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FutureSox 2024 Chicago White Sox Prospect List: Right-Handed Starters

By / / Analysis, Minors

The White Sox farm system is in a better spot right now than it has been in quite some time. As we frequently discuss on all of the FutureSox podcasts, the pitching depth is clearly leading the charge when it comes to the farm system.

There are more quality arms within the affiliates right now than there has been in many years. With two more top prospects added this spring via the Dylan Cease deal, the future of the pitching staff in Chicago looks bright. With a month of MiLB games now completed, it has become more clear who some of the top arms in the organization truly are moving forward.

Two top pitching prospects debuted with the White Sox this season but have since returned to Triple-A Charlotte to continue to their development for the short-term. The rotation in Double-A Birmingham has been unbelievable top to bottom to start the year with all five pitchers putting themselves in position to impact the White Sox this year or next.

This feels like the right time to asses the pitchers throughout the system and this piece will focus on the top right-handers with one on left-handed pitchers coming soon. Let’s take a look at the very deep core of right-handed starting pitchers within the organization.

1. Drew Thorpe (23, White Sox Acquired via Padres)

2024 Stats: 5 GS, 30.0 IP, 1.20 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 28 SO

The headliner of the Dylan Cease deal was known for his consistency when coming over via trade and has proven just that this spring. In his first handful of starts with the organization, Thorpe has shown that and then some.

He has allowed just a total of four runs and has consistently limited hard contact to an excellent degree while commanding efficiently. He has gone at least five innings in each start as well with six or more innings pitched in four of his five.

Thorpe’s location of his fastball paired with the devastating nature of his changeup and variability of the slider gives him a rather high floor. He may not have elite starter upside with a slower velocity fastball, but Thorpe is nearly ready to be a quality major league arm.

After a month of the season, it’s very clear that Thorpe is the top right-hander in the system. He should debut later this season and it could be sooner than you may think.

2. Nick Nastrini (24, White Sox Acquired via Dodgers)

2024 Stats: Chicago – 2 GS, 8.0 IP, 7.88 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 8 SO, Charlotte – 3 GS, 10.2 IP, 10.97 ERA, 2.34 WHIP, 19 SO

After a dominant Spring Training, Nastrini appeared on track to earning a spot in the starting rotation. A battle with Pneumonia delayed that but Nastrini was ultimately brought to Chicago for his debut on April 15th after two games in Charlotte.

His debut was very solid but his second start against a talented Phillies lineup was a hard one. Nastrini being demoted as a result of various veterans being on the way to Chicago was a bit confusing, but he’ll be back in Chicago soon enough.

It’s been a shaky ride for him in his first month of the season, but Nastrini’s changeup and slider can play at the highest level if he’s able to keep his fastball on the corners.

Command is the biggest question still but Nastrini should be in the Sox rotation for a large chunk of this season and will look to claim a spot moving into 2025.

3. Jairo Iriarte (22, White Sox Acquired via Padres)

2024 Stats: 5 GS, 24.2 IP, 1.46 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 28 SO

The second pitcher acquired from San Diego has been nearly as impressive as Thorpe and has made a case for the second spot on this list. Iriarte’s biggest hurdle remains his command but he just turned in his most efficient outing of the evening.

Iriarte has been largely effective in his first five games with the Barons but it has been a mixed bag still. He had four walks and five walks respectively in two of his games but was at or under two in his other three games.

Iriarte’s velocity has been down a tick from last season, but his stuff looks excellent and he is starting to look more comfortable later in games. He still needs to work on going deeper in games and limiting long counts, but features possibly the best stuff on this list in terms of movement.

4. Jonathan Cannon (23, White Sox Drafted, 2022 3rd round)

2024 Stats: Chicago – 3 GS, 13.2 IP, 7.24 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 13 SO, Charlotte – 2 GS, 9.2 IP, 2.79 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 11 SO

The other pitcher to debut the same week as Nastrini was Jonathan Cannon, who has risen through the system rapidly after being drafted in 2022. Known for his deep arsenal of pitches and ability to induce ground balls, Cannon had a great debut before getting hit around more in the following two starts before heading back to Charlotte this week.

With a refined pitch this season focused on his sinker, changeup, and sweeper, Cannon has looked sharp at times. His ceiling isn’t at the level of some pitchers behind him, but he’s ready to contribute solid innings at the big league level soon.

He does a nice job limiting walks and inducing soft contact especially on his sinker and changeup. He’ll be set to get more starts in Chicago during the second half of the season when the team leans into the youth. He projects as a solid back of the rotation arm at the MLB level moving forward.

White Sox

5. Grant Taylor (21, White Sox Drafted, 2023 2nd round)

2024 Stats: N/A

Drafted after undergoing Tommy John Surgery prior to his last season at LSU, Grant Taylor is set to make his professional debut in the minors sometime in May. The White Sox took a shot on Taylor in the second round due to his extreme upside despite him being in the midst of recovering from surgery.

Reports from Arizona have been very exciting regarding Taylor who has reportedly been throwing higher velocities than he had been in college prior to undergoing elbow surgery. With an excellent fastball that features plenty of run, Taylor also utilizes a cutter and two distinct breaking balls.

Taylor has some of the highest upside in the farm system and this season will be all about getting him back on the mound comfortably. He’s likely to be rather limited this season, but his stuff will shine soon enough and Taylor could climb up the system quickly in 2025. He’s one of the higher upside pitchers in the organization.

6. Mason Adams (24, White Sox Drafted, 2022 13th round)

2024 Stats: 4 GS, 22.0 IP, 3.68 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 29 SO

The breakout pitcher of 2023 has continued to impress at the onset of this season. After being a 13th round draft pick in 2022, Adams began last season piggybacking Noah Schultz in Single-A where he dominated and earned a staring role. He made his way all the way to Birmingham where he then began this season.

Adams doesn’t have elite stuff but knows how to use all of his offerings effectively all over the zone. He should continue to rise quickly and will be a legit option for the MLB club in 2025. He’s another player, like Cannon, who is more floor than ceiling at this point. He continues to generate whiff while limiting walks like he did last season.

After not even being on prospect lists last season, Adams has risen quickly and deserves to be in the top 20 of the organization at this point.

As part of the loaded rotation in Birmingham, Adams has held his own aside from one blowup inning. Otherwise, he has been very steady as he works deep into games and commands the zone as well as most pitchers in Double-A. At the least, Adams should reach Triple-A this season and there’s no reason not to keep pushing him given that he’s already 24 years old this season.

7. Seth Keener (22, White Sox Drafted, 2023 3rd round)

2024 Stats: 4 GS, 17.2 IP, 1.53 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 23 SO

Transitioning from a reliever to a starter is a challenging task that Seth Keener is seemingly feeling comfortable with in the early going of the season. Keener’s stuff was the selling point when the White Sox drafted him last summer and he has definitely shown strong flashes.

The biggest issue so far has been command as Keener has allowed just eight hits in four starts but has issued 14 free passes. Despite walking multiple batters in each start, Keener has continued to miss bats especially with his slider that was a go-to offering in college. He has two starts with one or less hits allowed and no runs, which clearly displays his upside when he reigns in the command.

Keener will take a little more time than some of these other pitchers as he learns the depths of starting pitching fully, but he should continue to improve as he grows more comfortable controlling the zone. Keener will also need to figure out a reliable third offering as he still does not seem fully comfortable with the changeup yet. Hopefully he’ll get a large chunk of this season in Winston-Salem.

8. Peyton Pallette (22, White Sox Drafted, 2022 2nd round)

2024 Stats: 3 GS, 10.1 IP, 9.58 ERA, 2.03 WHIP, 14 SO

Last season was all about building back up for both of the next two players on this list which makes it hard to properly rank them. Peyton Pallette was in the recovery process when drafted by the organization much like Grant Taylor but put together a healthy year last season in Kannapolis.

While he had some troubles, Pallette making 22 starts was a huge step and set him up for a full season of growth this year. Command was definitely an issue as he worked his way back, but he did have 78 strikeouts in his 72 innings pitched. Pallette’s year has not started well as he’s been hit around in his first stint with Winston-Salem.

His fastball has not played up the way it did in college and he hasn’t been able to locate in the right spots, but it’s still early. This will be a big year for a fully healthy Pallette to take a step forward but it may take a little time for him to get rolling.

9. Tanner McDougal (21, White Sox Drafted, 2021 5th round)

2024 Stats: 4 GS, 19.0 IP, 5.21 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 24 SO

Much like Pallette, McDougal spent last season getting his feet back under him while spending the whole year with Kannapolis in what was essentially his first pro season. He experienced similar command issues, but struck out a higher rate of batters and displayed his plus curveball that will help him rise.

McDougal has shown flashes of that upside this season with some poor luck contributing to the current stat line. This feels like a case of an early season line not being rather indicative though as he has flashed great stuff in spurts. The long ball has cost him a fair share of runs but his fastball and curveball combination is playing fairly well in High-A.

With a full season of health, we could see another step taken in terms of command for the still just 21-year-old pitcher. His potential is appealing and he’s got more time than some of these arms to adjust still. McDougal could reach Double-A before turning 22 which puts him in strong position for the future.

10. Aldrin Batista (20, White Sox Acquired via Dodgers)

2024 Stats: 3 GS, 15.1 IP, 1.17 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 19 SO

The least well known name on this list by a wide margin has been one of the most impressive since midseason last year when he was acquired for international signing money. Aldrin Batista has quickly become a favorite watch for me and he should be on the radar more than he is currently.

Batista displayed his ability through an excellent strikeout rate in the ACL prior to the trade to the White Sox. He struck out 54 while maintaining strong command across 39 innings of work. He got five games under his belt with Kannapolis last year and impressed immediately with a 2.66 ERA.

It’s been even more impressive this year as Batista’s fastball has ticked up with impressive break and command of the pitch. Batista’s sharp slider has been generating plenty of whiffs and he has still been able to control at a high level. With 19 strikeouts and just 3 walks, Batista has been one of the best pitchers at the Single-A level. He could be one of the biggest risers in this farm system come mid-season and is definitely a name to keep an eye on.

Honorable Mentions

Juan Carela: Acquired from the Yankees for Keynan Middleton at the trade deadline, Carela looked good in his first stint with Winston-Salem last year. He battled some command issues that have carried over and held him back so far this year. He has done a good job limiting hits and contact though, so it’s more a question of command for now.

Sean Burke: Expected to be a big league option in 2023, Burke’s season was derailed by a shoulder injury that he’s still working his way back from now. He was one of the top pitching prospects in the system and him not being ranked on this list is more of a testament to the system getting deeper than anything else. He’ll be worth watching as he makes his back to Charlotte this season.

Mathias LaCombe: One of the more fascinating later round draft picks from this past year comes with serious intrigue. The French-born pitcher has upside to be tapped in to but it may take him some time to reach his potential. He was phenomenal while pitching at Cochise Community College and will start the year in the Arizona Complex League before hopefully making his professional debut later in the year.

1 thought on “FutureSox 2024 Chicago White Sox Prospect List: Right-Handed Starters”

  1. Doug

    At one time Sean Burke and Jonathan Stiever were considered the next White Sox pitchers. OK, injuries have caused issues but now both are basically just after thoughts. This group of pitching prospects is so much better than even a year ago! The top few left handers are also looking good!

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