Top White Sox prospects (and close friends) homer in same Fall League contest

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Baseball is the thread that connects Caleb Bonemer and Colby Shelton. They took different paths to the White Sox organization -- Bonemer was a second-round pick in the 2024 Draft from the Michigan prep ranks, Shelton was a sixth-round selection out of the University of Florida a year later. 

But they've become fast friends. After spending countless hours together this season during their respective stops at High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham, they're roommates again for six weeks in the Arizona Fall League, repping the Glendale Desert Dogs.

That's a lot of time around each other, which begs the question: What do they talk about?

"It's a lot of baseball," Bonemer laughed. "I mean, it consumes our life. This is what we do and we both enjoy it. We find our time to get away from the game, but I would say a lot of our conversations at night do revolve around baseball, specifically our swings, just trying to find those minute details that might get us over the edge."

"I would say we keep it light off the field too," Shelton added. "Whether we're watching something at the house, playing board games -- whatever it is, keep us light, on our toes."

Bonemer and Shelton both socked their first homers of the Fall League on Tuesday afternoon in Glendale's 6-5 extra-inning loss to Salt River at Camelback Ranch. (Technically speaking, it was Shelton's second roundtripper in as many games -- he launched a grand slam Monday, but it was wiped out when the game ended early due to rain.)

Going deep in the same contest is nothing new for the duo, who did so six times during the regular season between Winston-Salem and Birmingham.

Bonemer's homer was the latest rocket off the bat of MLB's No. 27 prospect. He tore through Fall League pitching during the first week of action before taking southpaw Sean Sullivan (COL No. 20) -- who made five big league starts for the Rockies down the stretch -- deep in the first inning with a frozen rope to left field. Bonemer's five extra-base hits are tied for the most on the circuit, and he's hitting .321 with a .994 OPS and eight RBIs across seven games.

"For me personally, when I can backswing the ball to left-center field –- in the cage, in my work in BP –- that's when I feel like I'm at my best," he said. "And when I'm doing that in the game as well -- pulling balls in the air -- that's when I feel like I'm going well. But also just making good decisions, making sure I'm swinging at the right pitches, not chasing, stuff like that."

Four innings later, Shelton lifted a low sinker out to the opposite field, a positive sign for a hitter who put nearly half of his balls in play to his pull side during the regular season. The White Sox No. 23 prospect opened this season with Winston-Salem and destroyed South Atlantic League pitching with a .378/.485/.720 slash line and 23 RBIs in 22 games en route to Player of the Month honors in April. 

"When he's hot, I've never seen anything like it before," said Bonemer of Shelton.

Shelton finished the year with 24 roundtrippers, fifth among White Sox Minor Leaguers, trailing Bonemer, who led the system with 37.

After spending most of the regular season sharing the same infield, the Fall League has presented a new calculus for both: Bonemer is learning the outfield to help expedite his route to Chicago while Shelton is getting in his first pro reps at first base in addition to his work at the other infield spots.

"I think it's a great opportunity," said Shelton of playing the cold corner. "It's different because I've never played there, but just learning it on the fly, just being versatile -- who knows, I could play first base [in the big leagues] one day. I could be in the outfield. I think it's a great skill just to learn as many positions as possible. However I can help the team to win at the end of the day."

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There's a blueprint when it comes to success in the Fall League preceding it in The Show: just a year ago, Braden Montgomery and Sam Antonacci were teammates for the Desert Dogs and neither had played a game above Double-A yet. After torrid starts in the Minors to begin 2026, both ascended to the South Side and played key roles in the club’s run to the American League Division Series.

"A lot of good coaches, good coordinators, good people and obviously a lot of great players," said Bonemer of the state of the White Sox. "It's definitely an exciting time to be where we're at with a great organization."