2025 South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 67: Fraser Ellard
Now a bullpen fixture, but hey, he still has rookie status
Fraser Ellard
Left-Handed Relief Pitcher
6´4´´
220 pounds
Age: 27
2022 South Side Sox Top Prospect Rank 93
2023 South Side Sox Top Prospect Rank 68
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Rank 81
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -3.0 years
SSS rank among all left-handed relievers in the system 4
Overall 2024 MLB stats 2-3 ⚾️ 1 SV ⚾️ 25 games (2 finishes) ⚾️ 24 IP ⚾️ 3.75 ERA ⚾️ 1.250 WHIP ⚾️ 26 K ⚾️ 12 BB
While a senior for King’s Ridge Christian School in Alpharetta, Ga., Fraser Ellard posted a 7-1 record and 1.12 ERA as a senior. After spending a year with Truett-McConnell CC (Cleveland, Ga.), Ellard spent the next three years pitching for tiny Lander University (Greenwood, S.C.), where as a senior he posted an impressive 1.38 ERA in 26 innings as a starter before the pandemic shutdown. Ellard transferred to Liberty University as a redshirt senior and posted a 3.65 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 26 outings while striking out 63 in 44 1⁄3 innings. The White Sox liked him enough to select him in the eighth round of the 2021 draft.
While performing well in an abbreviated three-game stint with the ACL Sox, Ellard struggled a bit with Kannapolis, posting a 4.96 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in 11 appearances. In 16 1⁄3 innings for the Cannon Ballers, he surrendered 19 hits (.275 OBA) and 10 walks (12.3%) while fanning 21 (25.9%). He doesn’t possess blazing stuff, but he does have a fairly deceptive delivery that hides the ball until just the last moment.
In 2022, Ellard was challenged by the White Sox, with a fairly aggressive promotion to Winston-Salem. Fraser proved up to the task, with a 3.78 ERA and some closing duty; a year older than his High-A peers, the White Sox again challenged Fraser, with a move in late May up to Double-A Birmingham. The southpaw struggled there, but not so much as to stifle his upward mobility in the system.
All told, Ellard missed about 3 1⁄2 months in 2023, with two separate stints on the IL and a truncated start and end to his season. He scuffled badly during his second Double-A stint, which made his inclusion as part of the AFL contingent for the White Sox a bit curious. However, in a small sample size (nine games, nine innings) at Glendale in October, Ellard was NAILS, pitching to a 2.00 ERA and 14 strikeouts against one walk.
That strong finish, putting him firmly back on the White Sox radar, saw the left start the season at Charlotte and pitch his way up to the majors in August. His Triple-A and MLB efforts have some mirror imaging, with both his usage and results falling almost completely in line with one another.
Fraser’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Strikeouts 80 (+2 from last season)
Durability 66 (-4)
K/BB 58 (-3)
Hittable 50 (+11)
vs. Power 50 (+11)
Walks 42 (-4)
Average 57.67 (+2.17)
Arguably, Ellard was better in the majors than at Charlotte, which bodes well for his future role in the South Side pen.
2025 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
100. Cole McConnell, CF
99. Drake Logan, LF
98. Marcelo Alcala, RF
97. Lyle Miller-Green, 1B
96. Jared Kelley, RHRP
95. Adrian Gil, 1B
94. Adam Hackenberg, C
93. Loidel Chapelli, 2B
92. Eddie Park, CF
91. Chase Plymell, RHRP
90. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHRP
89. Tristan Stivors, RHRP
88. Pierce George, RHRP
87. Wes Kath, 3B
86. Daniel González, LHRP
85. Mikey Kane, 1B
84. Shane Murphy, LHSP
83. Connor McCullough, RHSP
82. Braden Shewmake, SS
81. Caleb Freeman, RHRP
80. Michael Turner, C
79. Drew McDaniel, RHSP
78. Jurdrick Profar, SS
77. Reudis Diaz, RHSP
76. Phil Fox, RHRP
75. Terrell Tatum, CF
74. Calvin Harris, C
73. Jacob Burke, CF
72. Alec Makarewicz, 1B
71. Carson Jacobs, RHRP
70. Nick Altermatt, RHRP
69. Drew Dalquist, RHRP
68. Zach Franklin, RHRP
67. Fraser Ellard, LHRP