From a team-wide standpoint, it was an unsuccessful week for the Glendale Desert Dogs as they went 1-5 in the third week of Arizona Fall League play. But for a roster with nine White Sox prospects, there were a few intriguing individual developments.
Outfielder Braden Montgomery –– ranked No. 1 among White Sox prospects by MLB Pipeline –– showed no signs of rust as he returned to game action on Tuesday for the first time since suffering a fractured foot on Sept. 6 in Double-A.
He doubled in his first at-bat, then stayed hot throughout the week with a 1.066 OPS. Montgomery talked during the season about wanting to improve his swing decisions, and he showed patience this week with seven walks compared to just three strikeouts.
Chicago White Sox prospectBraden Montgomery (92) poses for a photo on media day at the team’s spring training facility in Glendale, AZ. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Another standout performer among White Sox prospects this week was infielder Sam Antonacci. He picked up right where he left off during the minor league season, posting a 1.017 OPS in 44 AFL at-bats. Antonacci continues to show good plate discipline, speed and contact hitting, and now his power is starting to flash with two AFL home runs after hitting just five in 116 minor league games in 2025. He reached base in 13-of-17 plate appearances this week.
On the mound, Hagen Smith –– the White Sox No. 2 pitching prospect and 2024 first-round pick –– got off to a strong start with six shutout innings in the first two weeks of AFL action. He wasn’t as sharp on Wednesday, though, giving up three earned runs in three innings.
In the second inning, Smith struck out a batter on a wild pitch, and then gave up a two-run home run in the very next at-bat. A third run scored in the third on a throwing error by Antonacci, which came after Smith gave up a double and a walk.
Smith impressed with seven strikeouts in three innings, increasing his total to 16 strikeouts in nine innings in the AFL. His swing-and-miss stuff makes is a big reason for his top-100 prospect status, as he struck out 108 batters in 75.2 Double-A innings in 2025. Command and control are still issues at times, however, as Smith issued a walk, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch in his last outing.
Here’s a look at how the White Sox prospects have performed through three weeks.
Here’s the rest of the schedule.
2025 Arizona Fall League schedule. / photo credit MLB.com