Guest: Eric Longenhagen, FanGraphs

Rundown

• [Intro] We are back for our 13th season podcasting the Chicago White Sox. Catching up on news from the holidays, including Jared Kelenic signing a minor league contract, Danny Mendick is now a manager, SoxFest Live update, and Jason Benetti being approached for NBC's top MLB gig.
• [4:25] Eric Longenhagen joins Josh Nelson and James Fegan to discuss FanGraphs top prospect list for the Chicago White Sox. Starting with the signing of Munetaka Murakami.
• [10:52] The White Sox have six prospects with a Future Value grade of 50. Does that mean the farm system is improving?
• [21:35] Caleb Bonemer is FanGraphs #1 White Sox prospect to start 2026. Is he better suited to play second base?
• [24:32] Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith are looking for bounce-back campaigns in 2026. What is one thing they need to improve upon before getting the call to the majors?
• [31:06] Braden Montgomery produced in 2025, but are the right-handed swing metrics demonstrating improvement?
• [37:06] Billy Carlson and Jaden Fauske will make their professional debuts in 2026 with Kannapolis. What are we hoping to see from the teenagers in their first year?
• [41:31] Which White Sox prospects are James and Eric most optimistic about compared to the industry?