The Chicago White Sox are in dire need of pitching help.
After sending down Opening Day starter Shane Smith to Triple-A, thinning out an already weak rotation, Chicago needs a catalyst to jump start their season.
According to Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com, top pitching prospect Noah Schultz could be that spark.
The White Sox currently have a 5.45 team ERA, good for third-worst in the majors. This is thanks to their starting staff not going far into games, and their bullpen being one of the worst in baseball.
Schultz is the second-rated prospect in Chicago’s system, and No. 46 overall, per MLB Pipeline.
Why Is Schultz Considered an ‘Impact Callup’ for the Chicago White Sox?
The White Sox selected Schultz in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of high school. Scouts have drawn comparisons from Schultz to legendary lefty Randy Johnson. And it’s easy to see why.
“Few pitching prospects can match the ceiling of Schultz, a 6-foot-10 southpaw with a wipeout low-80s slider with huge sweep and a mid-90s fastball that reaches 99 mph,” Dykstra, Callis, and Mayo said.
His imposing stature and unbelievable stuff made him a top prospect in the eyes of scouts and analysts alike.
He was named a top 50 prospect before the 2024 season, and quickly vaulted into the top 20 by 2025. However, a knee injury would slow Schultz down in the 2025 season, posting an unimpressive 4.68 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A.
This was after posting dominant numbers in 2023 and 2024. While Schultz has the stuff to generate a ton of swing-and-misses, his control set him back in 2025.
However, to start the 2026 season, Schultz has proven to be fully healthy in Triple-A. In three games (14 innings), Schultz has pitched to a 1.29 ERA, striking out 19 batters, while walking just two.
Schultz will be in the Chicago rotation. It’s just a matter of when.
How Will Schultz Fit in the Rotation?
As of now, nobody in Chicago’s major league rotation has a spot locked down per se beyond 2026. Smith is struggling with control, hence his demotion. Chicago is hoping for a quick fix in the minors for him.
Schultz would likely transform the starting rotation, as his stuff clearly translates to the majors.
Davis Martin and Sean Burke have to prove themselves to be consistent, while Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde likely don’t figure to be in the White Sox’s plans past the trade deadline.
But Schultz isn’t the only pitcher in Chicago’s system who figures to be a part of the future starting rotation as soon as this year.
Left-hander Hagen Smith and right-hander Tanner McDougal. Smith is the No. 67 overall prospect, while McDougal lies just outside the top 100. Both are currently in Triple-A, waiting for their MLB debuts.
Both pitchers have a powerful fastball with great secondary pitches.
Drew Thorpe, who is coming back from Tommy John surgery, also figures to be in the plans for Chicago’s rotation.
Even though it doesn’t seem like it now, as the White Sox try to avoid a fourth consecutive 100-loss season, the future is bright for this team.
With Schultz, Smith and McDougal leading the rotation, and many other elite young prospects, the White Sox will be relevant very soon.
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