Noah Schultz makes his highly anticipated MLB debut tonight after a strong start with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, where he posted a 0.429 WHIP and struck out 19 batters in 14 innings. The left-handed pitcher has been praised for his impressive slider and fastball, which can reach up to 99 mph.
Homegrown, slider-slinging southpaw Noah Schultz makes his first MLB start tonight. | Allan Henry-Imagn Images
Finally making the long-awaited jump to the major leagues, left-handed pitching prospect Noah Schultz got the call up on Saturday after an excellent start to his season with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
In three games this season (two starts), Schultz has allowed just two earned runs on four hits in his 14 innings, surrendering one home run and two walks while striking out a whopping 19 batters. He’s got three wins, and his 0.429 WHIP is exceptional, especially coming off a rough stint in Charlotte at the end of last season.
Schultz has a solid arsenal with his fastball, changeup, and slider, and his fastball typically sits in the mid-90s range while topping out around 99 mph. While his changeup is sound, his real weapon is a wicked slider that sits in the mid-80s and eats up batters left and right, with many comparing him to Randy Johnson.
Schultz will go up against a Tampa Bay team that is comprised mostly of right-handed hitters, and while he has been consistent against both this season, Schultz posted a 2.03 WHIP against righties in 43 1/3 innings in 2025. The Rays hold the fifth-best team batting average (.260) in baesball, though they rank in the bottom five thus far in isolated power, and 10th in BABIP (.304). One factor of the Tampa offense that Schultz might have to work through is that the Rays don’t strike out very much. They hold the second-lowest strikeout rate at 18.5%, with 108 strikeouts as a team; by comparison, the White Sox offense holds the highest K% (27.9%) with 160 (fifth-highest).
Leading off for the Rays is Yandy Díaz, who will be the designated hitter for the Rays. Díaz holds the 11th-best OPS (1.025) in 58 at-bats this season with 14 RBIs, though Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero are power bats who could definitely put some pressure on Schultz and the defense. Left fielder Chandler Simpson is also one to watch, as he hardly strikes out (5.1% K%), ranks in the Top 10 in on-base percentage, and has 99-grade speed that allows him to be a menace on the base paths.
On the bump for the Rays is lefthander Shane McClanahan, making his third start of the season. McClanahan has struggled with injuries over the last couple of years: Out for the 2024 season to have Tommy John surgery, and again in 2025 for a nerve-related issue in his throwing arm. In a small sample size, McClanahan has bounced back well so far, and has allowed two earned runs in both of his starts this season, striking out nine and walking seven in his 8 2/3 innings so far in 2026.
While the White Sox pitching has been (surprisingly) great over the last couple of weeks, the offense has taken over command of the struggle bus. Year-to-date, the South Siders rank last in baseball in pretty much every team hitting category: OPS, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, RBIs, and hits. And if you boil it down to just the last seven days … they still rank in the bottom three in all of those categories — I think you get the point.
Switching it up a bit tonight for the South Siders, Miguel Vargas will lead off, followed by Chase Meidroth, Munetaka Murakami, and Everson Pereira taking over in the cleanup spot as he returns to the lineup after a couple weeks on the IL.
First pitch will take place at 6:40 p.m. CT on the South Side, and you can tune into the live broadcast at CHSN, or listen in at ESPN Chicago AM 1000.
Congratulations to Noah and best of luck in his first big league start. Let’s hope the weather holds up — Go White Sox!
Noah Schultz recorded a 0.429 WHIP, allowed two earned runs on four hits, and struck out 19 batters in 14 innings over three games.
Noah Schultz's fastball typically sits in the mid-90s and can top out around 99 mph.
Noah Schultz features a fastball, changeup, and a slider, with the slider being his most effective pitch.
Noah Schultz has been compared to Randy Johnson due to his impressive slider and overall pitching ability.
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