By james art The 2024 season for the Chicago White Sox was one of the worst in modern baseball history. They were 41-121 and the worst team in the league so far. The bright spots were few and far between as the team was very difficult for many White Sox fans to watch.
On the farm, though, the White Sox have some very intriguing players who could give fans a glimmer of hope for the future. We’ll recap the seasons of some of the top prospects in the White Sox system, starting at #30 and working our way up to #1, as MLB Pipeline ranks them. As you will see, there are some very intriguing prospects that could help bring the White Sox back to relevance.
Ranked No. 24 on the White Sox Top 30 Prospects list is outfielder Casey Socke. The White Sox drafted him in the fourth round of the 2024 draft out of Virginia as an above-slot player, meaning he had the opportunity to potentially return to school to improve his draft stock for the 2025 draft.
Fortunately, the White Sox were able to convince him to sign with the organization, as he is an extremely talented player.
In his final season at Virginia, Sauke hit .344 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI. He also added nine stolen bases. It was a fantastic season and one of the main reasons he was selected so high in the draft.
When he signed with the White Sox, he was assigned straight to high-A Winston-Salem, which is not common for someone you just picked in the fourth round. Normally, immediate high-A assignment is reserved for the team’s top selection in the draft, but the White Sox clearly have a lot of faith in Sauke.
In 24 games for the Winston-Salem Dash, Saucke hit an impressive .290 with a very solid .333 OBP. He added two home runs, nine RBI and two stolen bases. He struck out six times over 26 strikeouts, but for a prospect seeing his first minor league action, that’s to be expected.
All in all, it’s been a fantastic season for Saucke, who is set to fly through the White Sox’s minor league system. I wouldn’t rule out Sauke making it to AA to finish the year, preparing for a potential call-up in 2026. Since he was a member of Chris Getz’s inaugural draft class, Getz will likely prefer him over other players who are drafted or acquired by Rick Hahn’s regime.
At this point next year, Saucke will likely be a top 15 prospect in the White Sox system, maybe even top 10 if he continues to improve at a rapid rate. This was a great selection by Chris Getz, and hopefully White Sox fans will see the payoff sooner rather than later.