Jaden Fauske of Nazareth Academy thrilled to drafted by hometown White Sox

After picking Billy Carlson out of Corona High School in California in the first round of the MLB Draft, the White Sox went in their own backyard to nab Nazareth Academy’s Jaden Fauske in the second round.

CBS News Chicago recently profiled Fauske, the Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. He was coached by Hall of Famer Jim Thome and grew up a Sox fan.

Fauske said it was definitely a pinch-me moment to hear his name called by his hometown team.

“It’s a dream come true — I mean, you think about that when you’re sitting in the stands, you know, when I was 12 years old, like, I want to be wearing these uniforms,” Fauske said. “I want to be playing on this field one day. To see that materialize, it means everything.”

Earlier, the White Sox took Carlson with the 10th overall pick. He was one of the record 17 shortstops taken in the first round.

Carlson was the sixth shortstop and the second player from Corona High School selected in the first 10 picks. In the 2024 draft, only 10 shortstops were taken in the top 30 picks.

In the third round, the White Sox took shortstop Kyle Lodise of Georgia Tech.

The Cubs also added three prospects, starting with Ethan Conrad at No. 17. The 21-year-old outfielder out of Wake Forest was the 17th overall pick.

Conrad played 21 games this season before a season-ending shoulder surgery.

The Cubs’ second-round pick was Kane Kepley, an outfielder from North Carolina. In the third round, they took right-handed pitcher Dominick Reed from Abilene Christian.

Brendan Summerhill, an alum of Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, was selected 42nd overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Competitive Balance Round A of the draft. The outfielder is fresh off helping Arizona make the College World Series.