The White Sox Are Loading up With Top MLB Draft Picks
As the traditional second half of the MLB season resumes after the usual All-Star break, it’s a foregone conclusion that the White Sox will not make the postseason come this October.
For those of the South Side faithful who were clinging to the last bit of hope, well, that’s now gone, and it’s time to start evaluating prospects to figure out the Opening Day 2026 roster.
Let’s chalk up the 2025 season to what it really is: an experiment to see what works and who works well together in each position.
I hate to use the oft-overused term, but the 2025 regular season is nothing more than a rebuild for the Chicago White Sox. Hey, fans of Windy City sports – does this sound vaguely familiar? Aren’t the Bears and the Blackhawks in a perpetual state of rebuilding as well? If you answered yes to that question, then it comes as no surprise that the Pale Hose are in a similar predicament within the professional sports landscape.
The really good news is that the White Sox were able to take a proverbial leap forward with the recent MLB Draft, and according to many pundits, the Sox came out as overall winners in the draft lottery.
Round 1 Pick: SS Billy Carlson
Who isn’t excited by this top-notch draft pick? Billy Carlson is a high school infielder prodigy who hails from Corona High School in southern California. In case you’re wondering where this city is located, it’s halfway between Riverside, CA, and Newport Beach, right off the 91 freeway, which is one of the busiest freeways in the world.
Corona HS also produced a first-round draft pick in the form of RHP Seth Hernandez for the Pittsburgh Pirates, so there’s something in the water on the edge of Riverside County (writer’s note: I’m originally from this county and am very familiar with the area.) Carlson was originally committed to play at Rocky Top with the Tennessee Volunteers. Still, a projected $6.24 million signing bonus and a chance to play shortstop sooner rather than later with the White Sox certainly is a tempting carrot in front of a young baseball player.
Carlson is a 6’1″, 185-pound shortstop who seems to bring all the tools to the table for the Sox and is regarded as a defensive genius. If he’s not rushed to the Show, I predict that Carlson will either be called up at the very end of the 2026 season or receive a spring training invitation in early 2027. The White Sox certainly hit paydirt with Carlson as their top draft pick this season, and a talented infielder should never go to waste within the Sox farm system.
Round 2 Pick: C/OF Jaden Fauske
What do you do with a catcher who prefers to play in the outfield? If you’re the Chicago White Sox, go ahead and draft this kind of player. That’s exactly what the Sox did when they selected Jaden Fauske in the second round of the MLB draft last weekend. Fauske is a solid 6’3, 200-pound catcher/outfielder who was the Gatorade player of the year in Illinois with Nazareth Academy, and his size alone says one thing: power.
There seems to be a growing trend of catchers who can also roam in the outfield and with that kind of mobility and defensive flexibility, combined with size, it’s no doubt that Jaden Fauske will find a roster spot down the road with the White Sox (or become trade bait as a top prospect.) Another position that probably slides through the crack is the now-permanent role of the Designated Hitter (DH), and players who can swing the wood with power and consistency can now find themselves highly touted in the DH role.
Round 3 Pick: SS Kyle Lodise
If the Lodise last name sounds familiar, it should, since third-round draft pick Kyle Lodise’s cousin Alex plays for Florida State and is another top college baseball prospect in his own right. Lodise is a product of Georgia Tech, and the 5’11’, 180-pound shortstop almost certainly wasn’t drafted for the left side of the infield but will move over to second base once he enters the White Sox farm system. Lodise brings maturity as a college baseball player to the Sox, and this physical and mental maturity will likely enable him to move to the top of the line in terms of development for the Show.
Lodise also brings a flair for being a utility infielder who can also play in the outfield if necessary. That type of defensive flexibility means that the Sox will no doubt develop Lodise as a top prospect, and his shot at the big leagues could come at any time next season.
PHOTO: MLB/Facebook
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