Every star in MLB today had to put in their time in the minors before being called up. Some can take longer than others, and some receive a fast track like Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates. This year, the White Sox’s No. 16 prospect is getting valuable experience in his first spring training. Noah Schultz likely won’t break camp with the team, but he’ll make an impact in the big leagues before long.
What Noah Schultz Brings to the Mound
Schultz, 21, made it as far as Double-A last season. He was taken in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Oswego East High School in Illinois. The 6’9″ left-hander started 16 games at the Double-A level, which is considered the biggest test for prospects heading to the big leagues. He delivered in every start with a 1.48 ERA across 61 innings. His K/9 of 10.8 with 2.5 BB/9 says a lot about his stuff and it’s becoming a bit of a theme for the White Sox.
The White Sox No. 1 prospect can ramp it up to 99 MPH on the fastball, but usually sits between 93-97 MPH. He has an upper-80s changeup that he mixes in with a slider that has given him comparisons to Randy Johnson. According to MLB Pipeline, Noah Schultz is a bit more polished than the Big Unit was at this age and might make some noise in 2025.
The White Sox Pitching Factory
While many have joked about the White Sox’s woefully inept 2024 season, there’s reason to believe brighter times are ahead, at least in terms of prospects. The White Sox have stripped down what they thought was going to be a window of potential championships. Ater trading their ace Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox, it’s clear that they’re in this rebuild for the long haul. It’s certainly frustrating for White Sox fans who haven’t seen sustained success in two decades.
One thing’s for certain for the White Sox: they can find left-handers that have the potential to be dominant at the big league level. The club got the most out of Crochet and Chris Sale before him, even if they ultimately dealt both. We can’t quite label the White Sox having a ‘pitching factory’ by any means. However, no one can overlook the success of Sale and Crochet before Schultz.
That being said, the White Sox aren’t looking to thrust Noah Schultz into their rotation. In fact, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, it’s highly unlikely he’ll break camp with the White Sox. He’s more likely to be seen in 2026. Schultz is on tap to make big steps forward, as Schultz talked about pitch counts and innings with Merkin:
“I’ve been on a pitch limit for two years. But I’m excited this year to finally be off that,” Schultz said. “It’s going to be definitely a little bit different, but there’s a bunch of guys here who have all done it longer than I have. It’s nice to learn from them and pick up on how to adapt throughout the week.”
Noah Schultz is thrilled to be in the future ace conversation. White Sox fans will see him on the South Side soon enough.
