The 2024 season for the Chicago White Sox was one of the worst in modern day baseball history. They were 41-121 and the worst team in the league by far. The bright spots were few and far between, as the team was very hard to watch for many White Sox fans.
However, down on the farm, the White Sox have some very intriguing players that can give fans a glimmer of hope for the future. We will be recapping the season of some of the best prospects in the White Sox system, starting from #30 and going in order to #1 as MLB Pipeline has them ranked. As you’ll see, there are some very intriguing prospects that can help bring the White Sox back to relevance.
Ranked at 27 on the White Sox top 30 prospect list is relief pitcher Peyton Pallette. Pallette was the White Sox second round pick from the 2022 draft. Pallette was thought of as a first round pick originally, however due to having Tommy John surgery before his last college season, the White Sox were able to draft him in the second round.
To open his minor league career, Pallette started 22 games for the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in 2023. That season, he went 0-4 with a 4.13 ERA. Over his 72 innings, he struck out 78 batters while walking 41. His WHIP was a bit elevated at 1.36 due the walks, but hitters didn’t really hit him well, as they hit just .213 off of him.
2024 was going to be a big year in Pallette’s development. The White Sox had high hopes for him this season, but he did not get off to a great start. Pallette opened the season in Winston-Salem, but he got off to a very slow start. Over 12 starts, he had a 7+ ERA.
This was not a great start for Pallette, but a switch to the bullpen might have just saved his career. While at Winston-Salem, he was moved to the bullpen and he put up some insane numbers. In 23.2 innings, Pallette gave up just two runs, starting a dominant stretch as a reliever.
The White Sox took note, as they promoted him to Birmingham to see if he could keep this up at a higher level. Pallette did just that, as he was absolutely elite in Birmingham as a reliever.
Overall, in 15 innings for the Barons, Pallette had a phenomenal 1.80 ERA. He struck out 16 batters and cut down the walks to just five. Hitters were having no luck against him, as they hit a measly .137 off of him. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he had a .8 WHIP to go along with those other fantastic stats.
Pallette is now 23 and will turn 24 early into the 2025 season. I don’t know if he has a real chance to make the bullpen out of Spring Training, but if he is lights out, there is always a chance. The most likely situation is for the White Sox to assign him to Birmingham or Charlotte and if he plays well he could earn a promotion to Chicago not too far off in the future.
Pallette has dominant stuff and has future closer written all over him. There are a bunch of exciting arms in the White Sox system, but Pallette may be one of the best. 2025 will be a huge season for the Pallette, as he could cement himself as one of the best reliever prospects in all of baseball.