White Sox Call Up 6-Foot-10 Pitching Prospect Schultz

Noah Schultz is scheduled to make his Major League Baseball debut for the Chicago White Sox on April 14, 2026. The left-handed pitcher will start against the Tampa Bay Rays at Rate Field.

The promotion of the 6-foot-10, 240-pound southpaw comes alongside other roster changes. The White Sox have activated outfielder Everson Pereira from the injured list and placed right-handed pitcher Jonathan Cannon on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 13, 2026, due to right hip inflammation.

Schultz was selected by the organization as the top pick in the 2022 Draft, taken 26th overall out of Oswego East High School. According to MLB Pipeline, he is currently ranked as the No. 2 prospect within the White Sox organization and the No. 46 overall prospect in baseball.

Manager Will Venable expressed confidence in the young pitcher, stating that Schultz is about as nice a guy and polite a guy as can be, but adding that he does have an edge when he goes out there and pitches.

The arrival of Schultz is considered a pivotal moment in the organizational rebuild led by General Manager Chris Getz. This promotion follows the debut of shortstop Colson Montgomery, which occurred during the previous summer.

Due to his towering frame and pitching style, Schultz has been frequently compared to Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. His promotion continues a recent White Sox trend of drafting and developing high-ceiling left-handed pitchers in the first round, following the paths of Chris Sale, Carlos Rodón and Garrett Crochet.

Schultz is the fifth White Sox first-round pick hailing from the Chicago area. A product of Oswego, Illinois, he grew up approximately 40 miles southwest of Rate Field.

The White Sox have historically struggled to find long-term Major League success with local draft selections. In 60 years of the Draft, only Steve Trout and 1967 sixth-round pick Dennis O’Toole have posted positive Wins Above Replacement totals for the club. Other local first-rounders, such as Larry Monroe, Grady Hall, and Kris Honel, saw limited or no success at the Major League level.

Schultz’s early professional career showed significant promise. In his first two professional seasons, he maintained a 2.03 ERA and a .191 opponent average, while recording a 153/30 K/BB ratio. These performances earned him the Double-A Southern League Pitcher of the Year award at age 20 in 2024.

However, his progress was interrupted during the 2025 season by tendinitis in his right knee. This injury hindered his performance, leading to just five Triple-A starts in the second half of the 2025 season, where he struggled with a 9.37 ERA.

Returning to health for the 2026 season, Schultz has excelled during his time with Triple-A Charlotte. In three appearances, including two starts, he has posted a 3-0 record and a 1.29 ERA. He has struck out 19 batters and walked only two, while allowing four hits.

Oh, he’s the man. He’s awesome. He’s young, but he’s wise and mature beyond his years and he’s so fun to watch pitch. Just a nightmare for a hitter.

Duncan Davitt

Former Charlotte teammate Duncan Davitt also noted that Schultz’s delivery is funky and can make him hard to play catch with sometimes.

The White Sox are also weighing the potential call-up of utility player Sam Antonacci from Triple-A Charlotte. Antonacci is a Springfield-born infielder and left fielder who recently represented Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

Schultz’s debut on April 14, 2026, coincides with a magnetic schedule giveaway night for fans at Rate Field. The team will distribute Miguel Vargas bobbleheads to the first 10,000 fans on April 24, 2026.