2025 South Side Sox Prospect Vote: Round 13

Grant Taylor tops our Round 12 ballot. So, who is the 13th-best prospect in the White Sox system?

The revenge of White Sox draftees may be back on, as 2023 second-rounder Grant Taylor, he of five career pro starts, gets the nod in Round 12 with 50 of 198 votes (25%):

Taylor was voted our No. 15 prospect one year ago. His moving on leaves three prospects still on the ballot from our very first Vote: Jairo Iriarte, Bryan Ramos and George Wolkow.

He’s the third right-handed starter among our first 12 winners:

Here are the past No. 12s in our Votes:

• 2024 Wilfred Veras (28%)
• 2023 Sean Burke (26%)
• 2022 Bryan Ramos (33%)
• 2021 Jake Burger (28%)
• 2020 Matt Thompson (35%)
• 2019 Zack Collins (37%)
• 2018 Zack Collins (46%)

Three players made bold moves forward on this ballot including Wolkow, who has positioned himself as the favorite for the next win by jumping into second place. Jacob Gonzalez fell two spots in this recent voting. In his ballot debut, Sean Burke earned 15 nods and finished in seventh place.

Righthander and possible rotation arm in 2025, Nick Nastrini, moves onto the ballot.

South Side Sox Top-Voted White Sox Prospects for 2025

1. Brooks Baldwin — 37% (Schultz 26%, Quero 13%, Smith 4.5%, C. Montgomery 4.1%, Adams 3.8%, Wolkow 3.5%, Taylor 3.1%, Iriarte 2.8%, Ramos 2.4%)
2. Noah Schultz — 21% (Quero 19%, Smith 11.4%, C. Montgomery 10.7%, Adams 9%, Wolkow 8%, Taylor 7%, Bush 6%, Ramos 5%, Iriarte 4%)
3. Edgar Quero — 25% (Smith 15%, C. Montgomery 12%, Adams 9%, Wolkow 8%, Taylor 7.4%, Bush 6.9%, Ramos 6.3%, Iriarte 5.7%, Perez 5.1%)
4. Hagen Smith — 23% (C. Montgomery 18%, Adams 11%, Perez 9%, Taylor 8.0%, Wolkow 7.5%, Ramos 7.0%, J. Gonzalez 6.5%, Bush 6.0%, Iriarte 5.5%)
5. Colson Montgomery — 29% (Adams 13%, Taylor 10%, Perez/Wolkow 9.5%, Ramos 8.6%, J. Gonzalez 6%, Bush 5.4%, Iriarte 5.0%, Bonemer 4.5%)
6. Aldrin Batista — 22% (Adams 13%, Perez 12%, Taylor 11%, Wolkow 10%, Ramos 9%, Bush 7%, J. Gonzalez 6.3%, Iriarte 5.9%, Bonemer 5.4%)
7. Mason Adams — 20% (Perez 13%, Taylor 12%, Wolkow 10%, Ramos 9.1%, J. Gonzalez 8.6%, Iriarte 8.1%, Bush 7.5%, Larson 6%, Bonemer 5%)
8. Kyle Teel — 30% (B. Montgomery 9.4%, Meidroth 8.7%, Perez 8.1%, W. Gonzalez/Taylor 7.4%, Wolkow 6.7%, Ramos 5.4%, J. Gonzalez 4.7%, Bush 4.0%, Iriarte 3.4%, Larson 2.7%, Bonemer 2.0%)
9. Braden Montgomery — 26% (Meidroth 11%, Perez 10%, Taylor 9%, W. Gonzalez 8%, Ramos 6.7%, Wolkow 6.4%, J. Gonzalez 5.8%, Bush 5.5%, Iriarte 5.1%, Bonemer 4%, Larson 3%)
10. Chase Meidroth — 22% (Perez 12%, Taylor 11%, W. Gonzalez 10%, Wolkow 9%, Ramos 8%, J. Gonzalez 7%, Iriarte 6.3%, Bush 5.8%, Bonemer 5.3%, Larson 4.8%)
11. Jeral Perez — 20% (Taylor 14%, W. Gonzalez 12%, Wolkow 11%, Ramos 10%, J. Gonzalez 9%, Bush 8%, Iriarte 7%, Bonemer 6%, Larson 5%)
12. Grant Taylor — 25% (Wolkow 12.1%, W. Gonzalez 11.6%, Ramos 10%, Bush 9%, Iriarte 8.1%, Burke 7.6%, J. Gonzalez 6.1%, Bonemer 5.6%, Larson 5.1%)

Caleb Bonemer

Shortstop
Age 19
2024 High Level Okemos (Mich.) H.S.
Age relative to high level N/A
2024 prep stats 8 HR ▪️ 35 RBI ▪️ .541 BA ▪️ 15 SB

There’s scant stat evidence available for Bonemer, but the White Sox dipped back into the plans of prior drafts by picking a prep high up in the draft, and a shortstop at that (Jacob Gonzalez was 2023’s first-rounder, Colson Montgomery 2021’s). Bonemer was Michigan’s player of the year as a prep, but at just 19 should see a lot more developmental (Camelback Ranch) play than game action in 2025.

Sean Burke

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 25
2022 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 13
2023 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 12
2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 22
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -5.0 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 2-7▪️ 19 starts ▪️ 71 2⁄3 IP ▪️ 4.77 ERA ▪️ 103 K▪️ 41 BB ▪️ 1.340 WHIP

Burke was on the cusp of the majors in 2023 before an early injury cashed out his season. After a long road back, the hoss of a righty climbed quickly back to Triple-A and made his White Sox debut in September. In four games (three starts, one finish), Burke went 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA over 19 innings. He is a solid bet to break camp in the big-league rotation.

Ky Bush

Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 25
2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 19
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -5.0 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 7-4▪️ 20 games (18 starts, 1 finish) ▪️ 71 2⁄3 IP ▪️ 3.30 ERA ▪️ 100 K▪️ 49 BB ▪️ 1.166 WHIP

Bush made big and unexpected strides in 2024, improving greatly on a career that to date had been more promise, less delivery. He was a stalwart in the crushing Birmingham Barons rotation for most of the summer, then made his MLB debut in August, after spending a short stopover in Triple-A.

Jacob Gonzalez

Shortstop
Age 22
2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 9
2024 High Level Birmingham (Double-A)
Age relative to high level -1.7 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 130 games ▪️ 8 HR ▪️ 57 RBI ▪️ .238/.307/.343 ▪️ 47 BB ▪️ 74 K ▪️ 17-of-23 (73.9%) SB ▪️ .975 FLD%

Gonzalez got off to a strong start at High-A Winston-Salem (particularly in slugging .399, flexing far harder than he had in his 2023 debut) but tailed off pretty badly as the season wore on. A shortstop who for a second seemed like he might keep pace with the ascendance of Brooks Baldwin and catch Colson Montgomery at Charlotte ended up running out of gas completely.

Wikelman Gonzalez

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 23
2024 High Level Portland (AA)
Age relative to high level -2.5 years
Overall 2024 stats 4-3 ▪️ 24 games (19 starts, 1 finish) ▪️ 83 2⁄3 IP ▪️ 4.73 ERA ▪️ 92 K ▪️ 46 BB ▪️ 1.255 WHIP

The fourth and least-regarded piece of the Crochet trade, Gonzalez nonetheless sat at No. 14 on Boston’s MLB Pipeline prospect list on the strength of mostly solid stints as a pro, underage at every stop so far. His arresting numbers in 2024 at Double-A indicate a step-back season, particularly with command faltering, and a bullpen transition may loom if he cannot sharpen back up.

Jairo Iriarte

Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 23
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -7.0 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 5-7 ▪️ 23 games (22 starts, 1 finish) ▪️ 126 IP ▪️ 3.71 ERA ▪️ 122 K ▪️ 57 BB ▪️ 1.278 WHIP

As the co-headliner (or darn close) of the Dylan Cease trade last spring, it was no surprise when GM Chris Getz touted Iriarte as sure to get a call-up to the majors by season’s end. Almost every moment of his 2024 pointed in that direction, as he dominated at Double-A. Following a trend that also included Drew Thorpe and Bryan Ramos, Iriarte was one of the two September call-ups to begin September and worked out of the bullpen for six innings to end the season. He’s on the short list to break camp with the big club this spring.

Blake Larson

Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 19
2024 High Level IMG Academy (Prep)
Age relative to high level N/A
Overall 2024 stats N/A

Larson was a TCU commit out of IMG Academy (via Des Moines, Iowa high school). He was rated a lower pick in the draft (108ish) than the spot the White Sox selected him (second round, 68th overall), but the club took a shot on a $1 million-plus bonus getting a young arm to eschew the Horned Frogs, and succeeded. Larson will likely be on the slow boat coming out of spring, with extended instruction at Camelback Ranch and some token starts in the short ACL season. In 2026, we might get a chance to see him getting rotation work in Kannapolis.

Nick Nastrini

Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 25
2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 5
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -5.0 years
Overall 2024 Triple-A stats 3-9 ▪️ 21 games (18 starts) ▪️ 85 IP ▪️ 5.29 ERA ▪️ 98 K ▪️ 52 BB ▪️ 1.588 WHIP

The 2024 season started so promisingly for Nastrini, as he tore it up well enough in Cactus League (3.77 ERA over five games) to merit breaking north with the White Sox. However, he caught the flu and lost his mojo. Yes, he made his MLB debut ... but the season itself was miserable (nine games, eight starts, seven losses, zero wins), pitching to a 7.07 ERA and 1.907 WHIP. After his run in the bigs, he was battered back in Triple-A as well.

Bryan Ramos

Third Baseman
Age 23
2020 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 38
2021 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 22
2022 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 12
2023 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 3
2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 4
2024 High Level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -4.3 years
Overall 2024 MiLB stats 88 games ▪️ 10 HR ▪️ 44 RBI ▪️ .242/.320/.387 ▪️ 98 wRC+ (AAA) ▪️ 31 BB ▪️ 86 K ▪️ 8-of-11 (72.7%) SB ▪️ .952 FLD%

Once again slowed by injury, Ramos slumped all season in spite of making the jump from Double-A to the majors. Third base should be his to lose in spring training, however.

George Wolkow

Right Fielder
Age 19
2024 SSS Prospect Vote ranking 14
2024 High Level Kannapolis (Low-A)
Age relative to high level -2.5 years
Overall 2024 stats 91 games ▪️ 13 HR ▪️ 56 RBI ▪️ .257/.357/.451 ▪️ 9-of-11 (81.8%) SB ▪️ 47 BB ▪️ 158 K

Just 19, you can forgive some of the holes in Wolkow’s swing and just dream on his speed-power combination moving through the system. He suffered the teenage extremes, from dominance to helplessness, but should be ready to explore High-A in 2025.