White Sox Amateur City Elite program participant King aims to go pro

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CHICAGO -- Since its inception in 2007, the immensely successful White Sox Amateur City Elite youth program has had 30 participants drafted by 16 Major League Baseball organizations.

Eddie King Jr. hopes to become 31 on that list with the MLB Draft coming up on July 13-14. King has one more year of eligibility at Louisville, despite being an academic senior, but after an exceptional ’25 season in leading the Cardinals to the final four of the College World Series, he holds a professional baseball career front and center.

“I definitely want to go pro, 100 percent,” King told MLB.com during a weekend interview. “I’m really not sure what round or anything. I don’t really have a number in mind or how much money or whatever. I just want to play baseball for a professional team that wants me.

“That’s all I’m looking for. I just want to get drafted somewhere. I’m just trying to work my way up playing professional baseball.”

King, 22, is a right-handed-hitting outfielder who produced a .367/.435/.750 slash line over 188 at-bats and 55 games during Louisville’s 42-24 season. He hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to eliminate Oregon State in College World Series action, after hitting two home runs during the Super Regional series against Miami.

The native of Lynwood, Ill., a south suburb of Chicago located about 30 miles from Rate Field, and graduate of Marian Catholic High School doesn’t have near the notoriety of an Ethan Holliday or Billy Carlson. In fact, he’s not in MLB Pipeline’s list of Top 200 Draft prospects.

But here’s where the ACE connection helps a player such as King. Even as part of their 14U team, King was getting prepared for top levels of competition.

“We lean on our relationships,” said Troy Williams, the director of ACE and community baseball programs for the White Sox. “There’s only so much we can do, but the best thing we do is prepare these guys to play on a national stage, and once it’s time for pre-Draft workouts and stuff like that, they are already ready.

“They have been on some of the biggest stages. They have been in front of some of the biggest scouts and crosscheckers in the country. There’s no element of surprise for them where they are going. That’s the best we can do.”

Sending players to the pro ranks doesn’t exactly sit at the top of ACE’s desired goals. The program was designed to “reverse the declining interest and participation in baseball among African American youth, while offering resources and mentorship to pull kids away from the dangers of some of Chicago’s most violent neighborhoods,” according to their website.

More than 115 participants have earned college degrees, with more than 110 participants currently enrolled in college. Chicago White Sox Charities has donated $10.9 million to youth baseball initiatives, making this program as much about life preparation as it is about a career in baseball.

“This whole program and the whole [ACE] organization is just a bunch of brothers that you end up meeting,” King said. “And it’s so much fun that you have, so many good memories that you build with that organization. This is a really good thing to be a part of. They got me recognized at the start to even get Louisville to look at me.

“So, ACE was a big part of me getting to Louisville. I really respect the organization. I’m so glad I played with White Sox ACE. They helped me a lot honestly.”

As a White Sox fan, King picked Paul Konerko as his favorite individual South Sider. His top player overall was Mike Trout, but now it’s all about Ronald Acuña Jr.

If he had a career close to any of these three, King would be just fine with those results. In the immediate future, he just wants a chance to continue playing.

“Honestly, I see myself as a professional baseball player,” said King, who also was a part of the Jackie Robinson West Little League team that won the 2014 U.S. title, but had it stripped when geographic boundary rules were questioned. “It’s going to be a learning experience for me, it’s going to be a battle. I’m just going to have to learn how to adjust to different things and just figure out what’s best for me.”

“He always led by example,” Williams said. “Eddie just always stood out. He was the leader of the pack, and he was the heart and soul of his class for sure.”