The Chicago White Sox officially kicked off the 2026 international signing period last week with the announcement of a deep class of 18 prospects, who spent a significant portion of the $6,679,200 international bonus pool allocated to the club this year.
Spread across position players and pitching prospects, Chicago’s international class leans slightly toward the mound while investing well on both sides of the ball. The lead is being taken by a few dynamic prospects, each of whom will play a key role in the future organization.
Top of the class: Catcher Fernando Graterol
The crown jewel of Chicago’s class is Venezuelan backstop Fernando Graterol. The 17-year-old bats from the right side and is considered one of the best catching prospects in the cohort.
Among its expected plus tools, Graterol features:
Considering MLB’s premium on quality catchers and its offensive tools, Graterol is absolutely the cornerstone piece of this White Sox class.
Notable outfielder: Sebastián Romero
The group is also anchored by Sebastián Romero, a left-handed outfielder from Los Teques, Venezuela.
Romero has an intriguing combination of tools that should allow him to find offensive success while remaining versatile defensively. If these traits translate, Chicago just added another piece that could help strengthen the system’s outfield corps, an area that certainly lacks organizational strength.
Class overview: Depth and balance
In addition to the headliners, this White Sox class offers a mix of tools and positional balance:
This is the second international class led by David Keller, special assistant to the executive vice president and general manager of international scouting. Keller seems to be laying the foundation for a long-term influx of young talent.
It’s always difficult to predict how young signees will translate into top talent, but Chicago’s early returns are promising. They now have two top-50 international prospects and have shown a concentrated effort in several premium areas towards development. I hope that many from this particular group can play an important role on the mound, behind the plate and on the base paths as they develop.
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