2025 Chicago White Sox prospect list: Middle Infielders
FutureSox is highlighting the 2025 Chicago White Sox top prospects by position. This iteration includes the notable middle infielders.
*Age listed in parenthesis
Five names on this list weren’t members of the White Sox organization as of the beginning of the 2024 minor league baseball season. Last summer’s draft, trade deadline, and the Garrett Crochet trade from this past offseason have provided the White Sox with a solid collection of depth on the middle infield. Two of the more notable members of this list were former first round picks of the White Sox, while the other three names were relatively recent international signings.
At the major league level, the White Sox have had issues finding a permanent solution at the keystone, having a different player occupy the second base position on opening day for the last 13 seasons (the last player to make consecutive starts was Gordon Beckham from 2010-2013). The White Sox also have an opening at shortstop on the big club, a spot that Tim Anderson had occupied from 2016-2023. There are some names on this list that could be knocking on the door for the opportunity to stake their claim as the “shortstop of the future” for the White Sox in the coming months.
Colson Montgomery, SS (23)
- Last played: AAA Charlotte
Coming off an injury shortened 2023 season, playing in 64 minor league games and the Arizona Fall League, Colson Montgomery was given an aggressive assignment to AAA Charlotte to begin the 2024 season. The good news was that Colson appeared in 130 games throughout the course of the season, easily clearing the 96 game mark he accumulated across three levels during the 2022 season. On the other hand, the Indiana product struggled mightily with the bat, posting a .214/.329/.381 slash line with an 88 wRC+ and a 28.6 K% (12.0 BB%).
During the last month of the season with the Knights the 2021 first round pick found a groove at the plate, batting .264/.357/.458 with a 112 wRC+ with four home runs and 13 RBI with a 11.9 BB% and 28.6 K%. The White Sox had Colson return to the Arizona Fall League to keep the positive momentum going, and he did just that, hitting .313/.511/.656 with three home runs, 11 RBI, went 4-for-4 on stolen bases, and walked more (10) than he struck out (six) in 11 games.
Montgomery was essentially given the runway to win the starting shortstop job out of spring training by the White Sox, but a back injury held him out of game action for nearly two weeks, and he was then optioned to AAA Charlotte to kick off the season. While there are some questions surrounding Montgomery’s long-term defensive home, the White Sox believe that he can capably handle the defensive responsibilities at shortstop. In order to force the White Sox’s hand sooner rather than later, he’ll need to display that his lackluster 2024 offensive season was just an outlier.
Caleb Bonemer, SS (19)
- Last played: N/A
Caleb Bonemer was drafted out of Okemos High School in Michigan by the White Sox in the second round, pick 43, of the 2024 draft and signed to an over-slot deal of $2,997,500. Heading into his draft season Bonemer had mixed performances on the showcase circuit, but was Michigan’s high school player of the year for the previous two seasons while also a appearing on the White Sox Area Codes team.
Bonemer didn’t appear in any official Complex League games after signing, but did play in the bridge league where he impressed on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he’s an above-average fielder at shortstop with a strong arm and quick hands. Offensively, the 19-year-old has above-average raw power and a quick swing that has shown better power to the pull side. Bonemer has a quality on-field makeup and is set to skip over the ACL and begin his first full professional season with Kannapolis.
Chase Meidroth, 2B/SS (23)
- Last played: AAA Worcester
Acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade, Chase Meidroth has a knack for getting on base. Last year playing for the Worcester Red Sox, the University of San Diego product hit .293/.437/.401 with seven home runs, 57 RBI, and a 18.8 BB% to a 12.7 K% in 122 games as a 22-year-old, leading all of the minors in walks last season (105). The only time in Meidroth’s professional career where his OBP didn’t start with a four was in 2023 with AA Portland, where he got on base at a .386 clip in 91 games as a 21-year-old.
Quite obviously, Meidroth is known for his advanced approach at the plate and excellent bat-to-ball skills and solid bat speed, spraying balls all over the field. Meidroth doesn’t have ample power in his bat, but did have a 17% chase rate at AAA last season, meaning he rarely swings at pitches outside of the zone. Defensively, he profiles best at second base but could handle short or third if need be, but his arm strength is best suited for the keystone. Meidroth was in competition for a potential starting gig with the White Sox out of spring training, but the team him start with AAA Charlotte to begin the 2025 campaign and it’s expected that he’ll see Chicago at some point this season.
Jeral Perez, 2B/SS (20)
- Last played: A- Kannapolis
Jeral Perez was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the three team trade that sent Eric Fedde and Tommy Pham to St. Louis and Michael Kopech to Los Angeles. Perez, originally signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, had been playing with Low-A Rancho Cucaomonga at the time of the trade, hitting .264/.380/.420 with a 118 wRC+ and a 13.7 BB% and 22.0 K% in 75 games as a 19-year-old. In the Dodgers system, Perez saw most of his time at second base, but mainly played shortstop once he joined the Cannon Ballers post-trade.
Perez went on to hit .259/.344/.431 with a 128 wRC+ and a 10.7 BB% and 25.2 K% in 30 games with Kannapolis, helping them in their run to the Carolina League championship series. At the plate, Perez has quick hands which helps him produce above average bat speed and hard contact while also having a solid understanding of the zone. He’s an aggressive defender but seems best suited for second base as he’s not the rangiest nor fleetest of foot while also having average arm strength. Perez will begin the 2025 season with Winston-Salem
Jacob Gonzalez, SS/2B (22)
- Last played: AA Birmingham
2023 first round pick Jacob Gonzalez’s professional debut didn’t particularly go swimmingly, but the White Sox wanted him to work on swing changes heading into the 2024 season. Gonzalez started the year with Winston-Salem and had a productive .273/.364/.399 slash line with a 122 wRC+ and a 11.5 BB% with a 10.3 K% in 36 games. The White Sox deemed that Gonzalez was ready for a new challenge and promoted the Ole Miss product to Birmingham on May 21.
After a hot opening series (six games) with the Barons where he slashed .448/.452/.655 with four extra base hits (three doubles, home run) and eight RBI, struggles came rapidly as he hit .205/.270/.292 with a 69 wRC+, four home runs, 34 RBI, 7.2 BB% and 13.8 K% over his next 88 games. Gonzalez did deal with an injury during that time, but could just never get into a grove at the plate for a prolonged period.
During the Barons Championship run however, Gonzalez did return and was the most productive hitter for the squad, hitting .438/.550/.688 with a double, home run, and five RBI in five games. Defensively Gonzalez saw time at both shortstop and second base last season, and that trend figures to continue into 2025, where there’s mixed opinions on if Gonzalez is athletic enough to stick at shortstop or better suited for the keystone.
It’s a crucial season for the 22-year-old, as mentioned above, there are openings on the major league roster, and the sudden influx of depth has further emphasized the importance of offensive production. He will return to AA Birmingham to kick off the 2025 season.
William Bergolla, 2B/SS (20)
- Last played: A+ Winston-Salem
Acquired at last year’s trade deadline from Philadelphia for Tanner Banks, William Bergolla immediately joined the Winston-Salem Dash and picked up right where he left off with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. The (then) 19-year-old had hit .295/.350/.385 with a 111 wRC+, a 8.2 BB% and 11.2 K% in 67 games in Jersey Shore and proceeded to hit .316/.386/.368 with a 121 wRC+, a 7.8 BB% and a 8.9 K% in 22 games as a member of the Dash.
Bergolla is a contact over power hitter at the plate with well above average bat-to-ball skills. He has a high baseball IQ and is considered to be an above average defender up the middle with above average arm strength and is also an above average runner, swiping 27 bases in 33 attempts (81.8%). If the power continues to remain dormant, he may ultimately profile best as a utility-type player, but will begin his 2025 season in AA with the Barons.
Sam Antonacci, 2B (22)
- Last played: A- Kannapolis
2024 fifth round selection Sam Antonacci was an on-base machine for Coastal Carolina, posting a .523 OBP for the Chanticleers in his draft season. The Springfield native uses an advanced approach at the plate paired with solid bat-to-ball skills, but doesn’t have gaudy power potential. Antonacci mainly played at the hot corner at Coastal Carolina, but saw more action at the keystone upon signing with the White Sox, where he may profile best given his arm strength.
The (then) 21-year-old helped reinforce the Cannon Ballers club in their playoff push to the Carolina League championship series, posting a a .333/.471/.432 slash line with a 173 wRC+, 16.7 BB% and a 12.7 K% in 23 games. He did also go 7-for-9 in stolen bases with the Ballers, although speed doesn’t figure to be a big factor in his game. Antonacci will open the 2025 season with Winston-Salem and could be a fast mover in the system given his skill set.
Javier Mogollon, 2B/SS (19)
- Last played: Arizona Complex League
Javier Mogollon made his stateside debut last year after torching the Dominican Summer League to the tune of a .315/.417/.582 slash line with a 156 wRC+, a 13.6 BB% and a 14.1 K%. The Arizona Complex League did present some challenges for the (then) 18-year-old Venezuelan, as he hit .207/.348/.446 with a 102 wRC+, 12 extra base hits (seven doubles, five home runs), a 15.2 BB%, but a staggering 44.6 K% in his first 26 games.
Mogollon did implement a swing change, adding in a leg kick while also altering his two-strike approach, and over his final 20 games he saw his offensive production soar to a .353/.500/.667 slash line, a 187 wRC+, 10 extra base hits (seven doubles, three home runs), a 23.5 BB%, and a more reasonable 27.9 K%. Mogollon was also a perfect 16-for-16 on stolen bases during the entire ACL season.
Mogollon also lead the entire ACL White Sox club in home runs (eight) and OPS (among qualified hitters) with a .930 mark. Standing at 5’8”, Mogollon does posses quick hands and surprising pop in his bat for someone of his stature (mainly to the pull side). He saw the bulk of his defensive action at shortstop last season and does have solid arm strength, but figures to profile better at second as he climbs the minor league ladder. Mogollon will need to keep the swing-and-miss in check as he progresses through the system, as striking out over 38% of the time (his cumulative total from 2024) isn’t a sustainable rate. He’s set to make his full season affiliate debut with Kannapolis in 2025.
Jurdrick Profar, SS (17)
- Last played: Dominican Summer League
Jurdrick Profar (Jurickson’s younger brother) was a member of the 2024 international class for the White Sox, signing for $700K out of Curacao. He spent all of the last season in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .264/.397/.390 with a 121 wRC+, a 16 BB% and a 22.2 K% in 48 games. Profar did also have 14 extra base hits (11 doubles, three home runs) over the course of the season while mainly manning shortstop for the DSL squad.
Standing at 6’3”, the soon to be 18-year-old has a high baseball IQ and moves around well on the dirt. Although he may eventually outgrow shortstop as he physically matures and fills out, he figures to be given every opportunity to stick there. Profar will be making his stateside debut this season for the ACL White Sox.
Ryan Burrowes, SS (20)
- Last played: A- Kannapolis
Ryan Burrowes headed into the 2024 season delayed by injury, as he didn’t see his first game action until May 6, a brief five game tune-up with the ACL club, before heading to Kannapolis. The (then) 19-year-old never found a rhythm at the plate, as he slashed .204/.292/.246 with a 68 wRC+, a 9.9 BB% and a 33.2 K% in 77 games with the Cannon Ballers. During their playoff run however, his bat did come alive a bit, as he hit .250/.250/.550 with three doubles, a home run, and four RBI in six games.
It’s been back to back season of offensive woes for the Panamanian infielder, with the strikeout rate climbing and the power numbers stagnant or declining as he’s been somewhat aggressively pushed up the minor league ladder. Burrowes has above average speed and runs well on the basepaths, swiping 22-of-26 bases last year in Kannapolis, and does have above average arm strength at shortstop. Burrowes is set to repeat Kannapolis to begin the 2025 season and figures to bounce around the dirt along with Caleb Bonemer and Javier Mogollon also in the mix fighting for infield reps.
