2025 South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 18
Wikelman Gonzalez tops our Round 17 ballot. So, who is the 18th-best prospect in the White Sox system?
The Garrett Crochet trade to Boston is laid to rest this round, at least in the Prospect Vote sense, as Wikelman Gonzalez advances with 45 of 214 votes (21%):
While Ryan Teel (voted No. 8) and Braden Montgomery (No. 9) were hurt by the timing of the trade, as they advanced likely later than would have been the case if the trade took place in November. But Chase Meidroth (No. 10) and now Wikelman (No. 18) seem about right.
Wikleman doesn’t just leave Jacob as the only remaining Gonzalez in the Poll, but becomes the fourth RHSP to advance:
Here are the past No. 17s in our Votes:
- 2024 Loidel Chapelli (21%)
- 2023 Carlos Pérez (16%)
- 2022 Jonathan Stiever (40%)
- 2021 Micker Adolfo (30%)
- 2020 Luis González (28%)
- 2019 Steele Walker (51%)
- 2018 Luis González (43%)
Seriously, strong starter and very possible April 2025 South Side rotation member Jairo Iriarte remains the only original candidate from our first ballot and continues to flounder the the second division of our ballot.
Seth Keener made an impressive debut, landing at No. 4 with 23 votes. This round, infielder William Bergolla makes his first ballot.
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%)
- Wikelman Gonzalez — 21% (Veras 13%, Nastrini 12%, Keener 11%, Bush 10%, Iriarte 9%, Burke 8%, J. Gonzalez 7%, Bonemer 6%, Larson 5%)
William Bergolla
Second Baseman
Age 20
2024 High Level Winston-Salem (High-A)
Age relative to high level -3.1 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 89 G ▪️ 1 HR ▪️ 40 RBI ▪️ .300/.359/.381 ▪️ 20 BB ▪️ 38 K▪️ 27-of-33 (81.8%) SB ▪️ .984 FLD%
A tidy pickup from the Phillies for Tanner Banks at the trade deadline last summer, Bergolla fits the bat discipline/speed type that Chris Getz has been collecting of late. He’s been a fast riser, jumping right from the DSL to Low-A ball and cracking High-A, traversing four levels in three seasons.
Caleb Bonemer
Shortstop
Age 19
2024 High Level Okemos (Mich.) H.S.
Age relative to high level N/A
Overall 2024 prep 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.
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.