Chicago White Sox Take Shortstop Kyle Lodise With Third-Round Pick In 2025 MLB Draft

CHICAGO –– The White Sox third-round draft pick checks a few boxes when it comes to foundational skills the organization desires: swing decisions, contact and damage.

That's part of the reason White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley and company were attracted to Kyle Lodise with the 76th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft on Sunday night. Lodise, 21, is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound, right-handed hitting shortstop who just wrapped up a big season at Georgia Tech.

Across 266 plate appearances, he slashed .329/.429/.667 with 16 home runs, 20 doubles, 61 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, 34 walks and 47 strikeouts. Lodise helped the Yellowjackets go 41-19 and reach the Regional stage of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

"The makeup, the will to win. You care about winning. You understand how to play baseball. A Chase Meidroth type of player," Shirley said. "He touches Ryan Fuller’s thing of contact and decisions at a high level. You play shortstop and we feel like we are starting to touch the point of emphasis we are tyring to build out the better baseball player and better at-bats. Guys are understanding how to win. They are chasing that winning component as well. He nailed the interview at the combine. Talk about professional, well spoken, intelligent, instinctual. We felt really good about the kid."

He's also a prime example of how the transfer portal has increased the amount of underdog stories in college athletics. Lodise began his college career at Augusta University, a Division II program in Georgia, where he was named Peach Belt Conference freshman of the year and earned second-team all-conference accolades.

If it seems like the White Sox are shortstop-heavy after drafting Lodise in the third round and Billy Carlson 10th overall –– along with Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth making their MLB debuts this season –– general manager Chris Getz explained how this is a common approach across the league.

"We're targeting premium positions, and not only shortstop but center field, knowing that a shortstop likely can play second or third, or perhaps are athletic enough to go to the outfield, and the center fielders can go to the wings. That is fundamentally the approach of most clubs. But we're certainly prioritizing that," Getz said on July 7 in Chicago.

"Shortstops are very difficult to find. Going back to the trade deadline, it's not easy to pry an everyday shortstop. The best way to get that talent into your system is likely drafting them or signing them in the international side. I love shortstops. I really do. It's obviously a highly skilled position and it's a very demanding position as well. If they're able to handle the responsibilities of shortstop, they're likely to be able to handle the responsibilities of other positions around the field."

Lodise is one of three draft picks by the White Sox so far, along with Carlson and second-round pick Jaden Fauske. Their next pick comes at No. 106 overall in the fourth round.