Chris Getz Shares Update On Chicago White Sox Top Pitching Prospects

CHICAGO –– The 2025 season has come with a few bumps in the road for White Sox top pitching prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith.

But they'll have a chance to finish the year strong in the Arizona Fall League, general manager Chris Getz told reporters before Friday's game against the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field. Opening Day is scheduled for Oct. 6.

"Unfortunately, Noah and Hagen have missed some time, so we're going to continue their development season in the Fall League," Getz said. "We look forward to watching that play out."

Schultz, a 2022 first-round pick who's ranked No. 1 among White Sox prospects and No. 13 in the MLB Pipeline, was scratched from his start on July 19 due to right knee discomfort. He hasn't pitched since the All-Star Futures Game on July 12, when he allowed four earned runs in 0.2 innings. His last start with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights came on July 3, when the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp tacked on four runs in four innings against the 6-foot-10 left-hander.

Schultz, 22, began the season in Double-A, where he recorded a 3.34 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP with 58 strikeouts in 56.2 innings. His results have gone downhill since being promoted to Triple-A, allowing 15 earned runs across 11.1 innings and three starts.

Getz did not mention a timeline on Schultz's return to the mound, but on Friday he provided an update.

"He's progressing well. That soreness seems to be very minimal at this point," Getz said. "Obviously, that front knee is such a big piece of what a pitcher can do in terms of both velocity and location. Noah is going to be going to the Fall League. We're excited to have him be a part of it."

Smith, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft who's ranked No. 3 among White Sox prospects and No. 30 in the MLB Pipeline, missed over six weeks in May and June due to elbow soreness. The White Sox believe the 21-year-old's injury was related to his mechanics.

"We love the uptempo part of his delivery, but he's a guy that, on occasion, can rush out and forward. And he needs to stay back, he needs to stay over the rubber," general manager Chris Getz said on May 23. "That'll allow him to pound the strike zone more, less misses and put guys away. We're tackling that right now. We're thinking that's going to bode well for his overall health and production moving forward."

After his two-inning start on May 10, he took time off to recover and worked with White Sox director of pitching Brian Bannister and pitching coordinator Matt Zaleski before returning to game action on June 28.

Smith threw 81 pitches in his last start on Wednesday, his most since May 4, and finished with five innings, four hits, two earned runs, five walks and six strikeouts. Across 14 starts this season, all in Double-A, he has a 3.60 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP with 37 walks and 75 strikeouts in 50 innings.

Smith and Schultz are big pieces in the White Sox rebuild. And while their seasons haven't necessarily gone to plan, they have just under two months left in the minor leagues and the Arizona Fall League to get back on track.