This is the ninth year of Top Prospect voting on South Side Sox!
Let’s first look at the past years:
- Here’s how 2018 went: All 42 picks. Here is also an archive of every article in the 2018 series.
- Here’s how 2019 came about, all 50 picks, and the archive too.
- Now 2020, with the archive.
- Here’s the 2021 summary of just 35 picks due to flagging entry, along with the full archive.
- Here’s the 2022 link to the 27-pick wrap, along with the full archive.
- The 24th ballot was the last of 2023 (we didn’t do an actual wrap for the ballot, but Jordan Sprinkle ended up being our final pick) and the full archive.
- In 2024, Abraham Núñez was our 34th pick to end the series, and here’s the closing post and full archive of each profile.
- And last year we made 31 picks, ending with Eric Adler. Here’s the wrap and full stream of each article.
To ensure we give the SSS readership a strong voice in our South Side Sox Top 100, we will conduct five or ten polls before we begin our Top 100 Prospect countdown. Ideally, we will get 50 votes in, and sometime around the end of January the Prospect Vote and the Top 100 will meet. From there we stop the polls and go through the Top 50, ending at Spring Training.
From now on the countdown starts with Zach DeLoach at number 100, but that name already changed once at the time this was written. As usual, the Prospect Vote will move on to the next round once the top vote-getter appears to have an insurmountable lead – but we shouldn’t need more than a week to vote, even in the biggest battles.
Unlike most years, our staff ballots list a variety of players as our #1 candidate. Who will you choose in this wide-open race?
Four players from last year’s Top 10 Prospects have lost their prospect status due to MLB service (Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, Grant Taylor). Both as a result of these graduations AND the poor performance of previously plum prospects, only two players from last year’s first ballot are also appearing this year.
Eight of the ten players on this first ballot of 2026 played in the White Sox system in 2025, with the exception of two 2025 draft picks.
This year, three players (Drew Dalquist, Jared Kelley and DJ Gladney) mark their seventh year in our Top 100, which is pretty amazing. On the other hand, the players have at least seen their prospect status decline, or at best stagnate.
Okay, let’s have some fun. And go vote!
Round 6 was a barn burner, our first this cycle, as Tanner McDougal and Billy Carlson ran neck-and-neck the entire way. Ultimately, McDougal defeated Carlson, taking the win by three votes, with 47 out of 121 total (39%):
This is McDougal’s second appearance on our ballot…but he finished at No. 33 two years ago; he did not make it to the ballot in 2025. Quite a turnaround! McDougal is also the first RHSP to make progress this year.
The other number 6s of this decade
2025 Aldrin Batista (22%)
2024 Cristian Mena (17%)
2023 Noah Schultz (34%)
2022 Yoelqui Céspedes (55%)
2021 Yoelqui Céspedes (59%)
2020 Zack Collins (42%)
Newcomer Peyton Pallette had an excellent voting debut, finishing in fifth place with six votes. Shortstop and 2025 draftee Kyle Lodise also received his first vote in the polls, while Jeral Perez was left out this round, resulting in the biggest drop yet in the voting, from a tie for ninth to a tie for third.
New to the voting this round is outfielder George Wolkow.
South Side Sox with the most votes White Sox Outlook for 2026
- Braden Mongomey — 59% (Smith 17%, Bonemer 9%, Schultz 7%, Antonacci 3%, Adams/Carlson/McDougal 2%, Fauske/Oppor 0%)
- Hagen Smith — 40% (Bonemer 28%, Schultz 18%, McDougal 5%, Antonacci 4%, Carlson 3%, Bergolla/Oppor 1%, Adams/Fauske 0%)
- Caleb Bonemer — 47% (Schultz 34%, Antonacci 10%, Carlson/McDougal 4%, Bergolla 2%, Adams/Fauske/Oppor/Perez 0%)
- Noa Schultz — 49% (Antonacci 25%, Carlson 11%, McDougal 7%, Adams/Bergolla/Oppor 2%, Perez 1%, Fauske/Lodise 0%)
- Sam Antonacci — 41% (Carlson 25%, McDougal 20%, Bergolla/Perez 4%, Oppor 3%, Adams 2%, Fauske 1%, Diaz/Lodise 0%)
- Tanner McDougal— 39% (Carlson 36%, Bergolla 7%, Adams 6%, Pallette 5%, Fauske 3%, Oppor 2%, Lodise 1%, Diaz/Perez 0%)
Mason Adams
Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 26
2024 SSS Prospect Poll Rankings 29
2025 SSS Prospect Poll Rankings 8
2024 high level Charlotte (AAA)
Age in relation to high level -3.0 years
General statistics for 2024 (AA/AAA) 7-5 ▪️ 23 games (22 starts, one finish) ▪️ 1 CG ▪️ 120 1⁄3 IP ▪️ 2.92 ERA ▪️ 110 K ▪️ 28 BB ▪️ 1,146 WHIP ▪️3.0 WAR
The 13th-rounder rose in the system despite being counted out at every turn — until an arm injury during a Cactus League game last spring left Adams in Tommy John surgery. Obviously there are questions surrounding his recovery, but it may be easier to rely on a recovery from an overachiever like Adams than most pitchers.
Willem Bergolla
Short stop
Age 21
2025 high level Birmingham (AA)
Age in relation to high level -3.7 years
General statistics for 2025 125 games ▪️ 0 HR ▪️ 36 RBI ▪️ .286/.342/.333 ▪️ 40-of-51 (78.4%) SB ▪️ 37 BB ▪️ 26 K ▪️ .981 FLD%▪️ 4.4 WAR
The epitome of a “Chris Getz player,” Bergolla makes up for his Punch-and-Judy bat with deft baserunning, a great glove and incredible plate discipline. This veteran player (father, also William Bergolla) is young for his level and has cut through the White Sox system like butter since his acquisition at the 2024 trade deadline (from Philly, for Tanner Banks).
Billy Carlson
Short stop
Age 19
2025 high level Corona, California (preparation)
Scouting figures (scale 40-80) Hit 45 ▪️ Strength 50 ▪️ Run 55 ▪️ Arm 70 ▪️ Field 70 ▪️ Total 55
The White Sox simply can’t stay away from shortstops, which is the smartest draft strategy they’ve taken in many years. This newest blue-chipper is a defensive whiz (maybe not Ozzie Smith or even Ozzie Guillén, but the best to be found in the 2025 draft) with plenty of room to grow into his bat.
Reudis Diaz
Right-handed relief pitcher
Age 20
2025 high level ACL (beginner)
Age in relation to high level -2.1 years
General statistics for 2025 1-1 ▪️ 1 SV▪️ 21 games (4 finishes) ▪️ 27 2/3 IP ▪️ 2.28.ERA ▪️ 18 K ▪️ 8 BB ▪️ 1.084 WHIP ▪️1.2 WAR
WHO? You’d be forgiven for being unfamiliar with an extremely young arm who hasn’t emerged from rookie ball yet, but our No. 77 prospect a year ago (then a starter, repped the DSL and killed him) made a successful adjustment in the United States. He’ll return to the starting lineup in 2026, likely getting his feet wet in Arizona and being promoted to Low-A in the second half of the season.
Jaden Fauske
Outfielder
Age 18
2025 high level Nazareth Academy (Ill.) (Preparation)
Scouting figures (scale 40-80) Hit 55 ▪️ Strength 50 ▪️ Run 55 ▪️ Arm 50 ▪️ Field 50 ▪️ Total 50
Another thing the White Sox can’t stay away from is the products of their Area Codes team. Following in the footsteps of Bonemer (and George Wolkow, as well as pitchers Noah Schultz and Blake Larson) is the Jim Thome-endorsed Fauske, who was a catcher-outfielder but now seems determined to give him a bigger run in the field than behind the plate. It will be interesting to see if the White Sox give Fauske catch reps (he performs well as a catcher); for what it’s worth, he was announced as an outfield-only player at the draft.
Kyle Lodise
Short stop
Age 22
2025 high level Winston-Salem (High-A)
Age in relation to high level -1.0 years
General statistics for 2025 28 games ▪️ 4 HR ▪️ 10 RBI ▪️ .185/.319/.370 ▪️ 7-of-8 (87.5%) SB ▪️ 15 BB ▪️ 21 K ▪️ .954 FLD%▪️ 0.4 WAR
Last summer’s third-rounder hit the ground running after the draft, reporting to High-A and adding another third to what was already the longest season (55 games) of his career. While that shot is rough, at least nearly a quarter (four of 17) of the shortstop’s hits left the yard. Perhaps against easier competition (or perhaps not), Lodise had a .329/.429/.667 slash in his final college season for Georgia Tech, with similar power, baserunning and bat discipline numbers.
Peyton Pallette
Right-handed relief pitcher
Age 24
2023 SSS Prospect Poll Rankings 11
2024 SSS Prospect Poll Rankings 18
2025 SSS Prospect Poll Rankings N/R
2025 high level Charlotte (AAA)
Age in relation to high level -3.3 years
General statistics for 2025 (AA/AAA) 2-3 ▪️ 11 SV ▪️ 52 games (27 finishes) ▪️ 64 1/3 IP ▪️ 4.06 ERA ▪️ 86 K ▪️ 28 BB ▪️ 1,119 WHIP ▪️ 1.1 WAR
Pallette has now spent two or three seasons as the likely next closer among the White Sox farmhands, and his tough time spent in Charlotte last summer could mean the big club is ready to see him head north with them next spring. Although the former Charlotte starter hasn’t quite mastered what a pitcher can do in such a robust hitting environment. There is no product of the system that is more ready to grow into the big time than Pallette.
Gerard Perez
Short stop
Age 21
2025 SSS Prospect Poll Rankings 11
2025 high level Winston-Salem (High-A)
Age in relation to high level -2.0 years
General statistics for 2025 125 games ▪️ 22 HR ▪️ 70 RBI ▪️ .244/.315/.448 ▪️ 10-of-13 (76.9%) SB ▪️ 44 BB ▪️ 112 K ▪️ .906 FLD%▪️ 1.3 WAR
On the plus side, Perez nearly doubled his home runs and proved to have a surprising thumb for a small middle infielder. However, he misses a lot of balls both at the plate and in the field. A challenge for the very young bopper is finding a way to distinguish himself against stiff competition around his age and level, including three MIs on this ballot: William Bergolla, Caleb Bonemer and Billy Carlson.
George Volkov
Right fielder
Age 20
2024 SSS Prospect Poll Rankings 14
SSS Prospect Poll 2025 Rankings 13
2025 high level Kannapolis (low-A)
Age in relation to high level -1.4 years
General statistics for 2025 116 games ▪️ 13 HR ▪️ 69 RBI ▪️ .223/.317/.362 ▪️ 33-of-39 (84.6%) SB ▪️ 54 BB ▪️ 147 K ▪️ .969 FLD%▪️ 1.4 WAR
Wolkow showed a slew of skills in repeating Low-A in 2025, including stellar steals volume and speed that was only hinted at previously as a pro. He also continues to man a challenging outfield spot, with an arm strong enough in right field but agility that fits in the middle. That said, his improved K-rate (29.6%!) still leaves a lot to be desired. For a guy whose power has evaporated (only 13 home runs and 31 XBHs all season), 2026 is shaping up to be a crucial year of development. Gulp: Wolkow is forced to go to High-A without really proving that he has mastered Kannapolis.
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