Chicago White Sox Prospect Caleb Bonemer Playing Beyond His Years

CHICAGO –– From his stature to his on-field performance, one might guess White Sox prospect Caleb Bonemer is further along in his professional baseball career.

But still in just his first season in the White Sox minor league system, Bonemer has earned a promotion and hasn't slowed down against tougher competition while playing shortstop and third base.

"Productive player and you look at him, he's 19, but he feels like a guy who went to college," White Sox director of hitting Ryan Fuller said Sunday in Chicago. "He's physical, really strong and simple out there. That's what I love about him."

"It's really good at-bats. He knows the strike zone. When he hits, there's a lot of authority behind it as well. A guy who, full year, obviously most of the year in Kannapolis and now Winston, making a playoff push right here. But that experience for him, his first full season being really productive, looking forward to carrying that momentum to next year."

The White Sox selected Bonemer in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Okemos High School in Michigan, and he began his professional career this season in Single-A Kannapolis. After displaying a well-rounded game with a .281/.400/.458/.859 slash line,10 home runs, 58 RBIs, 27 stolen bases, 68 walks and 91 strikeouts in 432 plate appearances, he moved up to High-A and hasn't skipped a beat.

Bonemer homered twice on Sunday for Winston-Salem, part of a 6-for-21 start at the plate with a 1.162 OPS. On average, Bonemer is three years younger than position players in High-A, making his season all the more impressive.

His recent production led to a significant jump in the MLB Pipeline rankings, moving into the top 100 overall for the first time and coming in at No. 4 among White Sox prospects.

Fuller gets an up-close look at all levels of the White Sox organization, from Rookie Ball to the Major Leagues. He's noticed Bonemer take well to subtle adjustments that have allowed him to have a productive season.

"He's been working at it, that's the beautiful thing. He's a tighter mover, he doesn't need to have a ton of rhythm, big movements for him to get his swing off," Fuller said. "But it has been the timing of the separation, trying not to hold positions for too long, has been really encouraging. I think he'll tell you that it's been an evolution even though if you put two swings side by side, it may not look incredibly different. But he's making progress and he understands how his body moves really well."

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