The Chicago White Sox hit the lottery in the Rule 5 Draft a year ago.

They used the first pick on Shane Smith, a right-hander from the Milwaukee Brewers organization who had just 6.2 innings of Triple-A experience. After developing him in Spring Training and giving him a real shot to compete for a rotation spot, the then-24-year-old broke camp with the team. The rest is history.

Smith became the first pitcher in Major League history to make the All-Star Game as a rookie after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft. He represented the White Sox in the Midsummer Classic and posted a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts during his rookie year.

That earned Smith Rookie of the Year votes and left the White Sox feeling like they had a frontline starter under team control for the foreseeable future.

But that wasn’t all. The Philadelphia Phillies used the final pick of the first round in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft on right-hander Mike Vasil.

Vasil came from the New York Mets organization, where he struggled to a 6.04 ERA in Triple-A. After pinballing from the Mets to the Phillies to the Rays, Vasil finally landed on the South Side just days before Opening Day.

He stuck with the White Sox for the entire 2025 season and delivered 101 innings with a 2.57 ERA — another Rule 5 pick turned White Sox success story.

So who’s next? Given the analytical model Brian Bannister has instilled in Chicago, it’s entirely possible the White Sox find another undervalued arm in this year’s Rule 5 Draft.

Chicago holds the second overall pick, with only the Colorado Rockies in front of them.

And there'e one pitcher who already stands out as a candidate for the Sox to work their magic on once again.

Rule 5 Target: Brendan Beck

Brendan Beck is the No. 11 prospect in the New York Yankees system — an unusual ranking for a 27-year-old, but a testament to how well-regarded he still is by evaluators and his high ceiling.

The younger brother of Giants righty Tristan Beck, Brendan spent four years at Stanford and broke out in 2021, earning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year honors that made him a second-round pick with a $1.05 million bonus. Tommy John surgery that fall delayed his professional debut until 2023, but once he finally got on the mound, he delivered with a 1.59 ERA in 10 starts.

Another elbow procedure wiped out his 2024 season, yet Beck returned in 2025 and immediately dominated Double-A. His Triple-A results weren’t as sharp, but the full picture is still strong — he went 13–5 with a 3.36 ERA across the minors, logged 131.1 innings, and looked every bit like an MLB-ready arm.

Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) on X Brendan Beck was brilliant again in his 10th outing of the season: 6.0 IP | 3 H | 0 R | 2 BB | 2 K Following his sixth scoreless outing of the year, Beck sports a 1.99 ERA in Double-A.

Beck’s game is built around command rather than overpowering stuff. His best pitch is a low-80s slider with depth. His fastball sits in the low-90s and plays a tick below the velocity, but he pairs it with a downer curveball and a usable changeup. None of the pitches are elite individually, but a clean, repeatable delivery and strong athleticism allow him to pound the strike zone as well as anyone in the Yankees’ system at present.

That strike-throwing foundation gives him a chance to succeed even without premium velocity. Scouts once comped him to Shane Bieber — and a little time in Brian Bannister’s lab could help revive those comparisons.

Beck’s résumé isn’t far off from Shane Smith’s profile when the White Sox stole him in last year’s Rule 5 Draft. The pre-draft report on Smith highlighted a 3.05 ERA, a .204 opponents’ average, a 10.8 K/9, and a fastball sitting 93–94 with both a distinct curveball and slider.

Beck posted a 3.36 ERA, a .214 opponents’ average, and an 8.4 K/9 — fewer strikeouts, but also fewer walks. His fastball tops at 94, and like Smith, he features a true “downer” curveball and a plus slider that serves as his out pitch. Different pitchers, yes, but the on-paper similarities are hard to ignore.

There’s also a connection worth noting. Bannister worked with older brother Tristan Beck during his time with the Giants, helping him develop from a struggling minor-league starter into a productive MLB reliever. And with Stanford just 40 miles from Oracle Park, it’s easy to imagine Bannister having seen Brendan Beck up close during his Pac-12 dominance. Maybe that matters. Maybe it doesn’t. But the familiarity is there — and for a White Sox club searching for its next Rule 5 gem, it could play a factor.