(670 The Score) The White Sox stayed local with their first-round pick in the MLB Draft on Sunday evening.
Chicago selected 18-year-old left-hander Noah Schultz out of Oswego East High School at No. 26 overall. At 6-foot-9, Schultz is an imposing figure on the mound who has a fastball that has touched 98 miles per hour before, according to the MLB Network broadcast. He has committed to Vanderbilt.
“Noah is a rare talent, and it was a bit unexpected to us that he would be available at pick No. 26,” White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley said in a statement. “We could not be more excited about his future. He is a 6-foot-9, left-handed pitcher who moves very athletically. We believe Noah has a huge ceiling, can anchor a rotation down the road and will be part of something very special for the White Sox. His talent and character speak loudly today, and we believe will be even louder in the future.”
Schultz was rated as the 49th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline entering the draft. He didn’t pitch a great deal as a high school senior, in part because he came down with a case of mononucleosis.
His biggest weapon is an upper-70s slider that’s “nearly impossible for lefties to track because of the angle he presents,” according to his MLB.com scouting report, which also praised his athleticism and body control for a youngster of his size.
Schultz was recommended by White Sox scout J.J. Lally.
At No. 62 overall in the second round, the White Sox selected Arkansas right-hander Peyton Pallette, who posted a 4.02 ERA in in 56 innings across 15 appearances in 2021, when he struck out 67 batters and walked 20. Pallette missed the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery. He was rated as the No. 43 overall prospect by MLB.com.
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