It is the ninth year of Top Prospect voting at South Side Sox!<\/p>\n
First, let us review past years:<\/p>\n
To make sure we give the SSS readership a strong vote in our South Side Sox Top 100, we\u2019re going to run five or 10 polls before kicking off our Top 100 Prospect countdown. Ideally, we get 50 votes in, and then somewhere around the end of January the Prospect Vote and Top 100 will meet. From there, we will stop the polling and run through the Top 50, finishing during Spring Training.<\/p>\n
As of now our countdown will start with Zach DeLoach at No. 100, but that name changed once already as this was being written. As is custom, the Prospect Vote will turn over to the next round as soon as the top vote-getter seems to have an insurmountable lead \u2014 but we\u2019ll take no longer than a week to vote even in the closest battles.<\/p>\n
Unlike most years, our staff ballots feature a variety of players as our No. 1 prospect. Who will you choose, in this wide-open race?<\/p>\n
Four players from last year\u2019s Top 10 Prospects have lost their prospect status due to MLB service (Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, Grant Taylor). Both as a consequence of these graduations AND poor performance from formerly plum prospects, just two players on last year\u2019s initial ballot appear in this year\u2019s as well.<\/p>\n
Eight of the 10 players on this first 2026 ballot played in the White Sox system in 2025, with the exception of two 2025 draft choices.<\/p>\n
This year, three players (Drew Dalquist, Jared Kelley and DJ Gladney) mark in their seventh year in our Top 100, which is pretty amazing. On the other hand, in each case the players have seen their prospect status sink, or at best, stall.<\/p>\n
All right, let\u2019s have some fun. And get voting!<\/p>\n
The longest poll period so far this season also resulted in a razor-tight race. In fact, for a brief time the top two finishers were tied, and in fact Shane Murphy led at different junctures of voting. However, Christian Oppor prevailed, with 21 of 86 (24%) votes:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
This is Oppor\u2019s first time winning a Vote. He was drafted in the fifth round back in 2023.<\/p>\n
This decade\u2019s other No. 7s<\/strong> Oppor joins Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz as left-handed starters to advance so far, making this the first position with three winners, and among the Top 8 picks at that:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Newcomer Murphy had the best debut of this year\u2019s polling so far, narrowly missing an outright win on his first ballot. New to the Vote this round is southpaw Jake Palisch.<\/p>\n Mason Adams<\/strong> This 13th-rounder was rising in the system despite being counted out at every turn \u2014 until an arm injury during a Cactus League game last spring saw Adams tumble into Tommy John surgery. Obviously there are questions surrounding his recovery, but it may be easier to rely on a bounce-back from an overachiever like Adams than most hurlers.<\/p>\n William Bergolla<\/strong> The epitome of a \u201cChris Getz player,\u201d Bergolla offsets his Punch-and-Judy bat with deft baserunning, a killer glove and incredible plate discipline. Well young for his level, this legacy player (dad, also William Bergolla) has cut through the White Sox system like butter since his acquisition at the 2024 trade deadline (from Philly, for Tanner Banks).<\/p>\n Reudis Diaz<\/strong> Who? You\u2019re forgiven for being unfamiliar with an extremely young arm who hasn\u2019t yet gotten out of rookie ball, but our No. 77 prospect a year ago (then a starter, repeating the DSL and killing it) made a successful adjustment Stateside. He\u2019ll return to starting in 2026, likely getting his feet wet in Arizona and getting a promotion to Low-A in the second half of the season.<\/p>\n Jaden Fauske<\/strong> Another thing the White Sox just can\u2019t stay away from are products of their Area Codes team. Following in Bonemer\u2019s (and George Wolkow, as well as pitchers Noah Schultz and Blake Larson) footsteps is the Jim Thome-approved Fauske, who was a catcher-outfielder but now seems set on giving it a bigger run in the field than behind the plate. It will be interesting to see whether the White Sox give Fauske any catching reps (he grades out well as a catcher); for what it is worth, he was announced at the draft as an outfielder-only.<\/p>\n Kyle Lodise<\/strong> Last summer\u2019s third-rounder got right to work after the draft, reporting to High-A and adding another third to what was already the longest (55 games) season of his career. While that slash is rough, at least nearly a fourth (four of 17) of the shortstop\u2019s hits left the yard. Perhaps against easier competition (or, maybe not), Lodise ran out a .329\/.429\/.667 slash in his last college season for Georgia Tech, with similar power, baserunning and bat discipline numbers.<\/p>\n Shane Murphy<\/strong> It is utterly outrageous how good Murphy was in 2025. While we\u2019ll try not to toot our own horn here, given that Murphy pretty much came out of nowhere last summer, at least we are adjusting and getting this ace his due while outlets like MLB Pipeline still HAVE NOT PLACED MURPHY IN ITS TOP 30 WHITE SOX PROSPECTS. Anyhow, the southpaw even managed to survive his cup of coffee in Charlotte (2.45 ERA over three starts). If there\u2019s an out-of-nowhere bid for the White Sox rotation next spring, the pitcher probably will have an Irish surname on the back of his uniform.<\/p>\n Jake Palsich<\/strong> Palisch was a fluke call-up during Adrian Houser\u2019s paternity leave last summer, but his stellar Double-A season certainly merited consideration. While a pretty old player for his level and a guy bringing pedestrian peripherals, the bottom line is that an arm able to start or relieve and generate outs without overpowering stuff has a place in the White Sox system \u2014 and perhaps with the White Sox themselves.<\/p>\n Peyton Pallette<\/strong> Pallette has spent two or three seasons now as the likely \u201cnext closer up\u201d among White Sox farmhands, and his heavy time spent in Charlotte last summer might mean the big club is ready to see him break north with them next spring. While the former starter hasn\u2019t quite mastered Charlotte, what pitcher truly can in such a robust hitting environment. There\u2019s no product of the system ready to advance to the bigs more than Pallette.<\/p>\n Jeral Perez<\/strong> On the plus side, Perez nearly doubled his homers and proved to have surprising thumb for a smallish middle infielder. However, he misses a lot of balls both at the plate and in the field. A challenge for the still very young bopper is finding a way to distinguish himself with stiff competition right around his age and level, including three MIs on this ballot: William Bergolla, Caleb Bonemer and Billy Carlson.<\/p>\n George Wolkow<\/strong> Wolkow flashed a bagload of skills in repeating Low-A in 2025, including a stellar steals volume and rate that had only been hinted at previously as a pro. He also continues to man a challenging outfield spot, flashing an arm strong enough for right but dexterity that can be a fit in center. That said, his improved K-rate (29.6%!) still leaves a lot to be desired. For a fella whose power has evaporated (just 13 homers and 31 XBHs all season), 2026 looms as a crucial development year. Gulp: Wolkow will be forced up to High-A without really proving he\u2019s mastered Kannapolis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Christian Oppor is our No. 8. Who is the ninth-best prospect in the White Sox system?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":118644,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n2025<\/strong> Kyle Teel (30%)
\n2024<\/strong> Jordan Leasure (23%)
\n2023<\/strong> Christian Mena (27%)
\n2022<\/strong> Romy Gonzalez (41%)
\n2021<\/strong> Gavin Sheets (29%)
\n2020<\/strong> Luis Basabe (32%)<\/p>\nSouth Side Sox Top-Voted <\/strong>White Sox Prospects for 202<\/strong>6<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\nRight-Handed Starting Pitcher
\nAge<\/strong> 26
\n2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking<\/strong> 29
\n2025 SSS Prospect Poll ranking<\/strong> 8
\n2024 high level<\/strong> Charlotte (AAA)
\nAge relative to high level <\/strong>-3.0 years
\nOverall 2024 stats (AA\/AAA)<\/strong> 7-5 \u25aa\ufe0f 23 games (22 starts, one finish) \u25aa\ufe0f 1 CG \u25aa\ufe0f 120 1\u20443 IP \u25aa\ufe0f 2.92 ERA \u25aa\ufe0f 110 K \u25aa\ufe0f 28 BB \u25aa\ufe0f 1.146 WHIP \u25aa\ufe0f3.0 WAR<\/p>\n
\nShortstop
\nAge<\/strong> 21
\n2025 high level<\/strong> Birmingham (AA)
\nAge relative to high level <\/strong>-3.7 years
\nOverall 2025 stats <\/strong>125 games \u25aa\ufe0f 0 HR \u25aa\ufe0f 36 RBI \u25aa\ufe0f .286\/.342\/.333 \u25aa\ufe0f 40-of-51 (78.4%) SB \u25aa\ufe0f 37 BB \u25aa\ufe0f 26 K \u25aa\ufe0f .981 FLD%\u25aa\ufe0f 4.4 WAR<\/p>\n
\nRight-handed relief pitcher
\nAge<\/strong> 20
\n2025 high level<\/strong> ACL (Rookie)
\nAge relative to high level <\/strong>-2.1 years
\nOverall 2025 stats <\/strong>1-1 \u25aa\ufe0f 1 SV\u25aa\ufe0f 21 games (4 finishes) \u25aa\ufe0f 27 2\/3 IP \u25aa\ufe0f 2.28.ERA \u25aa\ufe0f 18 K \u25aa\ufe0f 8 BB \u25aa\ufe0f 1.084 WHIP \u25aa\ufe0f1.2 WAR<\/p>\n
\nOutfielder
\nAge<\/strong> 18
\n2025 high level <\/strong>Nazareth Academy (Ill.) (Prep)
\nScouting grades (40-80 scale) <\/strong>Hit 55 \u25aa\ufe0f Power 50 \u25aa\ufe0f Run 55 \u25aa\ufe0f Arm 50 \u25aa\ufe0f Field 50 \u25aa\ufe0f Overall 50<\/p>\n
\nShortstop
\nAge<\/strong> 22
\n2025 high level <\/strong>Winston-Salem (High-A)
\nAge relative to high level <\/strong>-1.0 years
\nOverall 2025 stats <\/strong>28 games \u25aa\ufe0f 4 HR \u25aa\ufe0f 10 RBI \u25aa\ufe0f .185\/.319\/.370 \u25aa\ufe0f 7-of-8 (87.5%) SB \u25aa\ufe0f 15 BB \u25aa\ufe0f 21 K \u25aa\ufe0f .954 FLD%\u25aa\ufe0f 0.4 WAR<\/p>\n
\nLeft-Handed Starting Pitcher
\nAge<\/strong> 25
\n2025 high level<\/strong> Charlotte (AAA)
\nAge relative to high level <\/strong>-3.3 years
\nOverall 2025 stats (High-A\/AA\/AAA)<\/strong> 10-5 \u25aa\ufe0f 26 games (23 starts, 1 finish) \u25aa\ufe0f 135 1\/3 IP \u25aa\ufe0f 1.66 ERA \u25aa\ufe0f 104 K \u25aa\ufe0f 25 BB \u25aa\ufe0f 0.887.WHIP \u25aa\ufe0f 5.2 WAR<\/p>\n
\nLeft-Handed Relief Pitcher
\nAge<\/strong> 27
\n2025 high level<\/strong> Chicago (MLB)
\nAge relative to high level <\/strong>-3.2 years
\nOverall 2025 stats (AA only)<\/strong> 8-3 \u25aa\ufe0f 11 SV \u25aa\ufe0f 29 games (13 starts, 1 finish) \u25aa\ufe0f 105 IP \u25aa\ufe0f 2.14.ERA \u25aa\ufe0f 67 K \u25aa\ufe0f 26 BB \u25aa\ufe0f 1.067 WHIP \u25aa\ufe0f 3.0 WAR<\/p>\n
\nRight-Handed Relief Pitcher
\nAge<\/strong> 24
\n2023 SSS Prospect Poll ranking<\/strong> 11
\n2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking<\/strong> 18
\n2025 SSS Prospect Poll ranking<\/strong> N\/R
\n2025 high level<\/strong> Charlotte (AAA)
\nAge relative to high level <\/strong>-3.3 years
\nOverall 2025 stats (AA\/AAA)<\/strong> 2-3 \u25aa\ufe0f 11 SV \u25aa\ufe0f 52 games (27 finishes) \u25aa\ufe0f 64 1\/3 IP \u25aa\ufe0f 4.06 ERA \u25aa\ufe0f 86 K \u25aa\ufe0f 28 BB \u25aa\ufe0f 1.119 WHIP \u25aa\ufe0f 1.1 WAR<\/p>\n
\nShortstop
\nAge<\/strong> 21
\n2025 SSS Prospect Poll ranking<\/strong> 11
\n2025 high level <\/strong>Winston-Salem (High-A)
\nAge relative to high level <\/strong>-2.0 years
\nOverall 2025 stats <\/strong>125 games \u25aa\ufe0f 22 HR \u25aa\ufe0f 70 RBI \u25aa\ufe0f .244\/.315\/.448 \u25aa\ufe0f 10-of-13 (76.9%) SB \u25aa\ufe0f 44 BB \u25aa\ufe0f 112 K \u25aa\ufe0f .906 FLD%\u25aa\ufe0f 1.3 WAR<\/p>\n
\nRight Fielder
\nAge<\/strong> 20
\n2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking<\/strong> 14
\n2025 SSS Prospect Poll ranking<\/strong> 13
\n2025 high level <\/strong>Kannapolis (Low-A)
\nAge relative to high level <\/strong>-1.4 years
\nOverall 2025 stats <\/strong>116 games \u25aa\ufe0f 13 HR \u25aa\ufe0f 69 RBI \u25aa\ufe0f .223\/.317\/.362 \u25aa\ufe0f 33-of-39 (84.6%) SB \u25aa\ufe0f 54 BB \u25aa\ufe0f 147 K \u25aa\ufe0f .969 FLD%\u25aa\ufe0f 1.4 WAR<\/p>\n