The MLB draft is a bit different than the other league’s drafts, as teams cannot trade their assigned pick spots, as only recently could they can trade picks that are awarded through the compensatory system. This leads to mostly every team picking in the first round, unless they signed a free agent that made them lose their pick.
While it is difficult to nail every first-round pick, some teams are a bit better at developing their players and getting the most out of their draft picks. Let’s take a look at some of the most recent White Sox first round picks, stretching over the Rick Hahn and now the Chris Getz era.
While baseball drafting is difficult to grade, as most picks won’t even make it to the MLB, we can see how successful, if at all, the White Sox have been in drafting and developing talent over the last decade.
2015
In 2015, the White Sox selected Carson Fulmer, a starting pitcher from Vanderbilt. At the time, this seemed like a great pick, as Fulmer was dominant with Vanderbilt, but he hasn’t had a successful MLB career.
In total, Fulmer has only thrown 227.1 MLB innings, 94 of which came with the White Sox. As of 2025, he is in the minor leagues in the Pirates organization.
A positive note is the fact that the White Sox got Seby Zavala in the 12th round, who has played five years in the MLB, which is a success for a 12th rounder.
2016
In 2016, the White Sox selected Zack Collins, a catcher from the University of Miami, and Zach Burdi, a pitcher out of Louisville. This was a disaster of a draft, as the Sox had 2 first round picks and missed on both.
Collins has only played in 152 MLB games, 114 of which he played for the White Sox. He owns a career average of .188 and has accumulated -1.1 WAR to this point.
Burdi has only pitched in 21.1 MLB innings, 16.1 of which were for the White Sox. He owns a career -.8 WAR and a 8.44 ERA.
The White Sox were a bit more successful in the later rounds as they found Zach Remillard in the 10th round and Matt Foster in the 20th.
2017
In 2017, the Sox took Jake Burger, 3B out of Missouri State. To this point of the picks, Burger has been the most successful, as he is a solid power hitter for the Rangers.
The Sox went with Gavin Sheets in round two, who is having his best season with the Padres. While these players were some of the better picks, both of the players are finding success with other teams.
2018
In 2018, the White Sox selected Nick Madrigal. After he started off with two solid years in 2020 and 2021, he hasn’t found the same success with the Cubs after being traded in the Craig Kimbrel deal. As of right now he is on the injured list for the New York Mets.
However, in that draft the White Sox were able to find Davis Martin in the 13th round and Romy Gonzalez in the 18th round, both of which have been solid major league players.
2019
In 2019, the White Sox went with Andrew Vaughn. This one is pretty self-explanatory, as this is a very disappointing pick. After Vaughn showed promise in his first two seasons, he has yet to make any improvements and has now been sent to AAA.
2020
In 2020, the Sox went with Garrett Crochet, the best player on this list. After having a injury riddled start to his career, he found success in 2024 and after a trade to the Red Sox, he is one of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball.
2021
In 2021, the White Sox went with Colson Montgomery. He started off as a fantastic pick and was a top-30 prospect in baseball but has since fallen off many lists. While he was a good find in the later half of the first round, there are still questions on whether he can produce at the MLB level.
In that same draft, the White Sox found Sean Burke in the 3rd round and Fraser Ellard in the 8th round, two players that have played in Chicago this season.
2022
In 2022, the White Sox were able to get Noah Schultz with one of the last picks in the first round. This pick looks very good, as he is a consensus top-20 prospect in baseball. He has yet to make his debut, but this is one of Hahn’s better picks.
In that same draft, the White Sox picked Jonathan Cannon in the 3rd round, Tim Elko in the 10th round, and Mason Adams in the 13th. This as a whole was one of Hahn’s best drafts, as he could have found four contributors for the White Sox over the next few seasons.
2023
In 2023, the White Sox went with Jacob Gonzalez, a shortstop out of Ole Miss. This hasn’t been a great pick yet, as he hasn’t played great in his minor league career to this point. He has been on a hot streak lately, so there is still a chance for him to bounce back.
The White Sox also selected Taylor in the second round, which is turning out to be a steal. In Hahn’s last draft he didn’t make much of an impact, as Taylor may be the only major league player from that draft class.
2024- The Chris Getz Era Begins
In 2024, Chris Getz’s first draft, the Sox went with Hagen Smith, a pitcher from Arkansas. Smith has been truly dominant and is a consensus top-100 prospect. After that pick, he went with Caleb Bonemer, who is absolutely dominating Low-A and will find his way on many top-100 lists. While it is still early, the first draft class of Getz is looking very solid.
Overall, the White Sox have not had much success with their draft picks, as that is one of the main reasons why Hahn was fired, as none of his first-round picks are currently with the White Sox major league team. If that wasn’t bad enough, only two are on an active major league roster.
Hopefully Chris Getz can fix this trend, as the key to success is to continuously stack the farm system with young talent to always have the firepower to compete or accelerate any rebuild.
