The White Sox farm system currently sits in the top half of the league and most outlets give them five to six top prospects, with a few more on the fringe of making the list. This doesn’t include players like Jacob Gonzalez or Colby Shelton off to insane starts to the season. However, what differentiates this from the last rebuild is the fact that the farm system is significantly deeper, as they have some very intriguing players outside of the top “consensus” prospects.
As we sit about a month into the season, we continue our top prospect list, getting to know some of the depth in the organization. We started with our 20th ranked prospect, making our way to the best prospect in the system. We unveiled our 7th ranked prospect, Sam Antonacci, in our last article. Here, we cover our 6th ranked prospect, Billy Carlson.
Carlson was the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Corona High School in California. Throughout the draft process, Carlson was widely considered to be the best defensive shortstop and one of the best defensive prep shortstops in a very long time.
Chris Getz and the White Sox were clearly a fan, as they made him a top-10 pick. Now, the hope is that the bat continues to improve, as even as a league average hitter, he would be a very valuable asset to a major league team.
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So far Carlson has looked solid, as after not appearing in any minor league games after being drafted last season, he started the 2026 season with the Low-A affiliate of the White Sox, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.
In 79 at-bats so far, Carlson is hitting a solid .247 with a very good .375 OBP and a .717 OPS. He’s added five doubles, one triple, three stolen bases, and six RBls. Additionally, he’s walked 14 times while striking out 20 times. For his first taste of professional baseball, this is a solid ratio.
Billy Carlson with a leadoff double in the B5. Multi-hit game. #Ballers pic.twitter.com/w3WubNT4MV
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) April 25, 2026
Carlson’s ceiling will be as high as the bat takes him, and he has looked pretty good as a 19-year-old in his first minor league games. The White Sox clearly felt comfortable letting him start the season with the Cannon Ballers, so that is a very good sign that they are pleased with how he’s swinging it.
With the way that the White Sox organization is currently structured, there is quite a logjam in the middle infield. The White Sox currently have Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth, while Caleb Bonemer, William Bergolla Jr., and others are in the minor leagues. This doesn’t even count whoever the White Sox select first overall, with all the top prospects being shortstops.
Regardless of the talent in the middle infield, Carlson has the tools to be the shortstop of the future strictly based off his defense. If Carlson continues to have a good season with the bat, don’t be surprised to see him get a promotion to Winston-Salem by the end of the year, priming him for a promotion to Chicago in 2028 if things go to plan.
