It is August 4th, 2024, and the White Sox have just lost their 20th consecutive game. No one had high hopes for the White Sox this season, aside from some delusional south-siders in spring training. They currently have the worst record in baseball, by 14 games, and have scored the least amount of runs while allowing the most. Even with all that being said, there are still some areas that can, and should, be positive for White Sox fans, even if they may not really factor for a few years.
1.) Garrett Crochet
The best player that the White Sox have had this season has been, without question, the hard throwing lefty. Crochet has actually not only been the best player on the White Sox, but also one of the best in the Majors in 2024, striking out 162 batters in just 118 innings. Interestingly enough, the only pitcher in the Majors that has more strikeouts than him so far is Dylan Cease, the former White Sox ace that was dealt to San Diego earlier this year. Crochet is not eligible to be a free agent until 2027, and after adding an All-Star appearance to his resume, he may just be getting started to show the league what he is capable of. He survived the trade deadline, and is still suiting up for the Sox, so at least for the time being he will give them their best chance to win every 5 games.
2.) Three Top-100 Prospects
The key to a rebuild starts with a youth movement. The White Sox would probably like to have more than just three top 100 prospects, but it could certainly be worse. Two of their three prospects rank in the top 20(!) which means there could be some real talent on the horizon. Ranking 16th, Colson Montgomery is currently in AAA and could be the White Sox short stop of the future. He is not having the best year for their affiliate team in Charlotte, but at age-22, he still has time to develop. Ranked at 18, the Sox have a 6′ 9″ lefty in Noah Schultz who could be a dominant force for years to come. Schultz is also the top-rated lefty prospect in baseball. Their third prospect, ranked at 71, is Edgar Quero, a catcher who is currently in AAA. Quero is expected to make his major league debut either at the end of this season, or early 2025.
3.) Hagen Smith
Times, and prospects, move quicker in today’s game than in the past. Especially when we are talking about a 20-year-old college super star like Hagen Smith. Smith won both SEC Pitcher of the Year as well as the National Pitcher of the Year award for 2024, and he has officially signed to be a member of the White Sox. Smith had a success career while attending Arkansas, getting better year over year. If Smith can handle the minor leagues, he may be next to Noah Schultz and Garrett Crochet while the 2026 White Sox look to turn things around.
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