Several White Sox Top Prospects to Play in Arizona Fall League

The 2023 Chicago White Sox schedule is down to a mere nine games. As the season comes to a close, a new chapter of the franchise under the direction of newly minted general manager Chris Getz will get underway. An infusion of young talent, a jettisoning of veterans, and potential free-agent and trade additions could drastically overhaul the team's roster this offseason. A focus area will be developing a group of top minor-league prospects in the Arizona Fall League.

The 2023 Glendale Desert Dogs roster includes eight White Sox prospects. Notably, Colson Montgomery, Jake Eder, Jordan Leasure, Bryan Ramos, and Jacob Burke will suit up in October and November. This group includes five of the top 20 White Sox minor leaguers, with Montgomery being the headliner. The 2021 first-round pick is the 17th overall prospect in all of baseball.

The Crew

Lefty Jake Eder came to the White Sox organization at the trade deadline from the Miami Marlins in exchange for third baseman Jake Burger. Eder missed all of 2022 due to Tommy John surgery and will use the AFL season to compensate for lost time. The fifth-ranked White Sox farmhand struggled mightily for Chicago in 17.1 innings with Double-A Birmingham.

Bryan Ramos is a third baseman who checks in at No. 7 overall in the White Sox system. The 21-year-old Cuban spent 2023 in Double-A, putting up an OPS of .826 in 77 games.

Jordan Leasure and Jacob Burke rank 18th and 20th, respectively, for the White Sox per MLB Pipeline. Leasure is a right-handed reliever Chicago acquired from the Los Angels Dodgers in the Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly deal. Like Eder, he struggled upon joining the Sox organization and posted an ERA above six in 14 appearances for Triple-A Charlotte.

Jacob Burke is a 2022 eleventh-round draftee of the White Sox out of the University of Miami. The 22-year-old outfielder performed well across the Low- and High-A affiliates in 2023. In 85 games, he slashed .294/.392/.439 with 33 extra-base hits.

What's On Tap Next?

The Arizona Fall League runs from the beginning of October through mid-November. Player development will be vital in unlocking the potential of Chicago's farmhands in what appears to be a long path back to contention. Results in this league should be taken with a grain of salt, but any additional experience for these players is essential to accelerate their development.