FutureSox: 2025 White Sox Preseason Just Missed List

Chris Getz took over as the general manager of the Chicago White Sox in August 2023 and he inherited a bottom ten farm system that was given a boost by some trade deadline activity spurred by his predecessors. The system has improved considerably over the past 18 months however to the point where it’s seen as a top five system in the sport at numerous publications.

There is some serious upside at the top of the system and 2/3 of the list has been acquired since July 2023. The depth is improved as well but the White Sox have routinely placed five or six players on top 100 prospect lists this spring. Shortstop Brooks Baldwin has graduated from prospect status since the mid-season list was published and young righty Yhoiker Fajardo was traded to the Boston Red Sox this winter. Javier Mogollon (infield), Ronny Hernandez (catcher), Wilfred Veras (outfield) and pitchers Seth Keener, Peyton Pallette and Tyler Schweitzer have all fallen off the top 30 list as well.

That brings us to this list! 20 players who didn’t make our list this cycle but who our writers all discussed and considered in some fashion. Check out our last version of just missed from pre-season 2024. These are prospects on the cusp of the radar and history suggests that some will contribute value of sorts down the line.

Note: players are listed in alphabetical order

Eric Adler, right-handed pitcher

The White Sox selected Eric Adler in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest as a reliever who had big stuff but struggled to throw strikes consistently. The 6-2, 190 pounder profiles as a high-leverage relief option in the near future if he can keep his command in check in the upper minors. The 24-year-old posted a .172 batting average against last year while also averaging 11.7 K/9. The right-hander should reach Charlotte this year and could make his big league debut in Chicago.

Adler pitched in the Arizona Fall League and for the USA Premier 12 Team this fall. Baseball America currently has him ranked as the #21 overall prospect in the White Sox system. He possesses a 94-97 fastball with sink that touches 99. He also deploys an 88 mph slider with 12-to-6 movement and a changeup. The righty enhanced his cut-slider usage in 2024 though and weaponizes it over 50% of the time. After posting a 0.00 ERA in Winston-Salem, Adler posted a 4.06 ERA (3.31 FIP) in 32 games in Triple-A with 38 strikeouts and 20 walks.

Prelander Berroa, right-handed pitcher

After some struggles over the course of 46.1 innings in Triple-A with the Charlotte Knights, Berroa really turned it on in Chicago to close out the season. The 24-year-old posted a 3.32 ERA with 26 strikeouts and 13 walks in 19 innings with the White Sox. The 5-11, 215 pounder has made some mechanical changes to keep his pitches lower in the zone and the organization feels like the Dominican has high-leverage upside.

The White Sox acquired Berroa along with outfielder Zach DeLoach and a competitive balance selection that turned into young lefty Blake Larson last year in exchange for reliever Gregory Santos from the Seattle Mariners. The righty has shown two double plus pitches with an upper 90’s fastball and high spin slider. Berroa is on his fourth organization mostly due to his lack of command but there’s big time relief upside if he can throw strikes consistently. He’s currently rehabbing an elbow strain in big league spring training.

Adisyn Coffey, right-handed pitcher

Coffey had a history with scouting director Mike Shirley as an Indiana prep but he excelled at Wabash Valley College prior to being selected by the White Sox in the third round of the 2020 Draft. The 6-2, 185 pounder signed for $50K and immediately missed his first two professional seasons due to the pandemic and Tommy John surgery.

The 26-year-old is now the #40 overall prospect in the system for Baseball America and he’s on the doorstep of the big leagues with a chance to debut in 2025. Coffey runs his fastball up to 97 mph and he has the best changeup in the organization. The right-hander posted a 0.53 ERA in Double-A before excelling in Triple-A with a 2.04 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 35.1 innings.

Alejandro Cruz, third baseman

The White Sox signed Alejandro Cruz for $2 million out of Cuba on January 15th and he was their top signing in the current international class. The Cuban third baseman is polished defensively with an average arm and range but fluid actions that should allow him to stay at the hot corner. Cruz is a plus runner with plate discipline who displays pull side power and a feel to hit with a body that can add more size. Ben Badler of Baseball America joined the FutureSox podcast and discussed Cruz back in February.

The 6-2, 180 pounder ha shown a simple right-handed swing as well that is contact oriented. The Havana, Cuba native comes from the same town as the Gurriel brothers and he was named Tournament MVP of the 15U World Qualifier in Venezuela and appeared on Cuba’s 15U World Championship Team in Mexico as well. The 18-year-old possesses plus makeup and he’s lauded for his competitiveness. He’ll be the primary third baseman in the Dominican Summer League with the White Sox’s affiliate.

Tim Elko, first baseman

Tim Elko is a hero in Oxford, Mississippi and he’s thrilled fans in North Carolina and Birmingham with his power and leadership qualities as well. The White Sox drafted the first baseman in the 10th round of the 2022 draft and he signed for $35K as an older senior signing. The 6-4, 250 pounder will participate in big league spring training and attempt to win a job with the White Sox this spring.

The 26-year-old destroyed the low minors and he’s made it to Triple-A. In 91 games with the Birmingham Barons in 2024, Elko hit .289/.338/.420 with a 125 wRC+. The right-handed hitter then slashed .289/.361/.472 with a 117 wRC+ in Charlotte. He only hit 18 homers last year however and he’ll need to increase that number to combat consistent 30% strikeout rates with walk rates under 10% in the high minors. Elko hit 28 homers in 2023 and for him to be a big league contributor, the power totals need to increase significantly as a right/right first baseman.

Pierce George, right-handed pitcher

The White Sox selected Pierce George in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB Draft and gave him an over-slot bonus of $200K as a redshirt sophomore. The 6-6, 240 pound righty transferred from Texas to Alabama but only threw 11.1 innings for the Crimson Tide last year with a 4.76 ERA. The 21-year-old has always struggled to throw strikes consistently but he enters a White Sox’s revamped pitching development infrastructure that should have some mechanical tweaks in store.

George has high octane stuff with a fastball that gets up to 102 mph and an 87-90 mph sharp slider that flashes plus as well. The big righty also threw 5.2 innings for Chatham in the Cape Cod League where he struck out eight hitters. He was the #213 ranked prospect available in last year’s class according to Baseball America. He threw six innings in Low-A with Kannapolis last season and he should be a fixture in the bullpen at one of the A ball affiliates to start the 2025 campaign. He has the ceiling of a premium closer if he can throw enough strikes.

Riley Gowens, right-handed pitcher

Riley Gowens made 13 starts with Winston-Salem last season and posted a 4.35 ERA before a promotion to the Southern League where he made 12 more starts for the Birmingham Barons. The 25-year-old posted a 3.14 ERA in Double-A and threw 122 innings on the year. The Libertyville, Illinois native was originally selected in the 9th round out of the University of Illinois by the Atlanta Braves in the 2023 draft.

The White Sox acquired the 6-4, 225 pound righty as part of the return for lefty Aaron Bummer in November 2023. He was a bit of a data darling in the draft despite some uneven results and injuries in college and he throws from a high three-quarters slot from the right side. His fastball gets up to 96 mph and he also shows over 19 inches of IVB on the fastball. He throws a slider and changeup as well. Gowens could ultimately profile in the bullpen but he should be a member of the Barons bullpen in 2025.

Ronny Hernandez, catcher

Ronny Hernandez ranked #26 overall on our mid-season list during the last cycle and he barely falls off this time around due to some additions to the organization. Originally signed out of Venezuela for just $30,000 back in 2022, the backstop has done nothing but perform since beginning his professional career. The 20-year-old posted a 121 wRC+ while hitting .272/.387/.328 with a 15% walk rate last year in Low-A with Kannapolis. Hernandez posted a 136 wRC+ as a 17-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and followed it up by posting a 134 wRC+ as an 18-year-old in the Arizona Complex League in 2023.

The 6-1, 200 pounder is a left-handed hitting catcher with premium on base skills but he lacks power. The catcher has gotten on base at a .397 clip in his career so far and he really controls the barrel with a great feel for the strike zone. The organization would like Hernandez to develop more power and body maintenance will be something to monitor going forward as well. He doesn’t strike out often either. Behind the plate, Hernandez has been lauded for his game planning and game calling but he struggles with his transfer and throwing out runners has been difficult. He should get an opportunity in High-A with the Winston-Salem Dash to start 2025.

Seth Keener, right-handed pitcher

The White Sox took Seth Keener in the third round of the 2023 draft and paid him $800K after he pitched primarily out of the Wake Forest bullpen during his junior season. The organization felt like he was a starter that just happened to be squeezed out of a dominant college rotation. The 23-year-old has an elite slider with a fastball that sits 92-95 mph on a pretty consistent basis. A right shoulder impingement sidelined the righty for some time last season.

The 6-2, 195 pounder posted a 4.02 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 69 innings across A and High-A last season with the Cannon Ballers and Dash. Keener likely stays in the rotation with Winston-Salem to start the 2025 campaign but he’s definitely an option to move to a bullpen role in some fashion if he can’t put it together in the rotation.

Tanner McDougal, right-handed pitcher

Tanner McDougal doesn’t turn 22-years-old until April and there’s still tons of potential in his right arm. Keith Law of The Athletic ranked the righty as the #15 overall prospect in the system back in February and the veteran evaluator feels a move to relief could suit the pitcher well. McDougal’s four-seam fastball is 92-97 and it has a history of positive pitch metrics and spin data. There’s a plus 12/6 hammer curveball as well and a 91 mph slider has been incorporated too.

The White Sox selected the 6-5, 185 pounder out of Nevada’s Silverado High School in the 5th round of the 2021 draft and signed him for $850,000. The 21-year-old missed the 2022 season while undergoing Tommy John surgery but he returned in 2023 to post a 4.15 ERA with 80 strikeouts and a .218 batting average against in 69 innings in Low-A. McDougal really struggled in 92.1 innings last year but he did strike out 116 hitters. There are too many walks and mechanical issues presently but it’s premium stuff and he’s very young. A move to the bullpen could be a blessing in 2025 but his role is unknown as of now.

Javier Mogollón, second baseman

Mogollón is a fascinating prospect who made our list at mid-season but has too many red flags in his profile to be included at this juncture. The 5-8, 165 pound infielder packs a punch with 18 professional homers across the DSL and ACL in his first two seasons. The 19-year-old will likely return to Arizona for another season however before making his full season debut. The likely second baseman was 16/16 ins stolen base attempts at the complex as well but there are some troubling strikeout rates early on.

The White Sox originally signed the Venezuelan for $75,000 during the 2023 international period. He posted a 156 wRC+ and led the Dominican Summer League in homers while walking at a 13.6% clip in just under 200 plate appearances in his first season. In 2024, the right-handed hitter slashed .259/.406/.524 in 180 plate appearances in Arizona. He posted a 134 wRC+ with an 18% walk rate but he struck out in close to 40% of his plate appearances. The organization has incorporated a leg kick into his setup at the plate with the hopes of decreasing the strikeouts.

Rikuu Nishida, infielder/outfielder

Nishida is a fan favorite everywhere he plays due to an explosive, high-energy style in everything that he does. The White Sox drafted the native of Osaka, Japan out of Oregon in the 11th round of the 2023 Draft and he signed for $170,000. The 5-6, 160 pounder has premium bat-to-ball skills and he posted a .418 OBP with 86 walks, 147 hits, 49 stolen bases and a minor league leading 114 runs scored last year.

The 23-year-old played at three minor league levels last season and terrorized opponents with a slash line of .304/.418/.362 and a 137 wRC+. Nishida walked at a 15% clip and struck out just 11% of the time. The left-handed hitter doesn’t offer a ton of defensive value but he plays second base and left field. Nishida is very fun and he likely returns to Double-A to play with the Birmingham Barons in 2025. Scott Merkin of MLB.com wrote an informative feature on the minor league this past November.

Abraham Nuñez Jr, outfielder

Nuñez is the son of the former big league infielder of the same name who played for the Kansas City Royals and Florida Marlins and he was the biggest bonus teenager signed in the White Sox’s 2022 international class. The Dominican plays center field and he hit .299/.427/.442 with a 136 wRC+ in 2023 during his Dominican Summer League debut. The 6-2, 175 pounder walked at an 18% rate and hit three homers in that first season.

The left-handed hitting, athletic outfielder followed up that performance by slashing .292/.382/.371 in the Arizona Complex League last year with a 10% walk rate and 21% strikeout rate. Nuñez possesses good bat speed and controls the zone and he’s just an average runner. The 19-year-old didn’t display much power but he opened up his batting stance at the plate with present changes to his hand load and set up as well. In the final month of the year, Nuñez hit .407/.485/.463.

Cristian Oppor, left-handed pitcher

The White Sox were set select Cristian Oppor out of a Wisconsin High School in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft but the Oakland Athletics took the teenage lefty instead without a deal in place. He didn’t sign and attended Gulf Coast State Community College instead and the White Sox paid him $550K in the fifth round in 2023 instead. The 20-year-old needs innings and he should finally make his full-season affiliate debut in Kannapolis this season.

The 6-2, 175 pound former basketball player is high-waisted with an athletic frame but he needs to continue to add strength over time. The southpaw throws his fastball in the 91-95 mph range and touches 98 and he has an 80-82 mph horizontal, sweeper-like slider as well. The development staff has been working to develop a changeup as well. In 38 innings with the Arizona Complex League club last year, Oppor posted a 5.21 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 28 walks in 38 innings.

Peyton Pallette, right-handed pitcher

Pallette signed for $1.5 million after being selected by the White Sox in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Arkansas. The 6-1, 180 pounder was seen as a potential top 20 pick as a starter coming into his junior season but he missed that year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery ultimately. The 23-year-old threw 72 innings in Low-A with Kannapolis in 2023 and posted a 4.13 ERA in 22 starts. Pallette was a member of the Winston-Salem rotation to begin 2024 but he struggled in the role and the organization pivoted to a bullpen role.

After moving to the bullpen, Pallette threw 39.2 innings with a 1.13 ERA and 51 strikeouts to 10 walks with Winston-Salem and Birmingham. In Double-A specifically, the righty posted a 1.80 ERA in eight games. Innings won’t be an issue going forward however because the right-hander did accumulate 82.1 total in 2024. Pallette thrived in a bullpen role and he could a high-leverage option soon with elite closer potential. He possesses an upper 90’s fastball with life at the top of the zone and a plus overhand curveball in his arsenal. Pallette could make his big league debut in 2025.

Orlando Patiño, outfielder

Orlando Patiño became an addition to their most recent international class as the first big signing of the David Keller era. With the uncertainty in the marketplace, the Dodgers released some players who had pre-arranged deals due to the pursuit of Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki. The White Sox capitalized and signed the 17-year-old Venezuelan for $570,000 and announced him as a member of their signing class.

The 6-2, 180 pounder has a “linebacker build” according to Baseball America and he’s very physical with strength and power in his right-handed swing. He projects to have potential plus power and he’ll begin his career playing in the Dominican Summer League. Keller also noted that the outfielder shows “limited chase, limited swing and miss and the athleticism to start his career in center field.” He likely projects in an outfield corner in the future.

Jurdrick Profar, infielder

Profar is one of the few members of the White Sox’s 2024 international signing class that will make a stateside debut in 2025. The shortstop came to Arizona to participate in the fall instructional league and he’ll stay there to be a member of the Arizona Complex League club in 2025. The 17-year-old is the younger brother of major league veteran Jurickson Profar and he signed for $700K out of Curacao last January.

The 6-3 infielder posted a 121 wRC+ with a triple slash of .264/.397/.390 over the course of 48 Dominican Summer League games with three homers in his professional debut. The teenager should be given every opportunity to remain at shortstop but he has an already developed lower half while possessing just average speed and range. He possesses the instincts to stay on the dirt but it might ultimately be at second or third base in the end.

Luis Reyes, right-handed pitcher

Reyes was one of the most exciting young arms in Arizona with the instructs group that the White Sox had this past fall. The 6-2, 190 pounder throws a two and four seam fastball and pushes them up to 97 mph. He throws an 81-84 mph slider as well. The 19-year-old posted a 4.60 FIP in 10 starts over 42.1 innings in the Arizona Complex League last year. Reyes struck out 51 and walked 21.

The White Sox signed the right-hander for $700K out of the Dominican Republic in 2023 and they were impressed with his tournament experience in the United States as a teenager. In his debut, the righty posted 49 strikeouts in 37.2 innings in the Dominican Summer League but he really struggled overall. He displays a low-effort delivery and lots of extension but he needs to tighten up his control. Reyes should make his full-season debut in Low-A with Kannapolis in 2025.

Tyler Schweitzer, left-handed pitcher

Schweitzer made our mid-season list and came in at #27 overall but fell off this version due to some additions and fresh faces entering the organization. The southpaw would be a top 30 prospect in most systems and he’s a legitimate pitching prospect entering the 2025 season. The White Sox selected the lefty out of Ball State in the fifth round back in 2022 and he’s produced since entering the organization.

The 24-year-old has a five pitch mix with a running fastball that gets up to 96 mph and he commands his entire arsenal with a slider, curveball, changeup and cutter as well. The 6-0, 185 pounder profiles as a back-of-the-rotation starter and he should reach Triple-A this year. Schweitzer threw 132 innings in High-A and Double-A last season with a 4.02 ERA and 136 strikeouts to 41 walks.

Wilfred Veras, outfielder

Veras has been a fixture on our most recent prospect updates and he ranked at #28 overall on the mid-season list. The 22-year-old originally signed with the White Sox out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019 and he’s hit 57 homers in his minor league career. The 6-2, 180 pounder received a non-roster invite to big league spring training this year and he should reach Triple-A Charlotte for the first time in 2025. In 128 games with the Barons last year, Veras hit .267/.319/.424 with a 118 wRC+ in 536 plate appearances.

The outfielder’s value hinges on him staying away from first base and designated hitter regularly. Veras has big power but doesn’t get to enough while not walking in an efficient manner. He plays in the outfield corners currently but doesn’t bring much value on that side with just an average arm and not much range. Veras made some swing and approach adjustments in Double-A and he’ll need to produce more all fields power and find a way to get on base more often. The Dominican slugger could have a major league future but he’ll need a big year at the dish in 2025.