Surging Birmingham Prospects Might Soon Be Charlotte Bound

Despite the White Sox having one of the worst records in the league again in 2025, they look like a much better baseball team compared to last year, as there have been plenty of close games that could have gone either way.

This leads fans to look into the minor leagues for success stories of players who may be joining the team in Chicago when they are in their window for contention. We take a look at the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, the Birmingham Barons, and see who has been playing well over the last month, as these players could be on the move to Charlotte Knights sooner rather than later.

Jacob Gonzalez

The first player that is worth highlighting is Jacob Gonzalez, the White Sox first round pick in 2023. In June he has hit .273 with a very good .360 OBP. He has added one homerun, 10 RBIs, and two stolen bases. On top of that, he’s walked 8 times compared to just 9 strikeouts, which is very encouraging to see out of Gonzalez.

On the season, Gonzalez is hitting .255 with a .328 OBP and a .723 OPS. While his improvement hasn’t been drastic, it is been steady over the last year, and that is all you can ask for. Gonzalez may not have the gaudy numbers of other players selected in his draft class, but he has been much better this season and still has a chance to be a solid contributor on the White Sox in the future.

Jacob Gonzalez with a 3-4 3RBI Friday night. #Barons win 6-5. pic.twitter.com/C6BUfcgXvi

— FutureSox (@FutureSox) June 28, 2025

After the trade deadline I would imagine that Gonzalez gets a promotion to AAA to let him see what he can do. Depending on what the White Sox do with Lenyn Sosa at the deadline, there even could be some at-bats for him in Chicago at the end of the year depending on how he plays. 

Jake Palisch

On the pitching side, Jake Palisch has been unreal for the Barons this season and even more so in the month of June. This led to a callup to the major leagues, but Palisch only got in one inning before returning to the Barons.

In 18 innings in June, Palisch has a very good 1.50 ERA and has struck out 6 batters in that time frame. Hitters just can’t seem to do much with him, as they are hitting well below .200 against him this season.

Jake Palisch with his 2nd 6 inning 2R/0ER outing this week to close out the #Barons homestand. Palisch allows 8H and strikes out 1 on 61/81 pitches. He tosses 12 innings of 4R/0ER ball this week. Jake is 4-1 on the year with a 0.77 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. 👑 pic.twitter.com/AHsWmPDEuV

— FutureSox (@FutureSox) June 8, 2025

While Palisch isn’t much of a strikeout pitcher, he has been getting consistent soft contact and racking up outs. While his first stint in the MLB didn’t go as planned, he will be back up shortly as he was only sent down due to a roster crunch. As a lefty, Palisch could be a valuable asset in the bullpen or out of the rotation as soon as this season in Chicago.

Shane Murphy

Another player in the Barons rotation that has been very productive in the month of June is pitcher Shane Murphy. In the month of June, Murphy has a 1.40 ERA over 25.2 innings. He has a very solid .186 batting average against and a phenomenal .7 WHIP. 

Selected in the 14^th round of the 2022 draft, Murphy has been a very good pitcher his whole minor league career, but he has taken a leap in 2025 so far.

Shane Murphy was simply masterful Tuesday night in Montgomery. He goes 7 innings and faces the minimum 21 on 49/70. He allowed 1H and 1BB, 1 he picked off and the other was erased by a DP. He gets the W, and is 5-3. He lowers his ERA to 1.47. #Barons win 12-3. pic.twitter.com/1WIcUcgUZa

— FutureSox (@FutureSox) June 11, 2025

The 24-year-old has a 1.92 ERA over 62 innings this season, strikeout out 57 in that timeframe. He also has an elite .84 WHIP. Most of Murphy’s season has been spent in Birmingham so he could be due for a promotion soon, as he has been absolutely dominant. 

Just when you think the White Sox have the worst luck with minor league pitching injuries, more pitchers continue to develop and look to earn a spot in Chicago.