While the major league squad continues to struggle, the White Sox farm system offers some hope. Over the last week, several Sox hitters have impressed, a trend that stands true for the whole season, with multiple big-name pitching prospects out for the year. Catch all the info on the South Siders’ hottest farmhands below!
Who’s Hot
Braden Montgomery (Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers)
Last week: 6-17, 6 RBI, 6 R, 2 HR, 6 BB, 3 SB
Season: .327/.426/.571, 167 wRC+
At 22 years old and with a few years of college ball under his belt, Montgomery is making a strong case for a quick promotion. He tore up the Columbia Fireflies this week, reaching base safely in 12 of 24 plate appearances. Look out for Montgomery to ascend up the farm ranks quickly if he keeps this up.
Tim Elko (Triple-A Charlotte Knights)
Last week: 7-20, 4 R, 5 RBI, 3 HR, 3 BB, 5 K
Season: .361/.443/.607, 176 wRC+
If you spend any time talking to chronically online Sox fans, chances are you’ve heard the clamor for Elko to be promoted to the big leagues. I can’t say it’s without good reason. The 26-year-old continues to mash baseballs, striking out less often recently and walking far more on the year. How long can Chris Getz hold off?
Caleb Bonemer (Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers)
Last week: 8-17,5 R, 5 RBI, 4 XBH, 7 BB, 3 SB
Season: .319/.452/.532, 168 wRC+
Is getting on base in 15 of your 26 plate appearances good? I’d say so. Last year’s over-slot second-round draft pick is more than holding his own as a 19-year-old in Low-A. Don’t be surprised if Bonemer appears on some Top 100 prospect lists if he keeps up this level of production throughout this campaign.
Jeral Perez (High-A Winston-Salem Dash)
Last week: 5-21, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K
Season: .245/.359/.566, 150 wRC+
Miguel Vargas may be struggling with the big-league squad, but fellow trade piece Perez is having a nice little start to the season. Generally adept at getting on base, Perez is flashing an entirely new dimension to his game with this week’s three-homer power surge.
Grant Taylor (Double-A Birmingham)
Season (two starts): 5.1 IP, ER, 3 H, 6 BB, 8 K
While Taylor has displayed occasional control issues like his elite Double-A counterparts Noah Schutz and Hagen Smith, the spring training standout looks strong to begin 2025. A strikeout machine, Taylor will find major success if he can limit the walks moving forward.
Tyler Schweitzer (Double-A Birmingham)
Season (two starts): 10.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 13 K
Evidently, Schweitzer’s first two starts impressed White Sox brass, as the 24-year-old southpaw just earned a promotion to Triple-A ball. Schweitzer has allowed zero earned runs to date and may be on the fast track for arrival in Chicago if current MLB pitchers such as Sean Burke continue to struggle.
Who’s Not
Jairo Iriarte (Triple-A Charlotte Knights)
Season (four starts): 13 IP, 7.62 ERA, 12 BB, 12 K
Unfortunately for Will Venable and Co., Iriarte is not shaping up to be the next-man-up arm for the White Sox. After a respectable 2024 campaign, Iriarte has not yet found his groove with the Knights. The 23-year-old has given up two or more earned runs and gone four or fewer innings in all four 2025 starts.
George Wolkow (Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers)
Last week: 3-20, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 5 K
Season: .143/.214/.224, 26 wRC+
Perhaps the most low-floor, high-ceiling prospect in the Sox organization, Wolkow has resided nearer to the floor in 2025. Despite an improved strikeout rate, he sports just a .214 OBP. On the bright side, some of it can be attributed to bad batted ball luck, as his .171 BABIP is comically unfortunate.
Bryan Ramos (Triple-A Charlotte Knights)
Season (four games): .154/.353/.154, 61 wRC+
Ramos appeared in 32 games for the South Siders in 2024, but will need to show more in Triple-A with Brooks Baldwin, Lenyn Sosa, and Chase Meidroth all having adequate or better starts to the year. Thankfully for Ramos, this week was his first action of 2025 following an injury, so the sample size is extremely small.
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Featured Image: Bill Mitchell/Baseball America
