White Sox 2026 Undrafted Free Agent Tracker
via MLB PR
The MLB Draft no longer has a third day, but the White Sox continued adding players after the final round.
Chicago announced six undrafted free agents alongside its 2026 draft class. FutureSox’s James Fox later reported the signing of Vanderbilt catcher Colin Barczi, bringing the current group to seven.
The same evaluation ideas that shaped the draft remain visible here. Chicago found pitchers with unusual movement or recent velocity gains. The two position players each bring a distinct offensive skill.
Here is every signing in the order it was reported.
Editor’s note: This tracker will be updated as additional White Sox undrafted free agent signings are reported.
Michael Sharman, LHP, Clemson
A Tennessee transfer, Sharman emerged as Clemson’s most reliable strike-thrower in 2026. He posted a 3.39 ERA with 77 strikeouts and only 11 walks across 77 innings. His 7.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio tied for fourth nationally, and he never allowed more than four earned runs or two walks in any of his 15 starts.
Sharman does not overpower hitters with his fastball. His command keeps him out of damaging counts and allows the breaking balls to carry the arsenal.
The slider recorded a 41.9% called-strike-plus-whiff rate while holding hitters to a .221 expected wOBA. It did not allow a barrel in the available data. His curveball generated a 40.4% chase rate and finished with a .259 expected wOBA.
Those two pitches give Sharman different ways to finish an at-bat. The slider can work as the firmer weapon, while the curveball changes the hitter’s eye level and expands below the zone.
His complete-game victory over South Carolina provided the clearest example of the profile. Sharman threw 67 of 78 pitches for strikes, the highest strike rate by a Division I pitcher in a game of at least 75 pitches since 2022. He allowed one run without issuing a walk.
The fastball will determine how well the approach translates against professional hitters. Still, a left-hander who controls several pitches should receive an opportunity to remain in a rotation.
Luke Lawrence, INF, Kentucky
Lawrence took an unusual path to the Southeastern Conference.
The Evergreen Park native attended Brother Rice before beginning his college career at Division III Webster. He later transferred to Illinois State and finished at Kentucky. Lawrence recorded 261 Division I hits between his final two stops.
He batted .344/.448/.451 across 56 games for Kentucky in 2026. Lawrence added 14 doubles and stole 13 bases while earning recognition as a Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist.
Contact drives the profile. Lawrence connected on 87.8% of his swings inside the strike zone. His 77.9% contact rate on pitches outside the zone shows how often he could still reach the ball after expanding.
There was also some encouraging evidence against better velocity. Lawrence produced a .474 wOBA on contact against pitches at 94 mph or harder across 24 plate appearances. The sample is limited, but the result supports his broader bat-to-ball track record.
Lawrence will not be expected to supply much home-run power. He can put the ball in play and move around the infield. Kentucky shifted him from second base to shortstop after Tyler Bell’s opening-day injury, and he also logged time at third before returning to second. That experience gives him more defensive utility than the offensive profile alone suggests.
Nathan Leininger, RHP, Toledo
The movement profile makes Leininger more interesting than his radar-gun readings might suggest.
The 6-foot-5 right-hander won MAC Pitcher of the Year after posting a 2.81 ERA with 90 strikeouts and 37 walks in 96 innings. He led the conference in ERA and opponent average while also pacing the MAC in innings. His nine wins tied for first, and he opened the MAC Tournament with Toledo’s first nine-inning complete game since 2018.
Leininger averaged 90.2 mph with his sinker and topped out at 93.6. The pitch averaged only 3.3 inches of induced vertical break with 10.7 inches of arm-side run. His 6.4 feet of extension helps the velocity play slightly faster.
The result was a 56% ground-ball rate. Rather than working above barrels, Leininger attacks underneath them and lets the sinker move toward the arm side.
His sweeper gives hitters a different look. It produced a 38% chase rate and moves away from right-handed batters after the sinker has established the other side of the plate.
The two-pitch combination was good enough to carry him through a college rotation. Developing another dependable offering will likely determine whether he can continue starting in professional baseball.
Grant Cleavinger, LHP, Nebraska
Cleavinger is the least established pitcher in the group, but the White Sox found enough missed-bat ability to take a chance.
The 6-foot-5 left-hander began his career at Tulane before transferring to Nebraska. He struck out 32 hitters in 20⅓ innings for the Green Wave, then added 20 strikeouts in 12⅔ innings across 19 relief appearances for Nebraska in 2025.
The workload remained limited throughout college. Cleavinger still recorded a strikeout in 15 of those 19 appearances, which gives Chicago a clear reason to test him in short bursts.
Chicago can use the lower levels to build his innings and determine which pitches should lead the arsenal. The size and handedness provide a useful starting point, though a relief role appears more realistic unless his command and workload improve.
Andrew Berg, RHP, Army
Berg gives the White Sox an experienced starter with a four-pitch foundation.
The Army right-hander led the team with a 4.03 ERA, 82⅔ innings and 58 strikeouts across 13 starts. He then shifted to the bullpen in the MLB Draft League and produced a dominant stretch before signing.
Berg posted a 0.75 ERA with 33 strikeouts and seven walks across 24 innings for Trenton. He held hitters to a .188 average and finished with a 0.96 WHIP.
The sweeper generated a 55.9% chase rate and a 64.4% whiff rate in the Draft League, giving Berg a legitimate bat-missing pitch that his college strikeout total did not fully show.
His Army workload gives Chicago the option to keep him stretched out. The Draft League performance also creates a clear relief path if the sweeper plays better in shorter outings.
Justin Feld, RHP, Gonzaga
Feld may have the most encouraging recent velocity trend among Chicago’s undrafted pitchers.
Feld also has a connection to the system. He shared Gonzaga’s 2024 rotation with Liam Paddack, Chicago’s 18th-round pick that year and now a member of Double-A Birmingham.
The right-hander went 8-2 with a 4.77 ERA and 62 strikeouts across 66 innings while working as Gonzaga’s Friday starter. He reached 97 mph during the season and earned First Team All-WCC honors.
Baseball America reported that Feld worked 93-94 mph and touched 96 with a flat vertical approach angle created by his 5-foot-1 release height and strong spin efficiency. He paired the fastball with a low-80s sweeper and a changeup that created good vertical separation.
Feld also worked with Tread Athletics before the season. White Sox minor leaguers Grant Umberger and Dylan Cumming both reached professional baseball through its annual pro day. Chicago also signed Anthony Patterson III after his showing at the event. Tread reported that Feld’s average fastball increased from 90.5 mph in 2025 to 93.1 mph in 2026. He later reached a personal-best 98.6 mph during a bullpen shortly before signing.
Bullpen readings do not automatically carry into games. The White Sox still added a pitcher with a clearer fastball foundation and two usable secondaries than his 4.77 ERA alone suggests. Feld could begin as a starter or move to shorter outings if the added velocity plays better there.
Colin Barczi, C, Vanderbilt
Barczi is the highest-upside bet in the group.
James Fox reported that the Naperville Central product signed with the White Sox after undergoing labrum surgery. The procedure is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season. Fox also noted that Barczi had been viewed as a potential top-10-round talent before the injury.
The Vanderbilt catcher hit .263/.341/.576 with 11 home runs across 31 games. Barczi became the first Commodore with multiple three-home-run games in program history after doing it against TCU and Texas A&M.
His raw power also showed at the MLB Draft Combine, where he hit a 464.9-foot home run at 110.7 mph. It was the second-longest tracked homer of the event.
His batted-ball data supports the power. Barczi recorded a 93.4 mph average exit velocity and a 110.1 mph 90th-percentile mark. Those figures placed him in the 97th and 99th percentiles of the available 2026 college sample.
Barczi finished with a .506 wOBA on contact and a .314 isolated power mark. His damage was heavily concentrated to the pull side, where he produced a 72.7% hard-hit rate.
There was also some success against velocity. Barczi averaged 95.9 mph on nine balls put in play against pitches at 94 mph or harder. That sample is too small to settle the question, but the quality of contact was encouraging.
The offensive risk comes from his approach. Barczi struck out in 28.1% of his plate appearances and regularly chased beyond the strike zone. He will need to make better swing decisions without losing the aggression that produces his power.
His arm gives the White Sox another reason to remain patient. Evaluators considered it among the strongest catching arms in the 2026 class. The receiving and lower-half technique still need work, but the physical tools give him a chance to stay behind the plate.
Baseball America ranked Barczi No. 264 overall before the draft. The injury removed his immediate development season, but Chicago added a catcher with two legitimate carrying tools at no draft cost.
