Noah Schultz enters the major leagues with rare expectations because his ceiling is high and his delivery already looks more polished than most pitchers his size. The White Sox are set to give the 22-year-old left-hander his first big league start against the Rays, and the club hopes his arrival reinforces its long history of developing frontline southpaws.
Chicago has built real value from first-round lefties in recent years, turning Chris Sale, Carlos Rodón and Garrett Crochet into homegrown pitching stars. That track record gives the organization a reason to believe Schultz, the No. 26 overall pick in 2022, can follow a similar path if his health and command keep trending in the right direction.
A rare pitcher for Chicago’s pipeline
Schultz is a product of Oswego East High School, about 40 miles from Rate Field, and his rise adds a local angle to his debut. The White Sox have rarely found impact value from nearby talent over the past six decades, which makes Schultz’s profile stand out even more.
Only a small number of Chicago-area draft picks have produced meaningful major league success for the franchise, and the list is short. Steve Trout remains the most notable local first-round success, while other area picks either stalled early or never reached the majors.
Why the prospect buzz is real
Schultz ranked No. 45 on the Top 100 list and has earned his reputation with production, not just projection. In his first two pro seasons, he posted a 2.03 ERA, a .191 opponent average and a 153-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio, then won Double-A Southern League Pitcher of the Year honors at age 20 in 2024.
Injuries slowed his path last season, when right knee tendinitis disrupted his rhythm and weakened his performance at Triple-A. He made only five starts after the promotion and finished with a 9.37 ERA, but his return to health has changed the picture quickly this spring.
What has improved this season
Schultz has looked sharper in Charlotte, where he has allowed just six baserunners in 14 innings and struck out 19 of the 47 hitters he has faced. His 1.29 ERA reflects better health, cleaner mechanics and more consistent execution of his main pitches.
His best weapon remains one of the most difficult sliders in the minors, and it plays from a 6-foot-10 frame and a low arm slot that create late, uncomfortable movement. The pitch has averaged 83 mph with 2,878 rpm and 16 inches of gloveside movement this season, a clear step forward from last year’s reduced horizontal break.
Schultz’s pitch mix at a glance
- Mid-90s two-seam and four-seam fastballs
- Upper-80s cutter
- Low-80s curveball
- Upper-80s changeup
- Power slider, his best swing-and-miss pitch
His fastball has also ticked up in velocity, and opposing International League hitters have struggled badly against it. They are batting just .143/.182/.286 against his heater this season, compared with .310/.378/.448 last year, while his cutter has become a more regular part of his mix.
Why the Randy Johnson comparisons persist
The Randy Johnson comparison has followed Schultz since his high school days because of the combination of elite size, left-handed power and a dominant breaking ball. Even so, Schultz is a different pitcher at the same age, with better body control and a smoother ability to repeat his delivery.
Johnson was still fighting command problems at a similar stage in his career, while Schultz already shows more strike-throwing consistency for a pitcher with his dimensions. That does not guarantee superstardom, but it does support the belief that Schultz can develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter.
What the White Sox likely want first
For now, the most important test is simple: Schultz needs to show that his stuff carries over against major league hitters and that his knee no longer limits him. If he keeps the strikeouts high and the walks manageable, the White Sox can start building him as a foundational starter rather than just a promotion story.
Chicago views Schultz and fellow top prospect Hagen Smith as key pieces of a future rotation, and both fit the franchise’s recent pattern of betting on left-handed arms early in the draft. If Schultz stays healthy, he has the mix of velocity, movement and pitchability to become the club’s top starter when the White Sox move back toward contention.
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