White Sox Minor Keys: July 24, 2026

MLB Pipeline released new top-30 lists for each organization, but the rollout is a little strange, at least on the White Sox's side. The big hangup is that it doesn't yet include draft picks because the signing deadline is Monday, so it seems like they could've just waited until Monday. Instead, Caleb Bonemer gets a few more days to savor his status as the No. 1 White Sox prospect until Roch Cholowsky takes over.

Also, MLB.com rolled out the list with an accompanying article highlighting the biggest movers for each organization, but since I read it before I saw the rankings, this told me to expect no major shakeups.

Promoting Braden Montgomery, Noah Schultz and Sam Antonacci to Chicago has helped fuel a surprising run toward a possible AL Central title. Other than graduations, it's been fairly status quo for the White Sox system -- though it will get a huge influx of talent from No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky and the rest of the club's 2026 Draft.

And then I looked at the list and saw Boston Smith going from unranked to No. 15. I'd seen that he was added to the top 30 upon Montgomery's graduation, but based on where he's debuting, there's your answer for the org's biggest insurgent.

Also, he homered again.

Norfolk 2, Charlotte 1 (Game 1, 7 innings)

• Rikuu Nishida went 1-for-2 with a walk.
• Everson Pereira went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Austin Hays and Ryan Galanie both were 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
• Tyler Gilbert is throwing: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 1 HBP
• Jonathan Cannon: 6 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 1 HR, 1 HBP

Notes:

*I'm not sure what Ryan Noda ever did while a member of the 2024 White Sox, but they drilled him twice.

Charlotte 6, Norfolk 1 (Game 2, 7 innings)

• Rikuu Nishida was 2-for-3 and caught stealing once.
• Ryan Galanie went 1-for-3.
• Shane Smith: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HBP, 40 of 72 pitches for strikes.
• Hagen Smith: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 19 of 26 pitches for strikes.

Notes:

*Shane Smith meted out his walks over three different innings. A couple of bunt singles -- one actual, one swinging -- shortened his outing.

*Hagen Smith was still fastball-dominant, throwing it 22 times out of 26 pitches, but it was rounding up to 98 this time.

Montgomery 9, Birmingham 8

• Boston Smith went 1-for-3 with a homer and two walks.
• Caleb Bonemer struck out and got beaned, after which he was replaced by Adam Fogel.
• Anthony DePino struck out, hit a grand slam, and then was plunked, after which he was replaced by Eddie Park.
• Colby Shelton went 1-for-3 with a double, sac fly and strikeout.
• Samuel Zavala was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.
• Mathias LaCombe started the bullpen game: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 27 of 44 pitches for strikes.

Notes:

*After being used as target practice in Winston-Salem (15 HBPs over 278 PAs), Bonemer had only been plunked once over his first 117 plate appearances with Birmingham, but this is the second time he's been drilled in helmet this year.

*DePino has now been drilled 11 times, and this one was a direct hit to his left hand. He slammed down his helmet in obvious pain, but he ran the bases for himself before being lifted from the game.

Winston-Salem 10, Greensboro 3 (5½ innings, rain)

• Jeral Perez went 0-for-3 with a sac fly and two strikeouts.
• George Wolkow was 1-for-2 with two walks.
• Ben Hartl went 1-for-2 with a walk.
• Drew Thorpe: 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 21 of 41 pitches for strikes.

Columbia 6, Kannapolis 3

• Jaden Fauske went 0-for-4 with a walk, strikeout and stolen base.
• Billy Carlson was 2-for-4 with an HBP and a stolen base.
• Javier Mogollón, 1-for-5 with a strikeout.
• Nick McLain went 2-for-5 with a triple.
• Matthew Boughton, 1-for-5 with two stolen bases.
• Alexander Albertus was 2-for-4 with a double and a strikeout.
• Christian Gonzalez, 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

DSL White Sox 6, DSL NYY Yankees 1 (7 innings)

• Caelos Vielma went 0-for-2 with an HBP and a strikeout.
• Fernando Graterol was 1-for-2 with a walk.
• Ronald Cardozo doubled and singled twice.
• Felix Lebron walked once and struck out twice.
• Samuel Luis went 1-for-3.
• Enmanuel Rodriguez: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Franchel Crisóstomo: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K