FutureSox is highlighting every 2024 Chicago White Sox top prospect by position. This iteration includes the notable middle infielders in the system. Players ages are listed in parenthesis.
Colson Montgomery (22), SS
Most Recent Level: AA Birmingham Barons
Leading the charge for all White Sox prospects across all publications, Colson Montgomery quite obviously kicks things off for the middle infielder group. Depending on which publication you view, Montgomery has been ranked (in the top 100 prospects) anywhere from the mid-teens, number nine prospect according to MLB Pipeline and number eight according to ESPN, which goes to show how highly the industry views the 2021 first round selection.
Montgomery has a large, left-handed frame and is closer to 6’5″, 230lbs than what he’s currently listed at across the various publications. The 22 year old has displayed a strong knowledge of the strike zone, drawing a good deal of walks and showing unique plate discipline. He makes quality contact to all fields, and the huge frame provides belief that he still has power potential to tap into as he further matures as a baseball player.
Defensively, while there is still a chance he may eventually move over to third base, he’s received more positive remarks in regards to being able to stick at short. Just an average runner, Montgomery’s displayed a strong arm with good reads and soft hands (according to Keith Law).
The shortstop postion in Chicago is calling, and Montgomery is knocking on the door to stake his claim as the shortstop of the future for the Chicago White Sox. It’s quite possible that Montgomery makes his way to the windy city before the season ends, as he is in Triple-A Charlotte to begin the 2024 campaign.
Jacob Gonzalez (21), SS
Most Recent Level: A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
A decorated collegiate player and starting shortstop for the national team, Jacob Gonzalez was the 15th pick in the 2023 draft in what ended up being the final first round pick made by the previous brain trust of the Chicago White Sox. Gonzalez’s career at Ole Miss was a spectacular one, taking home a College World Series in 2022, OPSing over .960 in all three years of his collegiate career (.988 cumulatively), and he also walked more than he struck out in every season in the SEC. Heading into the 2023 season, he was considered as a potential top five selection before a modest season (by expectation standards) knocked him out of that consideration.
It was noted shortly after the draft by Mike Shirley, Director of Amateur Scouting for the White Sox, that they had discussed and analyzed Gonzalez’s swing in pre-draft meetings. After signing with the White Sox, things did not go swimmingly on the offensive side in his first taste of professional baseball.
Across 34 games between the Arizona Complex League and Kannapolis, the 21 year old scuffled to a .211/.333/.260 line for a .593 OPS. Gonzalez still displayed a good handle on the strike zone, walking 20 times to 23 strikeouts, but the swing wasn’t generating enough impact with the bat in the small sample size post-signing. Combine that with the fact he’s considered a below average runner and athlete that despite being a shortstop, it was a debut to forget for the former Rebel.
To be fair to Gonzalez, he has received positive remarks for his defensive work and instincts at shortstop. Gonzalez has already begun implementing a swing change at the plate (that you can check out above), and he will be a very popular prospect to follow in Winston-Salem to see how well the adjustments take in his first full professional season.
José Rodríguez (22), 2B/SS
Most Recent Level: AAA Charlotte Knights
After a broken hamate ended José Rodríguez’s 2022 season early, the 2023 season got off to a rocky start for the infielder more affectionately known as “Popeye”. In April and May, Rodríguez was scuffling at the plate to the tune of a .224/.255/.395 slash line, .649 OPS, 67 wRC+, 6-for-11 on stolen bases, and a uncharacteristic 27.3 K%. The injury may have been slowing him down to kick off the year, but as June rolled around, the 22 year old infielder slowly but surely started morphing back into the player we had grown accustomed to in the previous seasons.
From June until the end of the season, Rodríguez’s slash line rebounded to .281/.310/.457, .768 OPS, 97 wRC+, 25-for-29 on stolen bases, and a 19.3 K%. Of note, despite the relative down year offensively, Popeye did manage to set a career high in home runs with 21.
Defensively, Rodríguez played mostly at second base during the 2023 campagin, as Colson Montgomery is slated to be the “shortstop of the future” for the White Sox. The 22 year old Rodríguez is capable of handling shortstop, but profiles better at the keystone as his range and arm strength are a better fit there. Rodríguez does employ an aggressive approach at the plate as evidenced by 4.1 BB% in 2023, but was overly aggressive and pull happy in 2023. If he’s able to tone that down and still make consistent hard contact once he arrives in Charlotte, it’s feasible that he could see an opportunity in Chicago as the summer goes on.
Ryan Burrowes (19), SS
Most Recent Level: Rookie ACL White Sox
As a $75,000 signing out of Panama, Ryan Burrowes was an interesting player to follow as he came stateside in 2023. Burrowes was given praise for his defensive ability advanced exit velocites. While he’s still a work in progress offensviley, the 19 year old utilizes all fields with a solid mix of hittability and power in his 6’2″ frame. A plus runner, Burrowes isn’t afraid to try to make things happen on the basepaths, as he is 24-for-29 in his career stolen base attempts.
In his first full season stateside with the ACL White Sox, Burrowes hit .260/.330/.386 for a .716 OPS with 13 extra base hits (eight doubles, three triples, two home runs) while playing nearly two years younger than the league average. Displaying above arm strength at shortstop, he possesses the necessary quickness to provide him with plenty of range at shortstop. Burrowes should be opening the 2024 season with Single-A Kannapolis once healthy.
Javier Mogollon (18), 2B
Most Recent Level: Rookie DSL White Sox
No international prospect had a bigger 2023 than Javier Mogollon. After signing for $75,000 out of Venezuela, Mogollon was noted by Baseball America as the potential sleeper of the 2023 White Sox class. It didn’t take long for the then 17 year old to shed the sleeper status and head straight for breakout, as he went on to slash .315/.417/.582 for a .999 OPS, 156 wRC+, with 10 home runs across 47 Dominican Summer League games.
Standing at 5’8″, Mogollon displayed a quick right handed swing with above average exit velocities and raw power in his age group during his debut season. The second baseman made a lot of hard contact and routinely barrelled up baseballs with elevation to the pull side in the DSL.
Defesively, most of his reps came at second base where he profiles best, as he has average tools across the board. He did see some time at shortstop in the DSL and may very well get reps there in 2024 to see if he can handle the defensive challenge. Mogollon will make his stateside debut in 2024 and be one of the more exciting follows of the season to see how well the offensive ability translates.
Brooks Baldwin (23), 2B/3B
Most Recent Level: High-A Winston-Salem Dash
A 2022 12th round selection out of UNC Wilmington, Brooks Baldwin has impressed the White Sox brassas they are quite high on the 23 year per Jim Callis in a recent edition of the FutureSox podcast. Baldwin was putting together a solid season in Kannapolis (.245/.338/.445, .783 OPS, 120 wRC+, 26 extra base hits) while spending most of his time manning the hot corner. Then came an early August promotion to High-A Winston-Salem where Baldwin’s season really took off.
After making just one appearance at shortstop in Kannapolis, Baldwin became the starting shortstop for Winston-Salem, playing 22 of 26 possible games at the captain of the infield. The then 22 year old’s bat also responded quite positively to the promotion, as evidenced by a .327/.375/.495 slash line, .870 OPS, 136 wRC+, seven extra base hits (two doubles, five home runs), and went a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen bases.
A switch hitter, Baldwin was more effective from the left side of the plate (combined .803 OPS between Kannapolis and Winston-Salem) utilizing the entire field, working counts, and making line-drive contact per MLB Pipeline. Baldwin is an above average runner and sound defensive player, seeing time in both the infield and outfield in 2023. Baldwin may profile best defensively at the hot corner or keystone, but is more than capable of handling other positions with average defensive skill and average arm strength. Baldwin will open the 2024 season in Double-A Birmingham.
Braden Shewmake (26), SS
Most Recent Level: AAA Gwinnett Stripers
Acquired as a piece in the Aaron Bummer trade, 26 year old Braden Shewmake was a 2019 first round pick of the Atlanta Braves out of Texas A&M. Shewmake had a solid professional debut season, but progression with the bat stalled out. Swinging from the left side, Shewmake hasn’t been able to hit much at any level (wRC+ & OPS from 2021-2023: 84 [.672 OPS], 89 [.715 OPS], 72 [.705 OPS]), putting the bat on the ball with weak contact while also struggling against higher velocity in the upper levels of the minors.
Defensively, he split time between second base and shortstop for Triple-A Gwinnett in 2023 due to some defensive inconsistencies, but has above average arm strength and average defense at shortstop. With that being said, Shewmake is capable of handling multiple positions on the dirt, the question that remains is if he’ll be able to hit enough to carve out a utility role in the major leagues, as he’s currently being given that opportunity with the White Sox.
Loidel Chapelli (22), 2B
Most Recent Level: High-A Winston-Salem Dash
Loidel Chapelli was transitioned to the infield after signing out of Cuba for $500,000 in 2022, and made his stateside debut for High-A Winston-Salem in 2023. Chapelli was given an aggressive, but age appropriate assignment in jumping right to Winston-Salem from the DSL, but the then 21 year old responded well to the challenge. Across 106 games, the 5’8″ lefty second baseman slashed .254/.361/.411 for a .772 OPS, 36 extra base hits (20 doubles, six triples, 10 home runs), a 13.1 BB%, and a 115 wRC+.
While he’s by no means a finished product at the keystone, Chapelli has above average speed with an average arm that should be able to help him stick at second with further repitions. Chapelli will be returning to Winston-Salem to open the 2024 season.
Jordan Sprinkle (23), SS
Most Recent Level: A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
Jordan Sprinkle was thought to be a potential sleeper prospect coming out of UC Santa Barbara in 2022, but the bat had yet to really take off yet for the recently turned 23 year old. Sprinkle began the 2023 season in Kannapolis, scuffling to a .209/.299/.260 slash line, .559 OPS, and a 67 wRC+ in 45 games before an injury sidelined him for nearly two months. Upon his return to Kannapolis, he began to string together some success at the plate. In his next 26 games, Sprinkle had a .259/.322/.389 slash line, .711 OPS, and a 103 wRC+.
While his strikeout rate ticked up a bit once he was back in Kannapolis (23.9 K% pre-injury, 28 K% post-injury), the uptick in production was a step in the right direction due to a more aggressive approach at the plate. Sprinkle was considered to be one of, if not the best defender at short in his draft class, as he is a plus defender with above-average arm strength. Sprinkle is set to begin the 2024 season with High-A Winston-Salem.
Jurdrick Profar (16), SS
Most Recent Level: N/A
Jurdrick Profar was one of the top signings of the 2024 international class for the White Sox, signing for $600,000 out of Curacao. The younger brother of longtime major leaguer and former top prospect Jurickson, Jurdrick stands at 6’3″ and is said to have actions that work well for his size at shortstop per Baseball America. Profar is a right handed batter and will open the 2024 season in the Dominican Summer League.