Noah Schultz to sign with White Sox: ‘Best night of my life'

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Goodbye college, hello White Sox

The Sox selected pitching prospect Noah Schultz with their first-round draft pick in the 2022 MLB draft. Schultz, a Chicagoland native who played at Oswego East, stands at a ginormous 6-foot-9 frame on the mound. 

He originally had his eyes set on pitching for Vanderbilt University next year, but told reporters over zoom after his selection that he plans to sign with the White Sox. 

“My heart stopped,” Schultz said. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the major leagues. And being drafted by the hometown team. It’s just something that I’ve been looking forward to my entire life. It was surreal.”

While Schultz was born and raised in the suburbs, he isn't a Sox or Cubs fan. His dad is a Dodgers fan, so he grew up rooting for them. But, the 18-year old said he made it out to two White Sox games this season. 

He made six appearances with Illinois Valley in the Prospect League, going 1-0 with a 0.93 ERA. He allowed two earned runs in 19.1 innings with 37 strikeouts and just eight hits allowed.

The Sox' director of amateur scouting, Mike Shirley, made it perfectly clear before the draft that the team isn't afraid to go the high school route. He also made it clear they had interviewed a handful of pitchers and had their eyes set on addressing that need. 

“I believe that these younger players are closer to the major leagues than what you realize," Shirley said. "So I do feel like it's not something we should be afraid of with the high school play.”

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