Beyond the most popular White Sox prospects, these four players are worth monitoring in the lower levels of the system as the minor league season begins.
We’ve already gotten our first look at a few of the top White Sox prospects in 2026 via the Charlotte Knights.
Pitchers such as Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, and Tanner McDougal headline the rotation in Charlotte and have been putting on a show to begin the regular season. There’s also some excitement building around Sam Antonacci, who opened the year with a .350 batting average and two home runs, and William Bergolla, who has recorded a hit in 12 of his first 20 at-bats (.600 average).
But this weekend officially marks the start of every level of minor league baseball. On Thursday night, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Low-A) will play their first game of the regular season, and we’ll likely get to see the professional debuts of shortstop Billy Carlson and outfielder Jaden Fauske — the White Sox’s first- and second-round picks from last year’s draft. Both 19-year-olds have yet to appear in an affiliated game, and there’s plenty of hype surrounding what they might do and how it could impact the organization’s future.
On Friday night, the Winston-Salem Dash begin their regular season. Rising Top 100 prospect Caleb Bonemer will open the year in High-A, alongside the ever-popular George Wolkow.
These are certainly some of the names White Sox fans will be watching in 2026. But before we fully dive into the lower levels of the system with games getting underway, I wanted to take a moment to highlight a few lesser-known prospects who deserve attention.
Each of these players comes with a different pedigree and level of production. None are household names just yet, but all have the potential to break out this season and build a reputation within the White Sox farm system.
SS Kyle Lodise
Let’s start in Winston-Salem with the most recognizable name on this list: shortstop Kyle Lodise.
Lodise was selected 76th overall in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft. He ranked No. 79 on the MLB Pipeline draft board and enters 2026 as the No. 10 prospect in the White Sox system. At 22 years old, he hit just .185 in 28 professional games after signing last year, but an impressive walk rate helped boost his on-base percentage to .319. He also hit four home runs, with his OPS just shy of .700.
There’s reason to expect more this season.
In his lone year at Georgia Tech, Lodise hit .329 with 20 doubles, 16 home runs, and a 1.095 OPS. He’s been praised for his speed, instincts, and overall baseball IQ, which allow him to hold his own at shortstop despite average range and arm strength. Long-term, he may project better as a second baseman.
Still, Lodise is a disciplined hitter with a polished hit tool and developing power that could really show up over a full season. Given his age and college background, don’t be surprised if the White Sox move him quickly through the system.
The organization currently has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to infield prospects — names like Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, Sam Antonacci, Billy Carlson, Caleb Bonemer, and even Roch Cholowsky if he joins the mix. But by the end of 2026, “What do the White Sox do with Kyle Lodise?” could become a very real question.
LHP Grant Umberger
Left-handed pitcher Grant Umberger signed with the White Sox on a minor league deal prior to the 2025 season after going undrafted out of Toledo in 2024.
A solid senior season (3.81 ERA over 15 starts and 75.2 innings) wasn’t enough to catch scouts’ attention, but a strong showing in the MLB Draft League earned him an opportunity — and he made the most of it.
Umberger spent most of 2025 in Low-A Kannapolis before earning a late-season promotion to Winston-Salem. He finished the year with a 9–2 record, a 2.56 ERA, and 116 strikeouts over 105.2 innings.
Because he was a 23-year-old pitching in Low-A, he didn’t generate much offseason buzz and didn’t crack MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 prospects list. But production is production.
Umberger will be 24 for the entirety of the 2026 season. If he continues to pitch the way he has, a promotion to Double-A Birmingham could come quickly. At that point, he’ll be much harder to ignore.
OF Nick McLain
Outfielder Nick McLain, the brother of Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain, was selected by the White Sox in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft (78th overall).
Out of Arizona State, McLain posted a .342 batting average, a 1.120 OPS, and 12 home runs in his junior season. The White Sox signed him for an $800,000 bonus, slightly under slot, using the savings to help sign Caleb Bonemer.
The reason they were able to do that? Injury concerns.
McLain missed his entire freshman season at UCLA due to a back injury before transferring. He then suffered hamate injuries in both hands in consecutive seasons. After signing in 2024, he didn’t appear in a game until April 2025.
Last seaosn, McLain played just 13 games in Kannapolis, but posted an impressive .414 on-base percentage before landing back on the IL for the remainder of the season.
There’s been very little information regarding his current status or timeline. For now, he remains on the 60-day IL to begin 2026. But if he can get healthy and stay on the field, he’s absolutely a name worth watching.
RHP Truman Pauley
Luisangel Acuña hasn’t done much to impress at the big league level so far, but it’s worth revisiting the second piece of the Luis Robert Jr. trade with the New York Mets: Truman Pauley.
Pauley is a 22-year-old right-hander selected in the 12th round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Harvard. His $400,000 signing bonus is closer to sixth-round value and speaks to the upside.
His 4.61 ERA in college doesn’t jump off the page, but 91 strikeouts in 70.1 innings certainly does. Pauley led the Ivy League in strikeouts and opponent batting average, and ranked third nationally in hits allowed per nine (5.37).
The control still needs work, but the raw stuff is intriguing.
In 4.1 professional innings in 2025, Pauley didn’t allow a hit, though he did surrender an earned run due to four walks with Low-A St. Lucie. A bullpen role may ultimately be the most likely path, but there’s enough here to be intrigued, especially considering the White Sox pushed to include him in the Luis Robert Jr. deal.
He opens 2026 in Low-A Kannapolis and, given his developmental profile, could move quickly if things click.