The White Sox Built a Monster In Triple-A: Now It’s Up to These Four To Force Their Way To Chicago
The future of the Chicago White Sox pitching rotation will likely be starting the season in Triple-A Charlotte, but it has the potential to quickly emerge as one of the most exciting units in baseball.
Highlighted by a pair of Top-100 prospects, left-handers Noah Schultz (No. 49) and Hagen Smith (No. 72), and promising young right-handers Tanner McDougal and David Sandlin, the group has the potential to quickly develop into one of the most electric young staffs in baseball.
If competition truly breeds excellence, the White Sox stable of young arms could be the ideal environment for this quartet to sharpen one another and accelerate their climb to Chicago. It’s something that McDougal even acknowledged in a recent interview with MLB.com.
“We’re competing against the hitters just as much as we’re competing against each other,” McDougal told Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “Whether we say it or we don’t, you see Noah or Hagen go out and pitch well, and it’s like, ‘OK, I want to pitch real well, too.”
The White Sox have already assembled a very competitive environment in camp with at least 10 arms competing for five spots in the rotation. But with Erick Fedde and Anothy Kay on short-term deals, there could be a pathway for one of those young arms to break into the big league roster sooner rather than later.
Chris Getz already indicated that both Schultz and Smith will start the season in Triple-A. While the news does not come as much of a surprise, the 2026 campaign will be critical for both pitchers.
Noah Schultz: The Ceiling Still Sky-High
Schultz has yet to throw over 100 innings since turning pro, and now it is time for the training wheels to come off. He dealt with a flexor strain and shoulder impingement that limited him to just 27 innings after turning pro, before posting a 1.48 ERA in a dominant season in Double-A in en route to being named Southern League Pitcher of the year.
While he is still considered one of the best left-handed prospects in baseball, he took a slight step back in 2025. After producing a 3.34 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 12 starts in Double-A to start the season he was promoted to Triple-A, where opponents hit .359 off him in 16.1 innings.
Schultz still boasts one of the highest ceilings in the minor leagues, and the added competition in Charlotte could help push him closer to reaching it.
Hagen Smith: Harnessing the Heat
Meanwhile, Smith dealt with some control issues last season, issuing 56 free passes in 75.2 Double-A innings. But there is reason to believe that Smith turned the corner after getting sent to the White Sox spring training complex midway through the season to work on his mechanics.
However, he rebounded down the stretch, finishing the season strong with a 3.69 ERA across 20 Double-A starts. Over 75.2 innings, he struck out 108 batters against 56 walks, and limited opponents to a .166 batting average.
There were some concerns about a dip in his fastball velocity, but he made up for it with an elite-looking slider. He carried that momentum into the Fall League, allowing just four runs on seven hits and six walks over 14 innings while striking out 21.
Smith has yet to appear in Cactus League action, though he reportedly looked sharp in his most recent live batting practice session. If he can rein in the command this season, he has all the ingredients of a frontline starter.
Tanner McDougal: Power Arm on the Rise
McDougal has showcased an electric fastball this spring, lighting up the radar gun with triple-digits.
The 22-year-old opened the 2025 season at High-A Winston-Salem, posting a 3.28 ERA with 73 strikeouts in 57.2 innings before earning a promotion to Double-A Birmingham. He was just as sharp there, logging a 3.23 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 63 strikeouts across 55.2 innings in 15 starts. He also delivered in the postseason, tossing four scoreless innings with six strikeouts in a must-win Game 2 of the Southern League Finals.
Perhaps most encouraging was his improved command. After battling control issues earlier in his career, McDougal trimmed his walk rate from over five per nine innings to 3.89. With an upper-90s fastball that can touch 100 mph and a high-spin curveball that grades as his best pitch, he has the raw arsenal to impact a big-league staff once his command fully stabilizes.
David Sandlin: Electric Stuff, Next Step Pending
Sandlin, meanwhile, could end up being one of the White Sox most intriguing pitching additions. Getz has said Sandlin will compete for a roster spot this spring and believes his arsenal carries mid-rotation upside — with a chance to make an impact as soon as this season.
Like McDougal, the 24-year-old can reach triple digits with his fastball and generated a 30.3 percent chase rate in Triple-A last season, despite a 7.61 ERA over 23.2 innings. That inflated ERA stemmed largely from fastball command lapses, as too many pitches leaked over the heart of the plate and were punished.
The stuff, however, is undeniable. In addition to his upper-90s heater, Sandlin features a mid-80s slider that served as his primary put-away pitch and an upper-80s cutter designed to disrupt timing. He’s also limited free passes throughout his minor league career, averaging just 2.9 walks per nine innings across four seasons.
For Sandlin to break through, refining his fastball command and continuing to develop his splitter, a pitch he began experimenting with last year as a changeup alternative, will be key. If those adjustments take hold, his arsenal gives him a legitimate opportunity to force the issue this spring.
The combination of these four pitchers could make it a nightmare for the International League this spring.