBIs and a steal, while Nolan Jones doubled and scored. Shane Smith started and worked 4.1 innings, and the game belonged to Hagen Smith after that, as he struck out three over two scoreless innings to earn the win.
Birmingham’s offense did enough to keep rolling even with the Bonemer situation hanging over the night. Boston Smith went 1-for-3 with a homer, two runs, two RBIs and two walks, and Anthony DePino delivered the loudest blow of the bunch: a 1-for-2 night with a home run and four RBIs.
Colby Shelton added a double and an RBI, while Alec Briley reached twice and scored two runs. The Barons’ pitching staff had a rougher time, with Mathias LaCombe allowing five earned runs in 1.2 innings.
Winston-Salem got a useful rehab look from Thorpe, who threw two innings and allowed three earned runs. Tommy Vail followed with four scoreless innings and six strikeouts to pick up the win.
Offensively, Ely Brown drove in three, James Taussig went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and an RBI, and Derek Cerda also had a two-hit night. George Wolkow scored twice and stole a base, while Kaleb Freeman reached three times.
Kannapolis fell 6-3 to Columbia, but there were some bright spots in the lineup. Nick McLain hit a triple and drove in a run, Billy Carlson went 2-for-4 with a run and a stolen base, and Steven Lancia finished 3-for-4 with a run.
Javier Mogollon knocked in two, and Matthew Boughton swiped two bags. Fabian Ysalla started and gave up one earned run in 3.1 innings.
In the DSL, the White Sox beat up on the box score a little more than the final result suggests. Ronald Cardozo went 3-for-3 with a double and two runs, Nestor Perez had a big day with two doubles, two RBIs and a run, and Hector Hernandez added a double and an RBI. Franchel Crisostomo earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief.
In Other News...
White Sox Prospect Rankings Just Took An Unexpected Turn
MLB Pipelines latest White Sox top-30 prospect update brought a few familiar names into sharper focus, but the most notable shift was Boston Smith cracking the list at No. 15 after entering unranked before. The refreshed rankings also reflect how much the system has changed in recent weeks, with Braden Montgomery, Noah Schultz and Sam Antonacci all having moved on to new levels, leaving the organizations prospect picture in a different place than it was not long ago.
The list is still a little unfinished, though, because it does not yet account for the White Soxs 2026 draft class while the signing deadline remains ahead. That means Caleb Bonemer is sitting atop the board for now, even as the next wave of talent looms, and he also had another rough moment in Birmingham when he was hit in the helmet again after striking out and had to be replaced. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Could Finally Make A Future Shaping Deadline Swing
The White Sox are heading toward the trade deadline with a different kind of urgency than the one that usually comes with a rebuilding club. Rather than shopping only for short-term fixes, they are reportedly open to making a more aggressive move for players who come with contract control, the kind of deal that could matter well beyond this season. That approach fits a team still trying to shape its next competitive core, and it gives the front office a chance to chase upside instead of simply filling holes.
There are a few paths they could explore, including arms from the Angels and a potential impact bat from the Athletics, but the challenge is obvious: controllable talent rarely comes cheap. Even when a player looks attainable, the price tag and the odds of a deal actually getting done can be very different things. For a White Sox club trying to balance patience with progress, this deadline could be the first real test of how bold it wants to be. [Read more 🡒]