White Sox Minor Keys: Aug. 28, 2026

For those concerned that James wouldn't be writing Sun-Times articles about prospects who hadn't even been assigned to affiliates yet, he produced one about sixth-round pick Alex Weingartner, the New Jersey high school outfielder the White Sox signed away from a commitment to Penn State for $1,397,000.

That kind of money is usually reserved for SEC-bound prep players, but as Jim Callis mentioned to Josh briefly on Wednesday's Sox Machine Podcast, Weingartner has a couple of insane tools. Baseball America graded him at an 80 run and 70 arm, which gives him the capability of being a plus center fielder if he can hit enough, or converting to pitching if the bat never develops.

It's a sizable project, but Weingartner sounded thrilled about the earliest of returns.

The risk the White Sox are incurring is a hit tool that gives league scouts pause about Weingartner’s ability to make enough contact to actualize his impressive physicality. Sox hitting development has long-term plans to add more rhythm and movement to Weingartner’s setup over time. But the player himself is already raving about the improvements in contact ability he has seen from being exposed to high velocity and spin from the pitching machines at the White Sox complex.

“If you’ve never seen it before and you’ve never been exposed to it, it’s difficult to evaluate whether or not somebody will be successful,” Weingartner contends. “Showing up here and [Sox coaches] helping me constantly, every day, I show up to the field to be a better hitter and understand my swing more. It’s progressed very rapidly.”

Birmingham 3, Rocket City 2

• Caleb Bonemer DH'd, going 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout.
• Colby Shelton was 2-for-3 with a triple, double and walk.
• Ryan Burrowes went 1-for-3 with a walk, strikeout and stolen base.
• Samuel Zavala doubled and walked thrice.
• Mathias LaCombe: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 20 of 32 pitches for strikes.

Highlights:

*Bonemer walked it off with a single by getting the hands in, and the Barons are back within a game of the Trash Pandas.

Bowling Green 11, Winston-Salem 7 (10 innings)

• Javier Mogollón was 3-for-6 with a homer, strikeout and stolen base.
• Kyle Lodise was 1-for-4 with two walks and a strikeout.
• George Wolkow, 0-for-4 with a sac fly and two strikeouts.
• Jeral Perez went 1-for-3 with two walks and a strikeout. He was also picked off.
• James Taussig, 2-for-5 with two doubles and a strikeout.

Highlights:

*Mogollón's homer was a game-tying three-run shot with two outs in the eighth.

Hill City 5, Kannapolis 1

• Jaden Fauske wore the collar and silver sombrero.
• Matthew Boughton was 0-for-4.
• Abraham Nunez, 1-for-4 with a strikeout.
• Landon Hodge singled and struck out twice.

Charlotte vs. Memphis, PPD