White Sox reportedly calling up top pitching prospect Noah Schultz

The Chicago White Sox, whose 5-10 record is currently the worst in Major League Baseball, are calling up their top pitching prospect, according to several reports.

Noah Schultz, a 6-foot-10 left-hander, came into the season ranked as the White Sox’s No. 2 overall prospect by MLB.com (also rating him as the No. 46 overall prospect in baseball) and No. 1 by Baseball America. He was the team’s 2022 first-round draft pick (No. 26 overall) out of Oswego East High School in Illinois.

Advertisement

Schultz, 22, will start on Tuesday at home against the Tampa Bay Rays, the White Sox announced.

In three appearances this season for Triple-A Charlotte, Schultz compiled a 1.29 ERA and 3-0 record with 19 strikeouts and two walks in 14 innings. Last year, he progressed from Double-A to Triple-A while struggling with patellar tendinitis in his right knee. He finished with a 4.68 ERA in 17 starts and 77 strikeouts in 73 innings.

As could be expected, Schultz’s height makes him imposing to opposing hitters, something alluded to by Triple-A teammate Duncan Davitt.

“Just a nightmare for a hitter,” Davitt told MLB.com. “He's kind of hard to play catch with sometimes just because it's funky and it's hard. He's going to be a guy when he gets his chance."

During two appearances in spring training, Schultz struck out five batters in 4 1/3 innings.

Starting pitching has not been an issue for the White Sox, despite their record. The rotation’s 3.99 ERA ranks seventh in the American League.

Advertisement

However, the outlier was Shane Smith, who compiled a 10.80 ERA in three starts with 10 earned runs, 12 hits and nine walks allowed in just 8 1/3 innings. He was demoted to Triple-A on Wednesday and Schultz is expected to take that spot in the starting rotation.

Though Schultz’s workload will be monitored closely at this point of his career, White Sox manager Will Venable indicated that he’s not being called up for a spot start.

“The plan is not to bring him up and send him back out here, right?” Venable said, via MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. “The thought is that we bring him up here when he's ready, and go and let him do his thing.”

Hitting has been the issue for the White Sox and another of the franchise’s top minor-leaguers may also join the team this coming week.

Infielder Sam Antonacci has a slash line of .317/.509/.488 with 15 walks in 58 Triple-A plate appearances. He could provide a boost to a lineup that ranks last in MLB with a .192 team batting average and .568 OPS. The team also carries a 20-inning scoreless streak into Sunday’s matchup with the Kansas City Royals.