Barczi had suffered the injury in February and was sidelined for a month. But he finished the season as Vanderbilt\u2019s designated hitter and had two three-homer games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was expecting to get drafted, honestly, but I just knew the medicals were obviously going to throw a little bit of a fork in it,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I wasn\u2019t really shocked when it didn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
As it turned out, Barczi still got what he has always wanted. After the draft, he signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago White Sox.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew I really wanted to play professional baseball, so as soon as the draft ended, I talked to my adviser,\u201d he said. \u201cHe asked me, \u2018Is there a specific team you want me to reach out to?\u2019 And I said, \u2018It\u2019s been my dream all my life to play for the White Sox.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Vanderbilt's](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/NVS-L-BAS-BARCZI-VANDERBILT-2026-2.jpg\")
Vanderbilt’s Colin Barczi reacts after hitting one of his three home runs during a game against Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, on Thursday, April 2, 2026. (Photo provided by Vanderbilt Athletics)<\/p>\n
Barczi\u2019s agent didn\u2019t need long to set up a meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was actually doing rehab in Evergreen Park, so I was pretty close to the city,\u201d Barczi said. \u201cMy agent texted me and said, \u2018The Sox want to get you in, get a medical going real quick, if you can do that.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018That\u2019s perfect. I\u2019m already right next to the city.\u2019 So I went up there, saw the team doc, and that night they said they wanted me to be a White Sox.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barczi was so excited that he doesn\u2019t know all the details of his contract.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be completely honest, I didn\u2019t ask questions,\u201d he said. \u201cAs soon as I had the chance to be a White Sox, I said, \u2018I\u2019m in.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s the initial signing bonus, but not really sure where it goes from there. I\u2019m not asking questions. I\u2019m just happy to be a White Sox.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barczi\u2019s enthusiasm is understandable given his ardent fandom. He has been attending White Sox games since he was a little kid and remembers getting some nice perks due to a connection between his father, Scott, who played minor league baseball in the Pittsburgh Pirates system, and Jeff Cox, who was the third base coach for the White Sox.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad was coached by Mr. Cox,\u201d Barczi said. \u201cIt was cool because after games sometimes, Mr. Cox would let us walk on the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have so many signed balls and jerseys from players like Paul Konerko, who was my favorite player growing up. It was a long, long time ago, but I still remember a lot of those games, talking to Mr. Cox.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Vanderbilt's](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/NVS-L-BAS-BARCZI-VANDERBILT-2026-3.jpg\")
Vanderbilt’s Colin Barczi bats during a game against Tennessee Tech in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo provided by Vanderbilt Athletics)<\/p>\n
Barczi, who established career highs this past season with a .263 batting average, a .917 OPS and 11 home runs despite his shoulder injury, was on the White Sox\u2019s radar even before he played at Vanderbilt.<\/p>\n
\u201cGoing into senior year of high school, I played for the Area Code tournament in California,\u201d he said. \u201cJ.J. Lally was my coach for that, and he\u2019s a White Sox scout. He reached out (after the draft), and it went pretty quick after that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Naperville Central coach Mike Stock was thrilled, although not surprised, to hear that Barczi is a professional.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been waiting for it,\u201d Stock said. \u201cWe weren\u2019t sure when it was going to happen, but you knew it was.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great investment by the White Sox. It would have been by anybody because he\u2019s been a standout at every level. Having him as a hometown guy is going to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n
The White Sox have a history of signing players from the Chicago area. In recent years, they have drafted Oswego East\u2019s Noah Schultz, who is in their starting rotation<\/a>; Downers Grove North\u2019s George Wolkow; and Nazareth\u2019s Landon Thome<\/a>, who is the son of Hall of Famer Jim Thome.<\/p>\n \u201cThey take a lot of pride in getting the local guys and developing them and getting them on the big league team,\u201d Barczi said.<\/p>\n
![\"Naperville](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/NVS-L-bas-waubv-reg-st-0527.jpg\")
Naperville Central’s Colin Barczi bats during a Class 4A Waubonsie Valley Regional semifinal against West Aurora in Aurora on Thursday, May 26, 2022. (H. Rick Bamman \/ Naperville Sun<\/p>\n