The White Sox did not open up the season with any of their top-100 prospects on the major league roster, which surprised some people, as there were a few players that were projected to make it. However, that will make the minor league season significantly more interesting for many of the levels, as each level will have some intriguing prospects.
We can take a look at each level to see the top prospects who will suit up for them to start the season, as they will be interesting to follow as the season goes along. Here, we will start with the high-A affiliate, the Winston-Salem Dash.
While the rosters aren’t finalized as of now, there have been some rumblings on where players will begin the season, as games will start next week.
Some of the players that fans can get excited about at high-A Winston Salem will likely come from the most recent draft class, as Getz has been aggressive in promoting his players, as AA is looking like one of the more stacked teams in the minor leagues due to some offseason promotions.
One of those draft picks you can look forward to seeing is Case Saucke, who is currently listed on the roster and was able to get in a few games with the Dash last season. Picked in the 4th round of the 2024 draft, Saucke was able to get 93 at-bats in Winston Salem before the season ended.
In those 93 at-bats, Saucke hit .290 with a .333 OBP. He added 2 homers, 9 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases. For his first minor league action, that is very solid and he should look to improve on that in the 2025 season if he starts in high-A.
Samuel Zavala will likely start with Winston-Salem, as he had a disappointing season with them after coming over in the Dylan Cease trade. Zavala has a ton of potential and is only 20 years old, but he will need to prove more at Winston-Salem before they can promote him. Since he is very talented, it is a good bet that he will have a bounce back season and get a potential promotion to AA.
On the pitching side, Aldrin Batista could open the season with the Dash, as he was promoted there to end the season in 2024. In 5 starts, Batista had a 1.04 ERA over 26 innings, striking out 29 batters. He also only walked six batters, en route to a very solid .85 WHIP.
While the rosters aren’t official, all of these players are likely to open up the season with the Dash and they should make the Dash a very interesting team to follow. Other players that could open the season with the Dash are Alexander Albertus (White Sox #17 prospect) and Jeral Perez (White Sox #20 prospect). They haven’t played at high-A yet, but with Chris Getz moving up a lot of players to higher levels, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them open up the season with the Dash.
