With eyes on 'best players,' White Sox intrigued by prep shortstops

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 -- No specific names were given by White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley when asked this past weekend about his team’s first-round plans for Day 1 of the 2025 MLB Draft presented by Nike on Sunday night.

But Shirley provided details of the work put in by the organization to prepare for possibilities at No. 10, representing the White Sox first-round selection.

“We are looking at two college hitters, there’s two strong college pitchers we like, there’s about five high school shortstops that we worked really hard on, and there’s one high school pitcher that is extremely talented,” Shirley told MLB.com. “His talent is something that makes you pay attention to him.

“It's not a preference to go that way, but when you have that many weapons, all the boxes you are looking for a high school right-handed starter to check, he checks a lot of those things pretty easy. And he’s an unbelievable kid. That puts us at a pretty good number that we worked extremely hard to get where we are at today.

“As far as who we are picking?” Shirley added. “I can’t get there with you.”

MLB.com mock drafts have focused on that high school shortstop area for the White Sox, with JoJo Parker and Billy Carlson coming up as possibilities at pick 10. Colson Montgomery, the No. 5 White Sox prospect, per MLB Pipeline, made a triumphant debut at shortstop in Colorado over the weekend, and fellow rookie Chase Meidroth has played 56 games at the position.

Caleb Bonemer, the No. 9 White Sox prospect, and William Bergolla at No. 13 are other shortstops of the future within their system. Having talented players in place won’t stop the White Sox from going in that direction.

“Look, [general manager] Chris Getz has a serious plan for what he’s trying to build in this organization,” Shirley said. “Up-the-middle field players are the piece of the puzzle that really you can do a lot with. They have the athleticism, the skills, the mindset, the instincts to play multiple [positions] and help your team in multiple sectors.

“Today, when you look at high school shortstops, that’s like playing quarterback. It is the most important piece on the field. A lot of the great players are morphing toward that direction. That’s a piece of the puzzle that’s not going to change for a while. These guys are the best athletes or the best players.”

• Day 1 picks: 10, 44, 76
• Bonus pool allotment: $12,169,100, sitting 14th in MLB
• Last year’s top pick: LHP Hagen Smith. Despite being pitching heavy in their rebuild, the White Sox went with one of the truly elite arms in the Draft via their No. 5 overall selection. Smith, 21, has 50 strikeouts in 30 innings covering nine starts for Double-A Birmingham after taking a two-month reset, including work in Arizona, to focus on biomechanics issues and let soreness subside in his left elbow.
• Breakout 2024 pick: Bonemer. The high school second-round draftee (pick No. 43) and 19-year-old from Michigan has an .826 OPS, seven home runs, 40 RBIs, 44 runs scored and 20 stolen bases in his first professional season up the middle for Single-A Kannapolis.

White Sox Draft meetings began Sunday and will run throughout the entire week. Shirley praised Getz and the organization for deploying so many people from the front office outside of their four national scouts, four regional crosscheckers and 16 area scouts, leaving them infinitely prepared for this now two-day event.

It's more than just the No. 10 pick for a White Sox organization coming off 121 losses in 2024, as it holds the first selection in every other round. This Draft comes one year prior to what could be a top pick for the White Sox in 2026.

All these players are essential components to this ongoing rebuild, with the team making strides in ’25 despite the 30-60 record entering the final first-half homestand. Moves center around the $12,169,100 bonus pool and the $6,238,400 slotted for the No. 10 pick.

“Financially, we are looking at how to do a lot with our pool stuff,” Shirley said. “That’s a plan we have going into this. I think that’s important to do the best work.

“The high school group, the high school position players, have been unbelievable. That’s been the strong point of this Draft in my opinion. That’s the place we are looking the heaviest at this point.”