2025 Chicago White Sox prospect list: Right-handed pitchers

The Chicago White Sox minor league affiliates have a group of right-handed pitchers who are worth paying attention to throughout the 2025 season. Whether an international signing, draftee or acquired in a trade, these ten players have come to the organization in multiple ways and look to make their mark on the big league team or various minor league teams on their paths to Chicago.

1. Grant Taylor

Selected in the second round of the 2023 draft, Taylor has the pure stuff to likely anchor any minor league staff. Of course, behind the two best left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, Taylor will not dominate the spotlight like he would in most organizations. Taylor is the 7th ranked prospect in the system currently.

Coming off of Tommy John surgery in his Sophomore year at LSU, there was a time when scouts viewed him as one of the top arms in the SEC, and neck-and-neck with Paul Skenes. Taylor has shown the ability to hit triple digits with his fastball, which will be pivotal in a White Sox system that currently needs power arms. Despite an injury-riddled 2024, Taylor did pitch over 15 innings in Low-A Kannapolis, amassing 26 strikeouts.

The key to the 22-year-old’s 2025 season, will be availability, the aforementioned fastball–which registered as high as 101 in Spring training–pairs well with his secondary pitches that include a cutter and slider. The door is wide open for Taylor’s future in the organization, starting the year in Birmingham, Taylor will build up his arm as a starter, with stuff that plays perfectly for a back end of the bullpen role.

This year, Taylor will emphasize building up his durability and staying off the injury report. Taylor more than fits the mold as the type of guy the White Sox have shown, to call up in September, and get a cup of coffee out of the bullpen. The best ability is availability for Taylor, that, and a triple-digit fastball. The 6-3, 230 pounder has posted a 0.79 ERA in Birmingham to open the season.

2. Jairo Iriarte

Let’s face it, with Drew Thorpe having Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2025 season (after missing most of the second half of 2024), the pressure is on Iriarte not to make Chris Getz’s first big move as GM look like a bust, as a key piece in the return for Dylan Cease. Things have been rough for the 23-year-old as he reclaimed a spot in the Knights rotation.

At the major league level, the results have been a mixed bag for Iriarte. Eight Walks in six innings of work as a September call-up might not have led to Iriarte immediately passing the eye test for Sox fans, but the results with the Barons were encouraging in 2024. Despite the velocity for Iriarte ticking down (From 96 to the low 90s), opponents hit just .228 against him. The question for Iriarte, who has a plus slider and changeup, is if the fastball and command can play as a starter. If the velocity continues to tick downward, perhaps a late-inning relief role will be best to maximize his stuff, as he has shown to be able to hit 97 with his heater.

Maximizing his change-up will be crucial for Iriarte this season. When Iriarte’s slider is on, it is more than capable of being a put-away-pitch. Iriarte will start the season in Charlotte, just one stop away from the majors, where he has lasted four innings in each of his first two outings, surrendering five earned runs. The righty’s command looked much better his second time through the rotation, striking out four, and issuing just one walk. Iriarte has shown flashes of being a complete pitcher, it is time to tie everything together, for the once Top 100 prospect.

3. Mason Adams

Mason Adams is currently one of the pitchers within the White Sox system to require Tommy John surgery. While fans will not get to see him pitch in 2025, Adams was one of the bright spots of the teams 2024 minor league development. Unlike other Sox pitching prospects, Adams is not a former top pick, a 13th-rounder in fact.

Adams was a workhorse in Birmingham last year. With a rotation that featured lots of current, and future White Sox arms at times, Adams was the mainstay, accumulating just over 100 strikeouts, and walking under 20, in 103+ innings of work. With a fastball that tops off in the mid-90s on a good day, Adams relies on his breaking pitches, his Curve, and Slider, while also being crafty with his command. The curve has dipped below 80 MPH for Adams but shows a consistent break. The slider is less polished but has been featured in the mid-80s. The final pitch in Adams’ arsenal is the changeup. A pitch that has changed it’s directory from side to side, to know falling off the table more.

Adams mixes his pitches well and has controlled the strike zone at every stop. A true gamer in every sense of the term, Adams accumulated seven wins in Birmingham last season. Although the 25-year-old is far away rehabbing from surgery, his mental makeup and ability to successfully mix his pitches, and keep them in the zone may just stick.

4. Sean Burke

It seems odd to have the team’s opening day starter, as the 4th best right-handed starter, in most cases, that probably would not be a good thing, however, as we saw on opening day, Sean Burke can compete with the best of them, and although the ceiling for Burke may not be as high as some in the Sox system, Burke continues to raise his floor. The White Sox selected him the third round of the 2021 out of Maryland.

Perhaps Burke’s most impressive statistic is that he was able to win two games on the 2024 White Sox in 19 innings to end the season. When Burke is on, the fastball can hit the high 90’s, working off a plus curveball and slider. As we have seen this season Burke’s outings can be a little bit of a roller coaster ride. Burke is at his best when he is working ahead of hitters, and the fastball velocity is ticking around 95, or even 97 as we saw on opening day. Burke’s curve, when timed appropriately is a solid pitch when thrown for strikes, while the slider will register more swings and misses.

The 25-year-old will continue to have plenty of opportunities to grow this season in the big leagues, and a full season of working with Ethan Katz will certainly help the big 6’6” righty, as he continues to learn how to work in and around traffic. Getting ahead of hitters, and staying on schedule will be determine the success of Sean Burke this season. Burke also ranked prominently on the FutureSox pre-season top 30 as well.

5. Aldrin Batista

Batista is every bit of a physical work in progress. Weighing just 185 pounds, Bautista fits the prototype of a wiry pitcher that delivers from an awkward arm slot. Acquired in 2023, in an under the radar move for international bonus pool money, the 21-year-old checked every box in two years in Kannapolis.

The fastball does not overwhelm hitters (topping out in the mid-90s), but Batista’s ability to mix in his changeup–probably his best pitch–and slider led to 116 strikeouts over 110 innings spanning across high and low A last season. The righty’s two-seamer works more as a sinker, running in on righties, whereas Bautista uses the four-seamer to attack lefties. The movement on his fastball opens up the door for his changeup, that bounces around, to be very effective. The slider is aided by his arm slot as well.

Batista began the season in the rotation with the Winston-Salem Dash in High-A but he’s currently on the injured list after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow.

6. Wikelman González

The 4th piece of the Garrett Crochet trade, Wikelman González is more than just a prospect throw in. Backed by a minor league career that has been up and down, the highs have been very high for González, including leading the Minor’s in strikeout rate (35 percent) in 2023. He was recently promoted to Triple-A Charlotte and is a member of the 40-man roster.

So how does Gonzalez get so many hitters to fan? For starters, his fastball has been known to touch as high as 99 MPH, while sitting at 96 consistently, so much so that MLB Pipeline rated the pitch a 60, a very generous grade for the righty. Gonzalez works in three more secondary pitches, which, if there was any concern over Gonzalez, it would be consistently locating them. With his changeup being the best of the three, it fades nicely when paired with his fastball. The curve, which inconstantly hits 80 on the radar gun, is more of a get me over pitch. Polishing the slider will be key for allowing him to rely less on the fastball.

Make no mistake about it, the Venezuelan is not a finished product. A freak athlete, the 6-0, 220 pounder delivers his pitches closer to the plate than most, maximin his length. Walks have reared their ugly head from time to time. Working in the pitching lab that Brian Bannister and company have put together could lead to a late season call-up assuming González is able to remain consistent through the 2025 season.

7. Juan Carela

It is always fun to remember where you came from. In Juan Carela’s case, he was the return in the Keynan Middleton trade the Sox consummated with the Yankees in 2023 at the trade deadline. Another victim of Tommy John surgery, Carela will unfortunately not see the mound this year. However, Carela has been a catalyst for optimism since entering the White Sox system.

Reaching Double-A last season, the Dominican relies on his slider as his best pitch. The argument is: is it a slider, or is it a sweeper? The answer is that it is effective. When Carela is able to locate the slider–which sits in the low 80s–he is effective, when he leaves it up, the results are the opposite, but the back of the baseball card tells you that does not happen all too often. Although Carela does not use his fastball as much as his breaking ball, it does sit just under 95 MPH, with significant sink. The cutter and changeup are a work in progress, but if righty can add just one to his arsenal, you are looking at a guy with plus stuff, that has been a starter for his entire career.

There is no shortage of questions about Juan Carela. The Tommy John rehab process is one of them, the other being whether he is a starter or a reliever. The wipe-out slider and sinker pair very well, and could be dangerous as the 23-year-old’s command continues to develop. Had it not been for surgery, the 6-3, 195 pounder could have made his debut in Chicago this season. The White Sox will have to be patient, now, however.

8. Nick Nastrini

This will be Nick Nastrini’s third season in the White Sox system, and the long anticipated breakout feels like it may never come. Acquired along with Jordan Leasure for Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn at the 2023 trade deadline, Nastrini, at best, has looked like a AAAA player.

Fastball velocity and command have hampered Nastrini, especially at the big-league level. His inability to locate his 92-95 MPH fastball leaves him having to throw it in the zone after falling behind in counts, where he has been hammered. Nastrini’s sliders have hung him out to dry as well. Although it has reached 89, when it is locked in, it spins very tightly, when not, it gets hit out of the park, 11 times to date.

The curveball and changeup are supplementary pitches for Nastrini. Like all of his stuff, when he locates have shown flashes of being above average. The changeup which sits in the mid-80s and fades, has been a point of emphasis for Nastrini.

Is the 25-year-old a starter? The White Sox have yet to use or even experiment with him otherwise. With a logjam of starting pitching, however, there may be opportunities as a long man out of the bullpen. If Nastrini wants to have any chance of sticking in the majors, he needs to command his stuff, 36 walks in 35.2 big league innings is not a formula for success for any pitcher. If the 6-3, 220 pounder can command his above-average stuff, do not be surprised to see him in the majors at some point in 2025.

9. Shane Smith

You would be hard pressed to find a better story so far in 2025, organizational wide, than Shane Smith. Selected with the first pick of the Rule-5 draft, Smith had only pitched 6.2 innings in AAA before opening the season in the White Sox rotation. Not only has Smith fit in, but he has stood out through multiple turns in the rotation. Throwing a gem in his first career start–5.2 innings of 2 hit ball–Smith followed it up five innings of no hit baseball in Cleveland, battling through some traffic to blank the Guardians through six, making Steven Kwan and Jose Ramierez look silly along the way.

If you have consumed a minute of White Sox baseball this season, you have probably heard of Shane Smith’s changeup. As the White Sox build a stable of changeups, Smith’s seems to be the best. Falling completely off the table, with serious vertical drop, it has been Smith’s put-away pitch in the early going. The fastball has velocity, arguably the top heater in the White Sox rotation right now, it has hit 97 this season, sitting around 94-95 consistently. Smith does feature a curve, which hitters have swung over the top of a few times this season.

The curve tops the slider for Smith, which he has struggled to locate throughout his career. As Smith continues to see more major league innings, the White Sox will focus on building up his stamina. It has been evident in the 5th, and 6th innings of his first two starts, that he abruptly does not have it and is falling off. Through 32.1 innings over the course of six starts, Smith looks like a dark horse All Star candidate in the early going.

The changeup–which has been adorned by Pitching Ninja–looks like one of the best pitches if not the best in the entire White Sox rotation. Not to mention, the 25-year-old’s story is easy to fall in love with. From throwing only just 10 2/3 innings in college, to battling back after a horrific first spring training start, Smith is someone that the Southside will not have to work hard to get behind, and has made Chris Getz and the rest of the front office look very good for their Rule-5 selection.

10. Riley Gowens

Did someone say Aaron Bummer trade? Univeristy of Illinois alum Riley Gowens was the prospect throw-in from Atlanta for the White Sox lefty and he has shown promise through his first season in the White Sox system. With 145 strikeouts in 122 innings across High-A, and Double-A, Gowens raises eyebrows every time he takes the mound. Gowens is a tough righty that even when he does not have his best stuff, has shown the ability to battle through, and save the bullpen, throwing 4 innings in 12 of his starts last season.

Gowens was deemed a reliever coming out of Illinois, but his persistence to start, and “Workhorse” mentality have shined through the lower levels of the minor leagues. With a three pitch mix, Gowens relies on his fastball the most, which has touched 96, but sits primarily in lower 90s. The slider is the premier pitch in Gowens aresonal, with two plane break leaving hitters swinging over the top. Finally, the changeup is a work in progress for Gowens, but if there is one thing that the White Sox have been able to hang their hates on, development wise, it has been developing the off-speed pitch.

Gowens will be fun to watch in Birmingham and eventually Charlotte this season. Every time he touches the mound, he gives his team a chance to win, and has shown to be durable in his time in the Sox system. As he continues to refine his off-speed, the question will be: is he a starter? At this point, that numbers do not tell you otherwise. Is the eye test a different story? Maybe, but Gowens ability to give his team all he has, and avoid the heart of the plate has played well as a starter thus far.

Just Missed: White Sox

Seth Keener

The second Wake Forest Demon Deacon to appear on this list, Keener was drafted as primarily a reliever out of college. Developing as a starter in the White Sox system, Keener has spend most of his time in Low-A; making 17 total starts in Kannapolis. With 82 strikeouts across 70.2 innings at that level, the former third rounder relies on his fastball that shows solid velocity, tipping the scales at 97, but sitting more consistently around 93. His slider is his most effective, and sometimes most thrown pitch. With smooth break, it sweeps across the plate to right handers and registers in the mid 80s. Keener’s changeup is effective, in the mid 80s it proves to work right at hitters and pairs very will with his fastball. Keener will spend time across Winston Salem this season with hopes of being called up to Birmingham, perhaps to pitch in the playoffs.

Tanner McDougal

Tanner McDougal is an interesting final case. Having already had Tommy John surgery (nice to get that out of the way these days), McDougal missed the entirety of the 2022 season. 2023, was his best minor league season to date, making 21 starts and striking out 80 hitters spanning 69.2 innings. After being promoted to High-A, McDougal struggled mightily, to the tune of an 0-11 record, and demotion in 2024, walking 58 batters in 92 innings. McDougal has his curveball working for him, a pitch with critical movement, that the metrics adore. His fastball sits in the mid 90s, white the changeup remains a major work in progress. Starting the season back in High-A, McDougal will emphasize commanding the zone, as he continues to develop as a starter.