Where the White Sox Top 30 prospects are starting season

With the Minor League season opening this week, here's where the White Sox' Top 30 Prospects are projected to start:

1. Colson Montgomery (MLB No. 38), SS -- Winston-Salem (High-A) -- injured list (oblique)
2. Oscar Colás (MLB No. 85), OF -- Chicago (MLB)
3. Bryan Ramos, 3B -- Birmingham (Double-A)
4. Noah Schultz, LHP -- Extended spring training (forearm strain)
5. Sean Burke, RHP -- Charlotte (Triple-A) -- injured list (shoulder soreness)
6. Jose Rodriguez, SS -- Birmingham (Double-A)
7. Cristian Mena, RHP -- Birmingham (Double-A)
8. Lenyn Sosa, INF -- Charlotte (Triple-A)
9. Peyton Pallette, RHP -- Kannapolis (Single-A)
10. Jonathan Cannon, RHP -- Winston-Salem (High-A)
11. Ryan Burrowes, SS -- Extended spring training
12. Norge Vera, RHP -- Winston-Salem (High-A)
13. Yoelqui Céspedes, OF -- Birmingham (Double-A)
14. Matthew Thompson, RHP -- Birmingham (Double-A)
15. Kohl Simas, RHP -- Winston-Salem (High-A)
16. Jared Kelley, RHP -- Winston-Salem (High-A) -- injured list (fractured left foot)
17. Wilfred Veras, 1B -- Winston-Salem (High-A)
18. Wes Kath, 3B -- Winston-Salem (High-A)
19. Tanner McDougal, RHP -- Kannapolis (Single-A)
20. Gregory Santos, RHP -- Chicago (MLB)
21. Luis Mieses, OF -- Birmingham (Double-A)
22. Jonathan Stiever, RHP -- Charlotte (Triple-A)
23. Jordan Sprinkle, SS -- Kannapolis (Single-A)
24. Tyler Schweitzer, LHP -- Kannapolis (Single-A)
25. Terrell Tatum, OF -- Winston-Salem (High-A)
26. Franklin German, RHP -- Charlotte (Triple-A)
27. Loidel Chapelli, 2B -- Winston-Salem (High-A)
28. Yolbert Sanchez, 2B -- Charlotte (Triple-A)
29. Carlos Pérez, C -- Charlotte (Triple-A)
30. Adam Hackenberg, C -- Birmingham (Double-A)

Team to watch

Third baseman Bryan Ramos, shortstop Jose Rodriguez and right-hander Cristian Mena may have the highest talent-to-hype ratios among White Sox prospects and will open the season together at Double-A Birmingham. Once he recovers from an oblique strain, shortstop Colson Montgomery will join them after a brief tuneup at High-A Winston-Salem.

Teams on MLB.TV and MiLB.TV

Chicago White Sox
Charlotte Knights (Triple-A)
Birmingham Barons (Double-A)
Winston-Salem Dash (High-A)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Single-A)

Players we could see in MLB in 2023

Infielder Lenyn Sosa, right-handers Jonathan Stiever and Franklin German, and catcher Carlos Pérez already have big league experience and could return to Chicago at some point this year. Right-hander Sean Burke is a better prospect than all of those Triple-A Charlotte teammates, though he's dealing with a sore shoulder and needs to throw more strikes.

New faces

Three of the first four pitchers the White Sox selected in the 2022 Draft will make their debuts this season: Noah Schultz, Peyton Pallette and Tyler Schweitzer. Right-hander Gregory Santos made the big league club after arriving in a December trade with the Giants for righty pitching prospect Kade McClure. German joined the organization in a February deal with the Red Sox for righty pitching prospect Theo Denlinger.

On the shelf

Montgomery should return to the field by early May. Burke should join Charlotte's rotation in mid-April, and right-hander Jared Kelley (fractured left foot) should be good to go at Winston-Salem by the end of the month. The White Sox are being cautious with Schultz after the 2023 first-rounder strained his forearm in Spring Training and were going to limit his innings in his debut anyway, so he probably won't see game action before June.