South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 42: Garrett Schoenle
Most promising pitcher in the White Sox system you’ve hardly heard of? Meet this tall lefty, who could be South Side-bound sooner than you think
Garrett Schoenle
Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
6´5´´
185 pounds
Age: 24
2022 SSS Top Prospect Ranking 97
2022 High Level Birmingham (AA)
Age relative to high level -0.4 years
SSS rank among all left-handed starting pitchers in the system 4
Overall 2022 season stats 4-8 ⚾️ 30 games (14 starts, 5 finished) ⚾️ 1 SV ⚾️ 85 IP ⚾️ 3.92 ERA ⚾️ 1.188 WHIP ⚾️ 101 K ⚾️ 34 BB
A native of Fort Wayne, Garrett Schoenle’s father played shortstop for IPFW. Garrett inherited some of that athleticism, and became the Northrop High School football’s all-time leader in passing yards and completions. However, it was as a pitcher that he attracted the most suitors. In fact, his baseball prowess was so good that he was the 2017 Gatorade Indiana High School Baseball Player of the Year. It’s no wonder that many Division I schools recruited him, and he was selected in the 30th round by the Cincinnati Reds in that year’s MLB draft. While Schoenle did opt to play ball for Cincinnati, it was not to play for the Reds but to don the uniform of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.
After a nine-inning freshman campaign in 2018, Schoenle lost the concept of the strike zone in 2019, as he walked 55 in 56 innings on his way to a 5.95 ERA and 1.82 WHIP. He was off to a bad start as a junior in 2020 with an 8.76 ERA and 1.78 WHIP in four appearances (two starts) before the pandemic concluded the season prematurely. However, Schoenle bounced back somewhat in his senior season in 2021, as he posted a 4.90 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 15 starts. Over 75 1⁄3 innings for the Bearcats, he allowed 78 hits (.264 OBA) and just 24 walks (7.3%) while fanning 89 (26.9%). After going unpicked in 2021’s revamped, 20-round draft, Schoenle signed as an undrafted free agent with the White Sox.
Used primarily as a starter in college, Schoenle was thrust into the bullpen for the ACL Sox. In 10 appearances totaling the same number of innings, Schoenle posted a 2.70 ERA and 1.40 WHIP by surrendering 11 hits (.297 OBA) and three walks (7.3%) while inducing 11 strikeouts (26.8%). Somewhat surprisingly in the small sample size, lefties hit Schoenle much better (.364) than righties (.269).
In 2022, Schoenle established himself as a Pitcher to Watch in the White Sox system, and in fact possibly the best high-minors pitcher in the system you’ve never heard of. He was asked to do a little bit of everything (start, relieve, close) at three levels (Kanny up to Birmingham), and did so spectacularly. He continued his relief work to begin the season at Kannapolis and even to begin his promotion in Winston-Salem. But from mid-June on for the Dash and later the Barons, Schoenle shifted seamlessly into starting. He is truly a rising star.
The Cube ratings tend to agree, with every category above average:
Schoenle’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Strikeouts 77
vs. Power 65
Hittable 65
K/BB 64
Durability 62
Walks 54
Team Winning Percentage .482
Restricted to four innings per in four starts during his season-end promotion to Birmingham, Schoenle was rocked a bit in his first two starts, then went scoreless on seven hits in his final eight innings of 2022. He is absolutely locked and loaded for the Birmingham rotation to begin 2023, with a likely move up to Charlotte, or even a spot start in Chicago, as the season wears on.
2023 South Side Sox Top 101 White Sox Prospects
42. Garrett Schoenle, LHSP
43. Lane Ramsey, RHRP
44. Caleb Freeman, RHRP
45. Hunter Dollander, RHSP
46. Chase Solesky, RHSP
47. Godwin Bennett, RF
48. Wilber Sánchez, SS
49. Tyler Neslony, LF
50. Mario Camilletti, 2B
51. Sammy Peralta, LHRP
52. Jacob Burke, CF
53. Moisés Castillo, SS
54. Victor Quezada, 3B
55. Edgar Navarro, RHRP
56. Craig Dedelow, RF
57. Darío Borrero, 1B
58. Michael Turner, C
59. Tyler Osik, 1B
60. Haylen Green, LHRP
61. Mark McLaughlin, RHRP
62. Terrell Tatum, LF
63. Shawn Goosenberg, 2B
64. Randel Mondesí, LF
65. Emerson Talavera, RHRP
66. Declan Cronin, RHRP
67. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
68. Colby Smelley, C
69. Ethan Hammerberg, RHRP
70. Lincoln Henzman, RHRP
71. Vince Vannelle, RHRP
72. Brooks Baldwin, 3B-2B
73. James Beard, CF
74. Gabriel Rodríguez, RHSP
75. Ronny Hernandez, C
76. Troy Claunch, C
77. Brooks Gosswein, LHSP
78. Tim Elko, 1B
79. Yoelvín Silven, RHRP
80. Trey Jeans, LHRP
81. Jerry Burke, RHSP
82. Carlos Jiménez, 1B
83. Mason Adams, RHSP
84. Frankeli Arias, LHSP
85. Ernesto Jaquez, RHSP
86. Laz Rivera, 3B
87. Xavier Fernández, C
88. Álvaro Agüero, CF
89. Ben Norman, RF
90. Erick Bello, RHRP
91. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
92. Arnold Prado, RF
93. Alsander Womack, 2B
94. Johan Domínguez, RHSP
95. Evan Skoug, C
96. Noah Owen, RHSP
97. Javier Mora, 2B
98. Will Kincanon, RHRP
99. Yohemy Nolasco, RHSP
100. Billy Seidl, RHRP
101. José Rodulfo, RHRP