The FanGraphs Top 100 list dropped yesterday, and if you’re looking for a reason to actually pay attention to the 2026 season beyond “the weather might be nice in May,” Eric Longenhagen and friends just provided a small, 50-FV-sized dose of Vitamin C for a malnourished fan base.
In a system that has spent the last few years looking like a construction site where the foreman lost the blueprints, there finally seems to be a tangible core of talent cresting the horizon.
While the Sox have been a “pitching-first” factory lately, the list features two bats that couldn’t be more different if they tried.
- Caleb Bonemer (No. 33, 50 FV): He is officially the standard-bearer for the South Side’s future, that is, until Roch Cholowsky comes a callin’. Landing in the Top 40, Bonemer is the “Prove It” prospect for a front office that has historically struggled with prep bats. ETA: 2029.
- Braden Montgomery (No. 100, 50 FV): The switch-hitting outfielder just barely squeezed onto the list. He’s a “boom-or-bust” archetype with massive raw power but significant swing-and-miss concerns. If he makes enough contact, he’s a 30-HR threat; if not, he’s a cautionary tale. ETA: 2027, although with a strong spring, he could get the Chase Meidroth treatment and be up by April.
The Sox have specialized in “weird” lefties lately, and this list reflects that obsession.
- Noah Schultz (No. 36, 50 FV): He remains the highest-ranked arm in the system despite a “down” 2025, where his walk rate ballooned in Double-A. The 65-grade slider is still a nightmare for hitters, and FanGraphs is betting on the 6’10” frame eventually finding the zone. He’s the most likely “ace” outcome in the system. ETA: 2026.
- Hagen Smith (No. 65, 50 FV): The 2024 first-rounder is the ultimate enigma. His fastball can touch triple digits, and his slider is elite, but a 6.66 BB/9 last season has Chris Getz checking his blood pressure. If the command moves from “catastrophic” to “below average,” he’s a frontline starter. ETA: 2027.
- Christian Oppor (No. 95, 50 FV): A massive riser in the system, Oppor took a leap forward in 2025. He’s another southpaw with a mid-rotation ceiling who finally found a way to use his lean frame to generate consistent stuff. He’s the “sleeper” who isn’t sleeping anymore. ETA: 2027.
While technically just outside the “Top 100,” Tanner McDougal is essentially in the same tier. After a breakout in Double-A where he shaved his BB/9 to 3.89, he’s positioned himself as a potential mid-rotation stabilizer. He’s the “high-floor” counterweight to the “all-ceiling” Schultz and Smith. ETA: 2026.
The 2026 list is a sobering reminder of where the White Sox stand. While the quantity is finally there with placing five guys in the top 100 and another at 104, it’s a group defined by volatility. There are a lot of 50-FV grades here, meaning the Sox have a bunch of “solid everyday players” in the oven, but we’re still waiting for someone to leap into the 60+ FV “Superstar” tier. Again, paging Roch Cholowsky. But for today, we hang our hats on the fact that the South Side has a core to dream on. It sure is better than starving.
What do you think, Sox fans? Does seeing five names in the Top 100 make the potential for the future feel real, or are you worried that Rebuild 2.0 will end up like 1.0?