What to expect from White Sox No. 2 prospect Schultz in the big leagues

Noah Schultz comes with one of the highest ceilings among baseball's pitching prospects, no surprise for someone constantly compared to Randy Johnson. The White Sox are calling him up to make his first big league start today against the Rays, hoping he'll continue one tradition and buck another.

In recent years, Chicago has stood out with its ability to target left-handed pitchers in the first round and develop them into homegrown All-Stars. It hit on Chris Sale (No. 13 overall pick in 2010), Carlos Rodón (No. 3 in 2014) and Garrett Crochet (No. 11 in 2020) and hopes to do the same with Schultz (No. 26 in 2022) and fellow Top 100 Prospect Hagen Smith (No. 5 in 2024).

A product of Oswego (Ill.) East HS, located about 40 miles southwest of Rate Field, Schultz is the fifth White Sox first-rounder from the Chicago area. Steve Trout (No. 8 in 1976) earned 88 victories in 12 seasons in the Majors, but Larry Monroe (No. 8 in 1974) pitched just eight games at that level while Grady Hall (No. 20 in 1986) and Kris Honel (No. 16 in 2001) never got there.

In fact, the Sox have had little success mining their own backyard in 60 years of the Draft, with Trout and 1967 sixth-rounder Dennis O'Toole their only local choices to post positive Wins Above Replacement totals (Baseball Reference style). O'Toole barely did so with a 5.04 ERA in 30 1/3 innings in the Majors.

Ranked No. 45 on the Top 100, Schultz compiled a 2.03 ERA, .191 opponent average and 153/30 K/BB ratio in his first two pro seasons, winning Double-A Southern League Pitcher of the Year accolades at age 20 in 2024. He looked headed for a big league debut in 2025 but rarely looked like his best self while battling tendinitis in his right knee last season.

Schultz made just five Triple-A starts in the second half of last year and got tagged for a 9.37 ERA. Healthy again this spring, he has logged a 1.29 ERA in his return to Charlotte, permitting just six baserunners in 14 innings while striking out 19 of the 47 batters he has faced.

Schultz's two best pitches are back to peak efficiency now that his knee no longer bothers him. He has one of the best sliders in the game, using his 6-foot-10 frame and low arm slot to create huge action that baffles lefties and righties. His slide piece has averaged 83 mph with 2,878 rpm and 16 inches of gloveside movement in 2026, up from just 11 inches of horizontal action while he was with Charlotte a year ago.

Schultz's fastballs are up a tick in velocity and International League hitters are batting just .143/.182/.286 against his mid-90s two- and four-seamers, down from .310/.378/.448 in 2025. He has had success working an upper-80s cutter into his mix more frequently this spring, making it his second-most used offering behind his sinker. He also employs a big-breaking low-80s curveball and a fading upper-80s changeup.

While his size, delivery and wicked slider have prompted parallels to Johnson since Schultz was at Oswego East, the latter is a much more advanced pitcher at the same age. Johnson had trouble keeping his long limbs in sync and throwing strikes throughout his college career at Southern California. At 22, the age at which Schultz is arriving in the Majors, the Big Unit was walking nearly a batter per inning in High-A.

That isn't to say Schultz is destined for five Cy Young Awards, nine strikeout titles and the Hall of Fame. But he does have advanced body control for a pitcher his size and age, which allows him to repeat his mechanics with ease. His combination of stuff and polish is rare for a southpaw, which should make him the White Sox No. 1 starter when they return to contention in the next couple of years.