White Sox calling up Chicago-area native Noah Schultz, top-rated pitching prospect

White Sox calling up Chicago-area native Noah Schultz, top-rated pitching prospect

The Chicago White Sox are calling up their top-rated pitching prospect Noah Schultz to make his MLB debut on Tuesday at Rate Field.

The 22-year-old left-handed pitcher is expected to pitch in the game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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Schultz is a Chicago-area native and a graduate of Oswego East High School. He selected by the White Sox with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft.

The 6'10" pitcher has been playing with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights.

This is a photo of pitcher Noah Schultz of the Chicago White Sox baseball team, taken Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

The White Sox officially announced on Sunday that Schultz is being called up to the big leagues.

Earlier this month, general manager Chris Getz said before a home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays that the Chicago White Sox had no intention of rushing their top pitching prospects to the major leagues.

As of April 3, Opening Day starter Shane Smith had two turns through the rotation, while giving up 10 earned runs in just 4 innings. The rest of the staff hadn't been much better, leading to some early-season questions about replacements.

In addition to Schultz, the White Sox have more promising first-round picks at Triple-A Charlotte who could contribute to the big league team soon, including fellow lefty Hagen Smith. Tanner McDougal, a fifth-round pick in 2021, also has looked good.

"When we feel like they're ready, they'll be up here," Getz said. "We don't feel like they're ready quite yet. We don't feel like it's the right time. Candidly, regardless of how things are going up here, if they are not ready, they're not coming up here."

McDougal and Smith are pitching at Triple-A for the first time while Schultz had a 9.37 ERA in five starts there last season. All have looked good in their initial outings this year but there's still work to be done, according to Getz.

"To have three significant arms like that at the Triple-A level is very comforting as we're navigating, looking into the future of this season, but certainly don't feel like it's the right time to bring those guys up," he said. "We want to make sure that those guys are throwing multiple pitches, being able to navigate both sided hitters and turn lineups over. If they're down there and they are performing well and there's confidence not only in the player, but the staff and front office and we feel like they're in a really good place -- they'll come up here because we know long term that it's going to be best for their careers."

ESPN's Jesse Rogers contributed to this report.