2025 South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 17

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02 Jan 2025 18:43

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Bryan Ramos tops our Round 16 ballot. So, who is the 17th-best prospect in the White Sox system?

With surprisingly low overall positioning, Bryan Ramos had a very easy time of it, taking 45 of 211 votes (21%):

And yep, suddenly it’s third base fever, as we went 14 rounds without adding anyone from the hot corner before going back-to-back with Alexander Albertus and now Ramos.

It’s Ramos’ sixth time in our vote, and here are his prior five placements:

2024 3
2023 3
2022 12
2021 22
2020 38

Here are the past No. 16s in our Votes:

2024 Jonathan Cannon (23%)
2023 Loidel Chapelli (15%)
2022 Luis Mieses (25%)
2021 Blake Rutherford (29%)
2020 Danny Mendick (30%)
2019 Seby Zavala (37%)
2018 Seby Zavala (55%)

Sean Burke and Jacob Gonzalez keep flipping back and forth, and Jairo Iriarte pulled into a rare tie, with Ky Bush in fifth place. Somehow, Iriarte is now the final player from our original Vote (No. 1!) to still remain on the ballot.

Wilfred Veras had an impressive debut, landing at No. 3 with 23 votes. This round, righthander Seth Keener makes his ballot debut.

South Side Sox Top-Voted White Sox Prospects for 2025

Brooks Baldwin — 37% (Schultz 26%, Quero 13%, Smith 4.5%, C. Montgomery 4.1%, Adams 3.8%, Wolkow 3.5%, Taylor 3.1%, Iriarte 2.8%, Ramos 2.4%)
Noah Schultz — 21% (Quero 19%, Smith 11.4%, C. Montgomery 10.7%, Adams 9%, Wolkow 8%, Taylor 7%, Bush 6%, Ramos 5%, Iriarte 4%)
Edgar Quero — 25% (Smith 15%, C. Montgomery 12%, Adams 9%, Wolkow 8%, Taylor 7.4%, Bush 6.9%, Ramos 6.3%, Iriarte 5.7%, Perez 5.1%)
Hagen Smith — 23% (C. Montgomery 18%, Adams 11%, Perez 9%, Taylor 8.0%, Wolkow 7.5%, Ramos 7.0%, J. Gonzalez 6.5%, Bush 6.0%, Iriarte 5.5%)
Colson Montgomery — 29% (Adams 13%, Taylor 10%, Perez/Wolkow 9.5%, Ramos 8.6%, J. Gonzalez 6%, Bush 5.4%, Iriarte 5.0%, Bonemer 4.5%)
Aldrin Batista — 22% (Adams 13%, Perez 12%, Taylor 11%, Wolkow 10%, Ramos 9%, Bush 7%, J. Gonzalez 6.3%, Iriarte 5.9%, Bonemer 5.4%)
Mason Adams — 20% (Perez 13%, Taylor 12%, Wolkow 10%, Ramos 9.1%, J. Gonzalez 8.6%, Iriarte 8.1%, Bush 7.5%, Larson 6%, Bonemer 5%)
Kyle Teel — 30% (B. Montgomery 9.4%, Meidroth 8.7%, Perez 8.1%, W. Gonzalez/Taylor 7.4%, Wolkow 6.7%, Ramos 5.4%, J. Gonzalez 4.7%, Bush 4.0%, Iriarte 3.4%, Larson 2.7%, Bonemer 2.0%)
Braden Montgomery — 26% (Meidroth 11%, Perez 10%, Taylor 9%, W. Gonzalez 8%, Ramos 6.7%, Wolkow 6.4%, J. Gonzalez 5.8%, Bush 5.5%, Iriarte 5.1%, Bonemer 4%, Larson 3%)
Chase Meidroth — 22% (Perez 12%, Taylor 11%, W. Gonzalez 10%, Wolkow 9%, Ramos 8%, J. Gonzalez 7%, Iriarte 6.3%, Bush 5.8%, Bonemer 5.3%, Larson 4.8%)
Jeral Perez — 20% (Taylor 14%, W. Gonzalez 12%, Wolkow 11%, Ramos 10%, J. Gonzalez 9%, Bush 8%, Iriarte 7%, Bonemer 6%, Larson 5%)
Grant Taylor — 25% (Wolkow 12.1%, W. Gonzalez 11.6%, Ramos 10%, Bush 9%, Iriarte 8.1%, Burke 7.6%, J. Gonzalez 6.1%, Bonemer 5.6%, Larson 5.1%)
George Wolkow — 24% (W. Gonzalez 12.3%, Ramos 11.8%, Iriarte 10%, Nastrini 9%, Bush 8%, J. Gonzalez 7%, Burke 6%, Bonemer 5.4%, Larson 4.9%)
Tyler Schweitzer — 20% (Ramos 13%, W. Gonzalez 12%, Nastrini 11%, Bush 10%, Iriarte 9%, J. Gonzalez 8%, Burke 7%, Bonemer 6%, Larson 5%)
Alexander Albertus — 18% (Ramos 14%, W. Gonzalez 12%, Nastrini 11%, Bush 10%, Iriarte 9%, Burke 8%, J. Gonzalez 7%, Bonemer 6%, Larson 5%)
Bryan Ramos — 21% (W. Gonzalez 12%, Veras 11%, Nastrini 10.4%, Bush/Iriarte 10.0%, J. Gonzalez 8%, Burke 7%, Bonemer 6%, Larson 5%)

Caleb Bonemer

Shortstop
Age 19
2024 High Level Okemos (Mich.) H.S.
Age relative to high level N/A
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 8 HR ▪️ 35 RBI ▪️ .541 BA ▪️ 15 SB

There’s scant stat evidence available for Bonemer, but the White Sox dipped back into the plans of prior drafts by picking a prep high up in the draft, and a shortstop at that (Jacob Gonzalez was 2023’s first-rounder, Colson Montgomery 2021’s). Bonemer was Michigan’s player of the year as a prep, but at just 19 should see a lot more developmental (Camelback Ranch) play than game action in 2025.

Sean Burke

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 25
2022 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 13
2023 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 12
2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 22
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -5.0 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 2-7▪️ 19 starts ▪️ 71 2⁄3 IP ▪️ 4.77 ERA ▪️ 103 K▪️ 41 BB ▪️ 1.340 WHIP

Burke was on the cusp of the majors in 2023 before an early injury cashed out his season. After a long road back, the hoss of a righty climbed quickly back to Triple-A and made his White Sox debut in September. In four games (three starts, one finish), Burke went 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA over 19 innings. He is a solid bet to break camp in the big-league rotation.

Ky Bush

Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 25
2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 19
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -5.0 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 7-4▪️ 20 games (18 starts, 1 finish) ▪️ 71 2⁄3 IP ▪️ 3.30 ERA ▪️ 100 K▪️ 49 BB ▪️ 1.166 WHIP

Bush made big and unexpected strides in 2024, improving greatly on a career that to date had been more promise, less delivery. He was a stalwart in the crushing Birmingham Barons rotation for most of the summer, then made his MLB debut in August, after spending a short stopover in Triple-A.

Jacob Gonzalez

Shortstop
Age 22
2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 9
2024 High Level Birmingham (Double-A)
Age relative to high level -1.7 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 130 games ▪️ 8 HR ▪️ 57 RBI ▪️ .238/.307/.343 ▪️ 47 BB ▪️ 74 K ▪️ 17-of-23 (73.9%) SB ▪️ .975 FLD%

Gonzalez got off to a strong start at High-A Winston-Salem (particularly in slugging .399, flexing far harder than he had in his 2023 debut) but tailed off pretty badly as the season wore on. A shortstop who for a second seemed like he might keep pace with the ascendance of Brooks Baldwin and catch Colson Montgomery at Charlotte ended up running out of gas completely.

Wikelman Gonzalez

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 23
2024 High Level Portland (AA)
Age relative to high level -2.5 years
Overall 2024 stats 4-3 ▪️ 24 games (19 starts, 1 finish) ▪️ 83 2⁄3 IP ▪️ 4.73 ERA ▪️ 92 K ▪️ 46 BB ▪️ 1.255 WHIP

The fourth and least-regarded piece of the Crochet trade, Gonzalez nonetheless sat at No. 14 on Boston’s MLB Pipeline prospect list on the strength of mostly solid stints as a pro, underage at every stop so far. His arresting numbers in 2024 at Double-A indicate a step-back season, particularly with command faltering, and a bullpen transition may loom if he cannot sharpen back up.

Jairo Iriarte

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 23
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -7.0 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 5-7 ▪️ 23 games (22 starts, 1 finish) ▪️ 126 IP ▪️ 3.71 ERA ▪️ 122 K ▪️ 57 BB ▪️ 1.278 WHIP

As the co-headliner (or darn close) of the Dylan Cease trade last spring, it was no surprise when GM Chris Getz touted Iriarte as sure to get a call-up to the majors by season’s end. Almost every moment of his 2024 pointed in that direction, as he dominated at Double-A. Following a trend that also included Drew Thorpe and Bryan Ramos, Iriarte was one of the two September call-ups to begin September and worked out of the bullpen for six innings to end the season. He’s on the short list to break camp with the big club this spring.

Seth Keener

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 23
2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 20
2024 High Level Winston-Salem (High-A)
Age relative to high level -1.0 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 4-4 ▪️ 16 starts ▪️ 69 1⁄3 IP ▪️ 4.02 ERA ▪️ 82 K ▪️ 36 BB ▪️ 1.298 WHIP

The 2023 third-rounder saw his roll slowed a bit due to injury than knocked him out for about six weeks in the second half last year. And upon promotion to High-A, it was very rough going (two starts, five innings, 12.60 ERA). Still, this starter intrigues and was a dark horse candidate for the highest-ceiling pitcher taken by the Sox two summers ago.

Blake Larson

Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 19
2024 High Level IMG Academy (Prep)
Age relative to high level N/A
Overall 2024 stats N/A

Larson was a TCU commit out of IMG Academy (via Des Moines, Iowa high school). He was rated a lower pick in the draft (108ish) than the spot the White Sox selected him (second round, 68th overall), but the club took a shot on a $1 million-plus bonus getting a young arm to eschew the Horned Frogs, and succeeded. Larson will likely be on the slow boat coming out of spring, with extended instruction at Camelback Ranch and some token starts in the short ACL season. In 2026, we might get a chance to see him getting rotation work in Kannapolis.

Nick Nastrini

Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 25
2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 5
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -5.0 years
Overall 2024 Triple-A stats 3-9 ▪️ 21 games (18 starts) ▪️ 85 IP ▪️ 5.29 ERA ▪️ 98 K ▪️ 52 BB ▪️ 1.588 WHIP

The 2024 season started so promisingly for Nastrini, as he tore it up well enough in Cactus League (3.77 ERA over five games) to merit breaking north with the White Sox. However, he caught the flu and lost his mojo. Yes, he made his MLB debut ... but the season itself was miserable (nine games, eight starts, seven losses, zero wins), pitching to a 7.07 ERA and 1.907 WHIP. After his run in the bigs, he was battered back in Triple-A as well.

Wilfred Veras

Right Fielder
Age 22
2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 12
2024 High Level Birmingham (AA)
Age relative to high level -2.7 years
2024 MiLB stats 128 games ▪️ 16 HR ▪️ 60 RBI ▪️ .267/.319/.424 ▪️ 34 BB ▪️ 140 K ▪️ 25-of-34 (73.5%) SB ▪️ .966 FLD%

Veras put up solid numbers while playing very young for his level, yet still managed to disappoint in 2024. His swing-and-miss is extreme at this juncture, although the pieces are seemingly in place for him still to be a major impact player.