The One Prospect the White Sox Need to Call Up ASAP
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Unfortunately, the Chicago White Sox biggest problem was predictable.
The team walked into the 2026 campaign with a grimace-inducing starting pitching rotation. Sure, it may have been led by 2025 All-Star Shame Smith, but he looked like a shell of his former self under the Arizona sun. Fast forward to today, and he has already been sent to Charlotte after three concerning starts.
To be sure, the rest of the lineup has not been nearly as problematic as the Opening Day starter. But none of the four – Anthony Kay, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and Erick Fedde – have looked particularly dominant either. Likewise, even in the games when the Sox starters have fared well, the bullpen has come in with their eyes closed. Multiple times this season, we have seen Chicago's relievers blow a lead late, and essentially everyone has been a culprit.
Whether it be a veteran like Sean Newcomb and Jordan Hicks or less experienced arms like Chris Murphy and Jordan Leasure, the Sox have repeatedly seen big mistakes in big moments. Grant Taylor has been the only dependable arm, and manager Will Venable has opted to use him as an opener more often than not. The Sox have so far given up the third-most runs and fifth-most walks in baseball.
With that in mind, it's no surprise we have already seen GM Chris Getz begin to shuffle the chairs. Between Bryan Hudson, Lucas Sims, and, most recently, Tyler Schweitzer, the Sox have already tested out a handful of new names. And chances are this trend is going to continue over the next couple of weeks, especially with a starting rotation spot now open.
Speaking of which, the good news for the Sox is they have a slew of high-upside pitching prospects waiting to make their MLB debut. Several came into the season expecting to hear their name called at some point, but the slow start gives us reason to believe it could happen sooner than later. More specifically, there may be one prospect who has already shown he can be a key part of helping the Sox turn things around.
Will the White Sox Call Up Noah Schultz Soon?
The White Sox have taken things slow with Noah Schultz, who MLB Pipeline has listed as the organization's No. 2 prospect. The 22-year-old lefty was on a fast track to the bigs before a 2025 setback that saw him throw a 9.37 ERA in Triple-A ball. Injury trouble has played a key role in his struggles at times, with his knee being the primary issue last season.
Nevertheless, Schultz has started the season reminding everyone what he can do when healthy. He has appeared in three games so far with two starts. In these 14.0 innings pitched, Schultz has held his opponent to only two earned runs and two walks. Most notably, he has struck out a stunning 19 batters during this stretch, which included recording nine in his most recent start on Wednesday night.
To say he was dominant would be an understatement. He finished the day with just over 72.0 percent of pitches finding the zone, which has brought his strikeout rate to 40.4 percent on the season. Schultz's walk rate also sits at only 4.3 percent, which is his best mark yet in the minors.
Noah Schultz on point in his latest outing for Triple-A @KnightsBaseball 🎯
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 9, 2026
The @whitesox No. 2 prospect strikes out 9 -- his most K's since 2024 -- over five innings to lower his ERA to 1.29. pic.twitter.com/pBz0zXATln
We may be working with a pretty small sample size, but his level of comfort and confidence is impossible to ignore. Sometimes a team is better off riding that wave, and why wouldn't the Sox consider that after all the issues they have faced to start the season?
Whether it be in the bullpen or in the rotation, Schultz would instantly offer them a level of command and firepower that only Grant Taylor seems to offer. He was regularly hitting 96+ mph with his fastball on Wednesday and also did so while sprinkling in five other pitches. Does any of this mean he would immediately experience the same success in the majors? Not necessarily, but it's at least the kind of performance that warrants a try!
The White Sox have not been afraid to drown out the noise and work on their own timeline for their top prospects. At the same time, the early willingness to shake up the depth chart seems to serve as a reminder of how eager they are to put together a better season. As young as Schultz may be, there is no question that he has the stuff to help them take a step in the right direction ASAP, so why not go for it?
Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
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