Bonemer, Bergolla among White Sox prospects with Spring Breakout moments to remember

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- There might be a time when Chad Pinder manages at the Major League level.

He turns 34 on March 29, has a great baseball mind and is well respected across the game. But Pinder’s current focus falls upon Triple-A Charlotte.

Actually, his focus Saturday night was centered on an 11-10 Dodgers victory over his White Sox in the annual Spring Breakout prospects contest at Camelback Ranch.

“I let them go play the game,” said Pinder of his managing style for Spring Breakout. “Be able to steal bases if they want.

“Let them go have fun. That’s the purpose of this. It’s to get them exposure, get them on TV, just let them showcase, No. 1, their skillset, but also who they are. So just let them go have fun and have fun with them.”

In hindsight, a game with a 101-degree first-pitch temperature, 27 total walks, 29 strikeouts, 422 pitches, seven pitch timer violations and four errors might not be considered a joy on the purest baseball level. But hey, these are prospects with raw talent, fine-tuning and working their way to that final Major League goal.

Saturday’s contest gave White Sox fans a look into the future, albeit an erratic one at times.

William Bergolla Jr., the No. 11 White Sox prospect per MLB Pipeline, started at second base after spending time in big league camp. Manager Will Venable admitted how he wasn’t allowed to play favorites among his charges, but if he could, Bergolla would be atop that category for him.

The 5-foot-9, 165-pound left-handed hitter makes consistent solid contact, runs the bases well and plays strong defense across the infield. He doesn’t have any specific skills yelling loudly, "This will easily play at the big league level." But the more you watch the 21-year-old acquired in a 2024 trade for Tanner Banks, the more you like him.

Against the Dodgers, on a night when the White Sox prospects scored 10 runs on nine hits, Bergolla had two singles and a double, two runs scored and two RBIs.

A middle infield traffic jam has formed within the White Sox organization, but in a good way. Billy Carlson, the No. 5 White Sox prospect and No. 73 overall, started at shortstop next to Bergolla Saturday, with Caleb Bonemer (No. 3, No. 61) at third. At the age of 19, Bonemer won the 2025 Carolina League Player of the Year playing more games at shortstop.

Bonemer also has a solid working knowledge of the strike zone. During a seven-run second on Saturday, Bonemer was called out on a 3-2 pitch but immediately challenged the call. He started walking to first base before the call was overturned by ABS.

Of course, Colson Montgomery is holding down shortstop for the White Sox with his 21 home runs in 71 games last season, and let’s not forget UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky as the team’s potential top overall pick in the 2026 Draft. Then, there’s Sam Antonacci, who played shortstop for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic but started in left field during Spring Breakout action.

Not only did Antonacci start in left for a second straight contest, marking his first two outfield appearances overall, but he threw out Josue De Paula at home on a single to left in the third.

“First time I’ve thrown to bases,” Antonacci said. “It felt good coming out of my arm, but it was just good to see it go through the cutoff guy and not airmail it. … I kind of just go with the flow. Wherever they need me, I’m good with whatever.”

It’s ultimately about being where your feet are for these top White Sox prospects, even on a night like Saturday, which was rough overall, though ended on a high note via George Wolkow’s eighth-inning homer. Don’t worry about making it to Chicago until doing everything possible to conquer the current level.

“I genuinely believe that, and it’s something that served me as a player and I know it will as a staff member,” Pinder said. “Cherish what I have now and all that stuff will work itself out. Just continuing to learn and continuing to make an impact, those are the two things.”

“A lot of fun,” said Wolkow of the contest, after launching his blast 406 feet with an exit velocity of 105.4 mph, per Statcast. “Any time you get this group of guys together, play on one team, super special. As a hitter, I love a game like that. Might be a longer one, but better than pitchers getting a bunch of strikeouts.”