White Sox top pitching prospects Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith on track for ’26 debuts — just not Opening Day

GLENDALE, Ariz. — It’s an open competition this spring training for at least two spots in the White Sox’ starting rotation, but don’t look for top pitching prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith to break camp with the team.

After rocky seasons in minors last year for both of their highly touted left-handers, manager Will Venable said this week that he expects both Schultz and Smith to make their Major League debuts sometime this year, just not in March.

“We want to build them up to be starters,” Venable said. “They’re gonna start most likely in Triple-A, and so we want to make sure that they’re on their path.”

Schultz, an Oswego East High School product and the No. 49 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, struggled last year after making the jump from Double-A Birmingham to Triple-A Charlotte. A nagging knee injury cut his season short and prevented him from playing in the Arizona Fall League.

Smith, the No. 72-ranked prospect, suffered his own bouts of inconsistency at Birmingham, but rebounded with a strong Fall League showing. His lengthy season has him a bit behind schedule entering camp at Camelback Ranch.

“His ramp up will be thoughtful, and we’ll make sure that he’s in a good spot to get going in his Triple-A season to be pitching every fifth day and eventually with us in Chicago,” Venable said.

After a winter of rest — and a focus on finding consistency in his lanky mechanics — the 6-10 Schultz felt optimistic after throwing his first bullpen session Tuesday.

“Last year, I would get a little wild, lose hitters, throw a couple walks in there. It’s not something that I’ve been used to in the past, but it’s good that I can get back up,” said Schultz, whose fastball has topped out at 99 mph. “I’m excited.”

Returning right-hander and fellow KBO veteran Erick Fedde seems likely to get first crack at a spot after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal.

Another free-agent signing, Sean Newcomb, brings more experience for Venable to shore up the staff, while Jonathan Cannon and Sean Burke are looking to regain their footing after bumpy seasons last year that resulted in late-season demotions for both.

Grant Taylor and Mike Vasil are pushing for starting opportunities, too, after bullpen success last year, while newcomers Chris Murphy, Jedixson Paez and David Sandlin could warrant consideration.

Over the winter, many fans had Schultz on that list of potentially cracking the big-league roster, too. While Venable hasn’t completely shut the door on that — anything’s possible at this early stage of the 2026 marathon — the towering lefty is not concerning himself with the idea.

“I have a ton of goals. There’s a lot of things I could say, and I think staying healthy is the No. 1 thing,” Schultz said. “Improving some of the things that probably took a dip last year every day. Just getting 1% better every day.”