The Chicago White Sox have a bright future ahead of them. With five top 100 prospects and many more young players already in the majors, that much is undeniable.
MLB Pipeline published a piece identifying possible breakout prospects from all 30 organizations. For the White Sox, Jesse Borek, Sam Dykstra and Ben Weinrib picked outfielder George Wolkow.
A seventh-round pick by the White Sox in 2023, Wolkow has a terrifying frame. At 6-foot-7, 240 pounds, Wolkow has the raw power ability of an Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton, making him the tenth-rated prospect in Chicago’s system.
Unfortunately for Chicago, he has a troubling swing-and-miss rate.
In 335 at-bats during the 2024 season, Wolkow had an astounding 158 strikeouts, good for a 40% rate. It wasn’t much better for Wolkow during the 2025 season, with 147 strikeouts in 426 at-bats.
Why is Wolkow a Breakout Prospect For The Chicago White Sox?
With those terrible strikeout rates, why is Wolkow still on MLB Pipeline’s radar? It simply has to do with his unbelievable ceiling.
“Few players in the Minors have as big a difference between their ceiling and floor as Wolkow,” Borek, Dykstra and Weinrib wrote. “The 6-foot-7 slugger has near-top-of-the-line raw power but hasn’t yet been able to tap into it because of swing-and-miss and chase issues.
“Further improvement, especially against breaking balls, could enable him to reach that long-awaited breakout.”
Wolkow, 19, still has a lot of room for growth, but also lots of time to do so. He was potentially a first-round pick in 2024 before being picked, and soon after, was signed by the White Sox.
Chicago still believes they got a steal of a prospect in Wolkow, and there’s reason to believe in that.
Despite the strikeouts, he has still shown elite power for his age. At the age of 18, being one of the youngest players in Single-A, Wolkow hit 11 home runs in 76 games.
In 2025, Wolkow stole 33 bases and has the speed to steal at the major league level.
His naturally long left-handed stroke has been a reason for his high strikeout rate. However, once Wolkow becomes familiar with Chicago’s director of hitting, Ryan Fuller, the results could show very soon.
Fuller was known for helping shortstop Colson Montgomery’s breakout season by helping with his own swing-and-miss issues. He could help Wolkow do the same.
Who Are Some Other Prospects to Watch in Chicago’s System?
Despite a good chunk of the White Sox’s future already having graduated from the minors, there are still many prospects that could make their name known.
Shortstop Billy Carlson and outfielder Jaden Fauske, despite not playing in the minors after being drafted in 2025, are major breakout candidates.
Carlson is known for having one of the best defensive profiles of a shortstop in the minors, to go along with a high offensive ceiling.
As for Fauske, he learned from Hall-of-Fame inductee Jim Thome and was known as one of the best high school hitters in the 2025 draft.
Carlson and Fauske are the third and sixth-ranked prospects in Chicago’s system, respectively.
As for pitchers, Gage Ziehl is a candidate who hasn’t already broken out. In 107 innings in 2025, Ziehl had a 4.12 ERA. The No. 14 prospect in the White Sox’s system, Ziehl has great command and potential to be a future starter.
If Wolkow breaks out, along with these other players, the White Sox could be a scary team by 2028.
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