The 2026 Major League Baseball Draft will take place in Philadelphia during All Star weekend this July. This will be the fifth draft for the White Sox under the current rules and the second one under the revamped, two-day format. The draft is 20 rounds and the Chicago White Sox were awarded the #1 overall pick via the draft lottery. This will be Mike Shirley’s 7th draft in his role as Director of Amateur Scouting for the club. The organization has selected Garrett Crochet, Colson Montgomery, Noah Schultz, Jacob Gonzalez, Hagen Smith and Billy Carlson with first rounders in that time. Draft Notebook 2.0 can be read here.
White Sox Picks and Bonus Pool Set
The 20 round draft order is set and bonus pools and slot values have been announced. The pick values have increased by another 2.5% compared to last year; reflecting the growth in Major League Baseball revenues.
The White Sox have the #1 overall pick and the slot comes with an assigned value of $11,350,600. The bonus is the largest since the bonus pools came into play in 2012. Last year, the #1 pick was worth $11,075,900. Despite having the top overall selection, the White Sox only have the third largest bonus pool.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have the largest bonus pool with $19,130,700 to spend overall. Pittsburgh has a Competitive Balance Round A pick at #34 and it’s worth $2,897,400 in addition to pick #51 for their failure to sign Angel Cervantes in last year’s draft. The Rays have the second largest pool with a total of $19,130,700 as well.
Nineteen teams have eight-figure bonus pools for 2026. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the smallest total pool with just $3,951,900 to spend. Their first rounder drops from pick 30 to 40 and they’ve forfeited selections in rounds two, three, five and six for signing Edwin Diaz and Kyle Tucker.
The White Sox total pool will be worth $17,592,100 overall. The club is considered to be a large market revenue generator and they don’t receive competitive balance selections. With the 5% overage, the Sox can spend an additional $879,605 for a grand total of $18,471,705.
RoundPick Slot Value 1#1$11,350,6002#41$2,446,1003#77$1,086,6004#105$747,7005#137$547,7006#166$413,9007#195$325,1008#225$256,5009#255$217,00010#285$200,900
New Draft Format and an Exciting New Tool
Friend of the podcast Joe Doyle recently reported that the MLB Draft format is changing once again. Over the past five years, numerous alterations have occurred and they are well documented by the veteran prospect writer here. Day one of the 2026 Draft will now include four rounds which will encompass 135 picks in total.
Rounds 5-20 will take place on the following day. Scouts and executives have long preferred a June draft that better aligns with the baseball calendar but building the event in conjunction with All Star weekend was the preference of the commissioner’s office.
The draft is also expected to take place on Saturday July, 11th 2026 at 12:30 pm central time. Another big change from the previous prime time television start. Day two will take place on Sunday July 12th, 2026. A new collective bargaining agreement will be ratified at some point after the 2026 season concludes and changes to the 2028 MLB draft are sure to come.
At Overslotbaseball.com, Doyle and his team have created the most comprehensive mock draft simulator ever for the MLB Draft. For draftniks and very interested White Sox fans, this is an essential tool to learn more about the baseball draft in the lead up to the event this summer.
💎OUT NOW💎@OverSlot_‘s free-to-use MLB Draft Mock Draft Simulator has arrived.
💎 10 rounds
💎 1,200 player talent pool
💎 Real-life bonus pools
💎 Variable player costs
💎 Team logic and computer learning built-in
💎 …and plenty of nuance on the back-end
👇Link Below👇 pic.twitter.com/xHw5lrChNN
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) April 7, 2026
The simulator is the most realistic of its kind. It comes with newly assigned team budgets and pick values in addition to educated guesses on expected signing bonuses and asking prices for players. There are also 1,200 players in the portal to choose from and draft fans could spend hours predicting the 2026 MLB Draft using this newly created tool.
Area Codes, Local Kids and the Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have a history of selecting local prospects, Midwest players and Area Code alums. Noah Schultz, Caleb Bonemer, Jaden Fauske, Christian Oppor, Blake Larson, George Wolkow and Adisyn Coffey are some of the players that the organization has selected after becoming very familiar with them.
Mike Shirley is in his seventh year as the club’s scouting director after serving in numerous capacities in previous seasons. Shirley is an Indiana native and has always had his fingers on the pulse of the Midwest in regards to talent. Garrett Guest is the assistant director for the club and JJ Lally is now a cross checker. Both are top lieutenants for the White Sox and they’re all heavily involved in the Area Codes Teams that the franchise assembled annually.
Noah Schultz is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball and he should debut in Chicago this summer. Christian Oppor and Jaden Fauske should receive top 100 love across the industry in short order as well. Bonemer received $3 million in the second round of the 2025 draft and he’s currently crashing the party as a top 50 prospect in the sport.
The club has gone over-slot to procure talent in rounds two through five in recent years with Bonemer and Fauske highlighting that strategy. There are more candidates this year as the White Sox possess the #41 overall pick in the 2nd round with the #77 pick in the 3rd round as well. Below are ten draft eligible members from the club’s area codes team and two additional prep pitchers from Illinois to keep an eye on.
Ethan Bass, SS, Glenbrook North HS (IL)
The 6-2, 185 pound infielder is ranked as the #56 overall draft prospect at MLB Pipeline. Bass should stay at shortstop long-term and the right-handed hitter shows an aggressive, pull oriented approach at the plate. It’s a quick righty stroke with 20 homer potential for the 18-year-old and mostly average tools outside of plus run times. The Wake Forest commit also is known for plus makeup and he’s ranked as the #119 overall player in the class for Baseball America.
Jack Brenner, catcher, Fond du Lac HS (WI)
The 6-0, 180 pounder is an Oklahoma commit and the #180 overall player in the 2026 class according to Baseball America. This 18-year-old backstop from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin displays contact ability and a middle of the field approach with his right-handed swing. Brenner needs work as a blocker and receiver but has shown a strong arm behind the plate with recorded pop times of 1.90 in showcase settings.
Sean Dunlap, catcher, Crown Point HS (IN)
The Tennessee commit possesses present strength and bat speed with upside in a power over hit profile. The Northwest Indiana product is a 6-3, 205 pound backstop with average arm strength and good hands behind the plate. Dunlap is a premium athlete with tools and a big frame but there is some swing and miss in the profile.
Gannon Grant, RHP, Center Grove HS (TN)
Grant will be 19-years-old on draft day and the 6-2, 180 pounder shows high spin rates and a three pitch mix. The Greenwood, Illinois native pushes his fastball up to 98 mph with a low 80’s slider that reaches 3,000 RPM. The righty throws a mid 80’s changeup as well. The Tennessee commit is athletic but he’ll also be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2028 if he chooses to attend college. He ranks at #109 in the class for Baseball America.
Beau Peterson, 3B, Mill Valley HS (KS)
Peterson is one of the best power hitters in the 2026 prep class. The 6-3, 210 pounder from Kansas had lots of success on the showcase circuit and possesses plus raw power to all fields. The third baseman ranks #41 overall at MLB Pipeline and down at #85 for Baseball America. The slugger has a selective approach with 25 homer potential but he’s a below-average runner with some defensive questions. He has a plus arm and some believe he ends up in an outfield corner.
Tyler Putnam, RHP, Battle HS (MO)
Putnam is a 6-5, 200 pound right hander who ranks as the #274 player in the draft class at Baseball America. The Missouri native is long and lanky with a fastball up to 97 mph and more velocity coming. He also throws a slider and a changeup but the secondary offerings need to be developed further. Consistently repeating his delivery is a focus for the 18-year-old as well.
‘26 |RHP| Tyler Putnam (Battle HS & @Vol_Baseball commit)
Solid outing by the lengthy 6’5 righty by striking out 10 in 4IP. Overpowered hitters early on with his FB. Mixed it up when he needed to with his CB/CH combo later in the outing.
FB 88-93 early
CB 73-75
CH 82-83… pic.twitter.com/yM7aP7A94M
— Prep Baseball Scouting (@pbtscouting) June 1, 2025
Dominic Santarelli, 1B, St. Joseph’s HS (WI)
Santarelli possesses plus-plus raw power and it’s some of the biggest power in the high school class. The 18-year-old from Wisconsin hits from the left side and displays staggering exit velocities and all fields power. The 6-2, 230 pounder is a physical and imposing presence and despite some strikeout concerns and defensive questions, the power was on display on the showcase circuit. The LSU recruit is ranked #65 overall on the Baseball America list and #98 overall for MLB Pipeline.
Savion Sims, RHP, Prestonwood Christian HS (TX)
Sims is a 6-8, 205 pound righty from Prestonwood Christian High School in Texas. He’ll be 19 on draft day and he runs is fastball into the triple digits consistently with little effort. The Oklahoma commit can add more mass to his frame but there are some fastball command questions and underdeveloped secondaries as well. Sims is one of the most electric arms in the class. He ranks #43 overall at Baseball America and #51 overall for MLB Pipeline. He’ll also be draft eligible as a sophomore in 2028.
Jack Slightom, RHP, Lyons Township HS (IL)
Slightom didn’t pitch for the White Sox’s area codes team and he’s not currently ranked for Pipeline or Baseball America. The 6-5, 205 pounder from Lyons Township High School is a Cincinnati commit however and ranks as a top five player in Illinois at Prep Baseball Report. The fastball gets into the low and mid 90’s with high spin rates and he also throws a curveball, slider and changeup. Slightom starred on the football field and basketball court for Lyons as well and scouts have been flocking in to see him throw this spring.
Gavin Swartz, RHP, Normal Community HS (IL)
Swartz is currently ranked as the #6 prospect in Illinois per Prep Baseball Report and he’s a righty who the White Sox are definitely familiar with. The 6-3, 185 pounder is a Normal, Illinois product and he’s committed to Indiana. The 18-year-old is an athlete with long limbs and projection remaining. His fastball sits around 93 mph with spin qualities and he possesses a breaking ball that could be plus as well. He has racked up lots of strikeouts already this spring.
Landon Thome, 2B, Nazareth Academy (IL)
Thome is already rumored to be a target of the White Sox as his father Jim is a Hall of Famer who works for the club and franchise selected his former Roadrunners teammate Jaden Fauske in the 2025 draft. The 6-0, 185 pounder is seen as one of the best hitters in the prep class but some defensive questions remain. Thome’s strengths are pitch recognition, bat to ball skills and potential for plus power. He’s added strength and he’s a below-average runner. The baseball IQ and makeup is off the charts. He ranks #34 overall in the class for Baseball America and #42 at MLB Pipeline.
Grayson Willoughby, RHP, Trinity HS (KY)
Willoughby is a 6-2, 185 pound righty from Kentucky. The two-way player is a prospect as a right-handed pitcher and he slots in at #187 on the list at Baseball America. He’s a projectable athlete with a three pitch mix and he’ll be draft eligible in 2028 as well. The fastball gets up to 97 mph with a mid 80’s changeup. Willoughby is a strike thrower with a clean delivery and he projects as a potential mid-rotation starter.
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