Noah Schultz

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #2 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 60/Very High
  
  Track Record: The White Sox stayed close to home when they drafted Schultz 26th overall in 2022, signing the towering Chicago-area high school product for full slot value of $2.8 million. While his time on the mound has been limited to 27 innings since signing, Schultz has flashed tantalizing, mostly unhittable stuff. His 2023 pro debut was delayed until June 2 by a flexor strain. It wasn’t until his seventh start a month and a half later that he finally gave up a run, the only game among his 10 starts in which he yielded an earned run. He spent the entire season at Low-A Kannapolis, striking out 38 batters while walking just six.
  
  Scouting Report: Schultz’s devastating mid-90s fastball touches the high 90s. It is difficult for hitters to square up because of the extreme deception provided by his low three-quarters arm slot and the way he hides the ball. It explodes on hitters with run and sink to generate whiffs up in the zone. Schultz’s fastball has double-plus potential, as does his wipeout slider that averages 79-80 mph with late, hard movement and a high spin rate. He doesn’t use his changeup much, but it’s a potentially above-average pitch in the mid 80s with late movement and down action. He uses it to keep righthanded hitters from sitting on his slider. Using a modified windup, Schultz starts from what looks like a stretch position before going into a small side-rocker step, which helps keep his long levers in sync. He coordinates his tall frame and long levers well, throwing a lot of strikes and profiling as a starter.
  
  The Future: Schultz has the components of a top-of-the rotation starter. He will continue to move through the system slowly, with his pitch counts being carefully controlled. He’ll likely head to High-A Winston-Salem as a 20-year-old to start the 2024 season.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 65 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 60
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #4 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: It had been 21 years since the White Sox drafted a high school pitcher in the first round--suburban Chicago righthander Kris Honel in 2001--before another local product tempted them. The White Sox viewed the 6-foot-9 Schultz as too promising to pass up with the 26th overall pick in 2022. With a fastball that touches 98 mph, Schultz was Chicago's pick despite a limited senior season because of a bout with mononucleosis. He significantly boosted his draft stock with six starts in the Prospect League, where he struck out 37 in 19.1 innings. Schultz signed for $2.8 million and saw his first action in a White Sox uniform at instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: The gem of Schultz's arsenal is a potentially plus-plus two-seam fastball that ranged 93-97 mph in the fall. It's a pitch that explodes on hitters with run and sink to help get whiffs up in the zone. His 81-84 mph slider has a high spin rate and is a potentially plus pitch. It has devastating late life and hard sweeping action that plays against batters of either hand. He has enough feel for his slider to throw it in the zone consistently. Schultz's third pitch is an average, 86-87 mph changeup with hard fading action. He uses it to keep righthanded batters from sitting on his slider. Using a modified windup, Schultz starts from what looks like a stretch position before going into a small side step, which helps keep his long levers in sync. He throws from a lower arm slot that adds deception and allows his stuff to play up. He's shown surprisingly good feel to throw strikes, especially given his extreme height, and has impressive body control and great feel to land his breaking ball.
  
  The Future: The White Sox will give Schultz plenty of time to develop at the lower levels. He might start 2023 in extended spring training to manage his innings before heading to Low-A.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #51 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Oswego (Ill.) East HS Committed/Drafted: Vanderbilt
  Age At Draft: 19
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: - | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Cutter: | Control: 50
  It is difficult to get much more exciting than the tall and lanky, 6-foot-9, 225-pound lefthander. That’s just what Schultz is, and he has that size plus impressive stuff, with a fastball that’s touched 98 mph this spring after mostly settling in the low 90s last summer on the showcase circuit. While Schultz flashed bigtime stuff this spring, he was also not seen frequently, after missing much of the spring season with mono. He draws Chris Sale and Randy Johnson body comps, but unlike your typical tall pitcher who will rely on a longer arm swing for leverage, Schultz has a shorter take back and hides the ball extremely well before releasing from a low, three-quarter slot, adding even more deception to an already tough look for the hitter. While Schultz has impressive body control for his size, he’ll need to fine tune his fastball command as he can be scattered in the zone at times. Schultz has a lot of confidence in his 80-83 mph sweeping slider that can surpass the 3,000 rpm mark. Scouts are impressed with how he dictates the movement and shape depending on the count, adding sweep for the punchout. Capping off his repertoire is an 81-83 mph changeup, thrown mostly to righthanded hitters. Schultz has huge upside, but is expected to be a tough sign out of a Vanderbilt commitment.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #35 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #31 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: It had been 21 years since the White Sox drafted a high school pitcher in the first round--suburban Chicago righthander Kris Honel in 2001--before another local product tempted them. The White Sox viewed the 6-foot-9 Schultz as too promising to pass up with the 26th overall pick in 2022. With a fastball that touches 98 mph, Schultz was Chicago's pick despite a limited senior season because of a bout with mononucleosis. He significantly boosted his draft stock with six starts in the Prospect League, where he struck out 37 in 19.1 innings. Schultz signed for $2.8 million and saw his first action in a White Sox uniform at instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: The gem of Schultz's arsenal is a potentially plus-plus two-seam fastball that ranged 93-97 mph in the fall. It's a pitch that explodes on hitters with run and sink to help get whiffs up in the zone. His 81-84 mph slider has a high spin rate and is a potentially plus pitch. It has devastating late life and hard sweeping action that plays against batters of either hand. He has enough feel for his slider to throw it in the zone consistently. Schultz's third pitch is an average, 86-87 mph changeup with hard fading action. He uses it to keep righthanded batters from sitting on his slider. Using a modified windup, Schultz starts from what looks like a stretch position before going into a small side step, which helps keep his long levers in sync. He throws from a lower arm slot that adds deception and allows his stuff to play up. He's shown surprisingly good feel to throw strikes, especially given his extreme height, and has impressive body control and great feel to land his breaking ball.
  
  The Future: The White Sox will give Schultz plenty of time to develop at the lower levels. He might start 2023 in extended spring training to manage his innings before heading to Low-A.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme
  
  Track Record: It had been 21 years since the White Sox drafted a high school pitcher in the first round--suburban Chicago righthander Kris Honel in 2001--before another local product tempted them. The White Sox viewed the 6-foot-9 Schultz as too promising to pass up with the 26th overall pick in 2022. With a fastball that touches 98 mph, Schultz was Chicago's pick despite a limited senior season because of a bout with mononucleosis. He significantly boosted his draft stock with six starts in the Prospect League, where he struck out 37 in 19.1 innings. Schultz signed for $2.8 million and saw his first action in a White Sox uniform at instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: The gem of Schultz's arsenal is a potentially plus-plus two-seam fastball that ranged 93-97 mph in the fall. It's a pitch that explodes on hitters with run and sink to help get whiffs up in the zone. His 81-84 mph slider has a high spin rate and is a potentially plus pitch. It has devastating late life and hard sweeping action that plays against batters of either hand. He has enough feel for his slider to throw it in the zone consistently. Schultz's third pitch is an average, 86-87 mph changeup with hard fading action. He uses it to keep righthanded batters from sitting on his slider. Using a modified windup, Schultz starts from what looks like a stretch position before going into a small side step, which helps keep his long levers in sync. He throws from a lower arm slot that adds deception and allows his stuff to play up. He's shown surprisingly good feel to throw strikes, especially given his extreme height, and has impressive body control and great feel to land his breaking ball.
  
  The Future: The White Sox will give Schultz plenty of time to develop at the lower levels. He might start 2023 in extended spring training to manage his innings before heading to Low-A.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 55/Extreme
  
  August Update: It is difficult to get much more exciting than the tall and lanky, 6-foot-9, 225-pound lefthander. That&#39s just what Schultz is, and he has that size plus impressive stuff, with a fastball that&#39s touched 98 mph this spring after mostly settling in the low 90s last summer on the showcase circuit. While Schultz flashed bigtime stuff this spring, he was also not seen frequently, after missing much of the spring season with mono. He draws Chris Sale and Randy Johnson body comps, but unlike your typical tall pitcher who will rely on a longer arm swing for leverage, Schultz has a shorter take back and hides the ball extremely well before releasing from a low, three-quarter slot, adding even more deception to an already tough look for the hitter. While Schultz has impressive body control for his size, he&#39ll need to fine tune his fastball command as he can be scattered in the zone at times. Schultz has a lot of confidence in his 80-83 mph sweeping slider that can surpass the 3,000 rpm mark. Scouts are impressed with how he dictates the movement and shape depending on the count, adding sweep for the punchout. Capping off his repertoire is an 81-83 mph changeup, thrown mostly to righthanded hitters.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 55. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.