Chicago White Sox 2025 Arizona Fall League Preview

The rosters for the Arizona Fall League have been released and the Chicago White Sox will send nine prospects to the desert. There were some interesting player options for the franchise this year and the current list is very intriguing. Southpaw Hagen Smith and outfielder Braden Montgomery are both top 100 prospects for multiple publications. They will headline the group that the White Sox are sending to play with the Glendale Desert Dogs.

Sam Antonacci will look to continue his breakout campaign in the desert and Ryan Galanie will join the group of hitters as well. Connor McCullough needs innings and he’ll get some work as he finishes his year in the Arizona Fall League. He’ll be joined by righties Tyler Davis, Carson Jacobs and Jarold Rosado on the pitching side. Colson Montgomery had some success in the desert last year for the White Sox.

The Arizona Fall League begins play on October 6th and some of the best minor league talent in the sport will be on display. There are 14 prospects currently positioned on the top 100 list at MLB Pipeline including Montgomery and Smith of the White Sox. Infielders Kevin McGonigle of the Detroit Tigers and Sebastian Walcott of the Texas Rangers are some of the headliners in the league this year. Josue De Paula (Dodgers), Aidan Miller (Phillies) and Blake Mitchell (Royals) will join them as well.

MLB’s No. 87 prospect Hagen Smith is #ValleyBound

Smith, the White Sox No. 5 prospect, finished his regular season with a career-high 108 strikeouts and held opposing hitters to a .166 batting average. The 22-year-old also made a career-high 20 starts.

Stay tuned to see who… pic.twitter.com/cOmvqo4MFM

— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) September 17, 2025

The Arizona Fall League will run from October 6th through November 15th this year. There will also be a triple header in Tucson on October 11th and another triple header from Goodyear on October 18th. The Home Run Derby is scheduled to take place on November 8th. The annual Fall Stars Game takes place on November 9th. There will be an expanded playoff format as well where all six clubs will participate for the first time.

The Fall League is considered to be finishing school for top prospects in most cases and many of the top players at the highest level of the sport have played in the league throughout the years, including over 3,000 big leaguers total. The league is comprised of six clubs and five major league organizations send up to nine prospects to fill out the rosters of the clubs. Here are the affiliations for the 2025 season:

Glendale Desert Dogs: Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals
Mesa Solar Sox: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays
Peoria Javelinas: Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners
Salt River Rafters: Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees and Washington Nationals
Scottsdale Scorpions: Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays
Surprise Saguaros: Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers

Who Goes to the Arizona Fall League?

It used to be pretty standard that playing in Double-A or higher was a requirement but that distinction for qualification has changed. Here are some reasons why clubs typically put players in the fall showcase:

• Key prospects who missed time due to injury
• Minor leaguers with imminent or impending roster deadlines in regards to the 40-man roster or Rule 5 eligibility
• Players who the team wants to expose to better opposing talent
• Showcasing talent to the rest of the league as potential trade bait

The group of White Sox’s players who are headed to the Arizona Fall League this year will play for the Glendale Desert Dogs and they’ll play home games at Camelback Ranch where the franchise shares a facility with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The White Sox will be represented by eight players that you can read about below.

Sam Antonacci, Infield

• Who: The White Sox selected Sam Antonacci in the 5th round of the 2024 MLB Draft. After being named JUCO player of the year the previous season, he finished his college career with Coastal Carolina and the Sox ultimately signed the infielder for a bonus of $575,000. The 6-0, 193 pounder hits from the left side and he takes lots of pitches, makes quality contact and doesn’t chase. The 22-year-old is a very disciplined hitter. The stolen base threat also posted a 154 wRC+ in 64 games with the Winston-Salem Dash in High-A last year. Antonacci also hit .292/.435/.381 with a 152 wRC+ in Birmingham.
• What: The White Sox would like to see Antonacci against top competition. He could work to add strength and improve his power after clubbing five homers this season but the profile does work as is in the form of a Chase Meidroth type who hits from the left side.
• Why: Antonacci could make his big league debut in 2026. Already in the high minors, he’s a candidate to join the White Sox and playing in the Arizona Fall League is just another step toward making that happen.

Tyler Davis, RHP

• Who: Davis was signed by the White Sox after pitching for the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League in 2024. He went undrafted after pitching for Sam Houston State and Wichita State in the NCAA. Davis is a 6-3, 210 pound righty who throws hard with a pair of breaking balls. The 26-year-old threw 54 innings in Double-A with a 3.17 ERA and 2.61 FIP for the Barons. Davis struck out 64 and walked 27 in those 41 games.
• What: Davis will be looking to show his stuff and perform against some of the best prospects in baseball out in the desert. The strikeout rate is good but the walk rate could be improved upon.
• Why: The White Sox see Tyler Davis as a potential big league reliever. He’s not Rule Five eligible this winter and he’s not a candidate for the 40-man roster urgently either. He could receive an invite to big league spring training however.

Ryan Galanie, 1B/3B/OF

• Who: The White Sox selected Ryan Galanie in the 13th round of the 2023 draft out of Wofford. He signed for $150,000 despite having some high level offers in the transfer portal at the time. The 6-2, 225 pounder profiles in a corner but he’s played first base, third base and some outfield in the minor leagues. The 25-year-old crushed in 2024 and posted a 163 wRC+ in High-A to start the 2025 season. Galanie contributed to the Birmingham Barons’ championship run while hitting .266/.320/.386 with a 107 wRC+ in his time there.
• What: With a corner profile and a right-handed bat, Galanie has to hit for power. He posted a .250 ISO% in Winston-Salem but he only hit four homers and the power dipped while in the Southern League. Power has to be a significant factor in his offensive game.
• Why: The White Sox would like to see Galanie perform in a prospect league against some of the top players in other clubs’ organizations. He’s not Rule Five eligible and he went to the plate 510 times this season so it’s not a matter of missed time developmentally.

Carson Jacobs, RHP

• Who: Carson Jacobs is a giant right hander who was signed by the White Sox as an undrafted free agent in 2023. The 6-9, 215 pounder pitched for North Dakota State, Newman University and Gateway Community College before joining the organization. He threw some innings in 2023 and 2024 and he profiles as a reliever but while he strikes out lots of hitters, the walk rate has always been an issue. Jacobs throws very hard and is impressive when he commands the heater. The 24-year-old posted a 4.61 ERA with a 3.24 xFIP in 54.2 innings pitched in High-A. The righty struck out 80 batters and walked 36. He threw innings in Double-A as well.
• What: Jacobs needs to improve his walk rate while sporting similar strikeout rates overall.
• Why: The White Sox would like to get Jacobs more innings while also seeing him pitch high leverage situations against some of the best prospects in the sport. He could be a candidate for the big league rotation in Chicago at some point in 2026.

Connor McCullough, RHP

• Who: The White Sox signed McCullough as an UDFA out of Kansas State in 2022. He threw 113 innings in 2023 mostly in A ball. The 6-1, 185 pound righty only threw 13 innings in 2024 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. It was a long rehab process but the 25-year-old returned to the mound this past season. In 2025, the righty threw 42 innings in the system with a 3.43 ERA and struck out 39 while walking ten.
• What: McCullough just needs to pitch and rack up some innings in whatever role he serves for the squad in Glendale.
• Why: Connor McCullough has missed lots of time while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He needs innings and the White Sox are sending him to the Arizona Fall League to make up some of those innings. He’s also Rule Five eligible this December.

Braden Montgomery, Outfield

• Who: Braden Montgomery was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Montgomery was seen as one of the top players available but he fell due to fracturing his ankle during super regional action. The 6-2, 220 pound outfielder is one of the best outfielder prospects in baseball and one of the top players in the White Sox’s system. They acquired him in a December 2024 trade that sent Garrett Crochet to Boston. In 34 games with the Barons, the outfielder hit .272/.364/.416 with a 132 wRC+. He posted a 135 wRC+ in 69 games with Winston-Salem as well.
• What: The switch-hitter profiles as a powerful corner outfielder. He only hit 12 homers as a professional after clubbing 62 over the course of three college seasons. The power potential could stand out in games in Arizona.
• Why: Montgomery is a top prospect but he’ll also be making up for lost time. He didn’t play as a professional in 2024 and he missed more time to close out the 2025 season with a broken bone in his foot.

Jarold Rosado, RHP

• Who: Jarold Rosado is a 23-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic who originally signed with the Kansas City Royals in 2021. The White Sox acquired the 6-3, 215 pounder in 2024 in exchange for infielder Paul Dejong. He was stellar in his team debut in 2024 but really struggled in Double-A with Birmingham this season. The club believes in the stuff and his profile but he’ll need to cut his walk rate significantly to be effective.
• What: Rosado is a hard-throwing, right-handed relief prospect but he walks too many guys. His fastball is 94-97 mph and he’ll have an opportunity to pitch against some of the top prospects in the sport this fall.
• Why: Jarold Rosado is Rule Five eligible. He’s unlikely to be selected by another team but the White Sox often showcase similar players during the Arizona Fall League.

Hagen Smith, LHP

• Who: The White Sox drafted Hagen Smith with the 5th overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft. They paid him a record bonus of $8 million as well out of Arkansas and he threw 7.2 innings in his professional debut. This year was a bumpy ride for the 6-3, 235 pounder however. The 22-year-old southpaw threw 75.2 innings in Double-A over the course of 20 starts. Smith posted a 3.57 ERA and struck out 108 hitters while walking 56. He profiles as a top of the rotation starter and he should debut in Chicago sometime in 2026.
• What: Smith’s stuff fluctuated this year but he looked like himself towards the end of the minor league season. The organization would like to see the high 90’s velocity continue while the southpaw also decreases his walk rate overall.
• Why: Smith needs innings after missing time this year due to an elbow issue caused by an imbalance in his mechanics. Seeing Smith against top competition will also be a benefit but with just 20 starts on the year, the reasoning was mostly to make up for lost time.