Our Sox Populi staff combines their prospect lists each offseason, coming up with the Top 100 players in the system. We’ll be summarizing and counting them up here, five at a time, leading up to the regular season.

70
Carson Jacobs
Right-Handed Reliever
Winston-Salem Dash
Baseball Cube Rating 59.00
Simple WAR 2.7
As much as you can say about a pitcher with just 31 games and 38 innings in 2024, well let’s just say it: The 6´9´´Jacobs is a SCARY proposition for hitters digging in through the later innings. If he can harness his control, success in the upper minors awaits in 2025.

69
Nick Altermatt
Right-Handed Reliever
Winston-Salem Dash
Baseball Cube Rating 76.67
Simple WAR 1.1
The long-awaited debut of a one-time two-way player turned out to be worth it, as Altermatt had a superb pro debut, including a piece of a Kannapolis’ no-hitter. He may not be Double-A ready out of the gate in 2025, but he’s gone from off the board to a major player in the future White Sox bullpen in one short summer.

68
Drew Dalquist
Right-Handed Reliever
Birmingham Barons
Baseball Cube Rating 38.17
Simple WAR 0.9
You might be tempted to think, looking at career stats, that Dalquist still benefits from his status as a third round pick in making a Top 100 list at all, but you’d be wrong. The 2024 season marked the righty’s first to come exclusively out of the pen, and at a serious level (Double-A), he was really good. We’ll return to some optimism regarding his move closer to the South Side.

67
Zach Franklin
Right-Handed Reliever
Birmingham Barons
Baseball Cube Rating 72.83
Simple WAR 0.9
In contrast to Dalquist, Franklin has wasted little time in racing up to Double-A — and killing it once there. That may come as no surprise, as his funky, shot-put motion is off-putting to hitters. The righty is destined for Charlotte and has an outside chance at the South Side this summer.

66
Fraser Ellard
Left-Handed Reliever
Chicago White Sox
Baseball Cube Rating 57.67
Simple WAR 1.1
Seeing significant South Side time in 2024 but retaining rookie/prospect status, Ellard’s OK season dims his outlook for 2025 and the future. There’s nothing wrong with being a suitable lefty out of the pen in the majors, or even at Triple-A, for that matter. But it’s doubtful Ellard will give us anything more than filler status going forward.

Zach Franklin photo courtesy of Zach Franklin/Instagram.

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