Chicago White Sox Pitching Prospect Continues to Get High Marks This Spring

A lot of the headlines go to Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz, but Grant Taylor, a former second-round pick out of LSU, is helping White Sox fans feel like their prospect pool is deeper than originally thought.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Grant Taylor (81) poses for a photo on media day at the team’s spring training facility in Glendale, AZ on Feb. 20. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

A rebuild is long and painful, but for the Chicago White Sox, there is finally some optimism at the end of the tunnel.

The White Sox went 41-121 last season, playing to the worst record in the Modern Era, but through multiple trades and recent drafts, the farm system is now starting to bear fruit that has people excited.

There are top pitching prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, as well as position players like Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery, that have people buzzing, but there's another prospect that keeps catching people's eyes: Grant Taylor.

Recently, Taylor drew the attention of Jeff Passan of ESPN, and now, Baseball America has listed him as one of the prospects with breakout potential this season.

Taylor came out of 2024 a RoboScout favorite thanks to his filthy arsenal, and he’s since carried over the buzz he generated at the Arizona Fall League by further lighting up Stuff+ models this spring training with huge extension and a five-pitch arsenal including a fastball that sits 99 mph. His 2025 will be to focus on building up to a starter’s workload. If he can’t hit his high ceiling as a starting pitcher, he could always be a high-leverage weapon out of a bullpen.

Ryan Sloan already had the ingredients that you’d want in a prep pitcher:

✅ Workhorse frame
✅ Plus fastball
✅ Two secondaries
✅ Solid command.

Throw in the @MsPlayerDev pitching lab, and he has breakout written all over him.https://t.co/rARaslGhWE pic.twitter.com/5matCCVrmu

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 22, 2025

Taylor is currently ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline. He was just optioned to minor league camp and is predicted to make his debut in 2026.

Now 22, Taylor was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft out of LSU. He played there with Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, who were selected 1-2 in that same draft.

Taylor has never played above A-Ball, so it's unclear where he'll start the season this year. Presuming he starts in A-Ball or Double-A, his regular season will begin on April 4.

He had a 2.33 ERA in five appearances last season.

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