Minor League Baseball

Chicago White Sox Prospect George Wolkow Aiming For MLB Debut By Age 21

George Wolkow may only be 19 years old, but the outfielder is making a push to ascend to the Chicago White Sox's big league roster sooner rather than later.

Sam Connon

Jun 20, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Draft prospect George Wolkow during a high school baseball game at the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field.
Jun 20, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Draft prospect George Wolkow during a high school baseball game at the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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The Chicago White Sox had a handful of burgeoning young stars show up to SoxFest Live last week, but one of them wasn't even old enough to buy a drink.

Left-handed pitchers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith — both 21 years old — have garnered plenty of praise since the White Sox selected them in the first rounds of the 2022 and 2024 MLB drafts, respectively. Catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery came over in the Garrett Crochet trade with the Boston Red Sox, immediately placing the 22-year-old and 21-year-old in the spotlight.

Outfielder George Wolkow also got a chance to shine at the Ramova Theatre in Chicago, despite being just 19 years old.

"I really like being here today, being the youngest guy here," Wolkow said, per MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "I wear that chip on my shoulder with pride, I love it."

Wolkow, a local product from Downers Grove, Ill., scored a $1 million signing bonus after the White Sox picked him in the seventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He went through his first full professional season in 2024, batting .257 with 13 home runs, 18 doubles, 56 RBI, nine stolen bases, an .808 OPS across 91 games in Rookie Ball and Single-A.

At his current pace, there is a chance that Wolkow surges through Chicago's farm system and becomes a big league starter by his age 21 season in 2027.

"That would be pretty cool, and I have a lot of work to do, but I’m going to put the work in and try to make that happen,” Wolkow said. "I want to debut as young as possible. I want to play as long as possible."

The 6-foot-7 slugger was ranked as the White Sox's No. 9 prospect at the end of 2024, and he figures to shoot up the board once Schultz, Teel and others graduate in short order.

Related Minor League Baseball Stories

  • BEHIND THE CROCHET TRADE: Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer said he was on the phone with Chase Meidroth when the latter found out he was traded to the White Sox. CLICK HERE
  • WHITE SOX FARM SYSTEM PRAISED: Six White Sox prospects made MLB Pipeline's preseason Top 100, including Noah Schultz, Kyle Teel, Haden Smith and Colson Montgomery. CLICK HERE
  • McGUIRE FINDS NEW HOME: After stints with the Blue Jays, White Sox and Red Sox, veteran catcher Reese McGuire inked a minor league deal with the Cubs. CLICK HERE

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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