Chris Getz quietly reignites interest in a White Sox pitching prospect many had written off, putting him back on the developmental map. DD

White Sox pitching prospect Blake Larson, who missed all of 2025 with Tommy John surgery, received high praise from Chris Getz and should be on the radar of fans.

The 2025 season can be classified as a year of incredible growth for the White Sox farm system. Several unknown prospects put themselves on the radar of the fans and others around the league. Players like Tanner McDougal, Christian Oppor, and Caleb Bonemer were relatively unknown before a big season put them squarely in the conversation as a key piece of the core. As the calendar turns toward 2026, the further development of those players will be a big storyline, but we can also look ahead and speculate on who might be the next unhearalded prospect to put themselves on the map. Speaking to David Laurila of Fangraphs earlier this month, White Sox GM Chris Getz may have made his prediction and put a previously forgotten prospect back into the spotlight. 

“Blake Larson hasn’t pitched for us yet,” Getz said. “He had Tommy John surgery after we drafted him, but he’s got a chance to be really special. We anticipate him having a productive, fun, first active season” 

The White Sox drafted Larson out of a Florida high school with the 68th overall pick in 2024, a pick they acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the trade that sent RHP Gregory Santos to Seattle. High school pitchers are typically difficult to develop, but the White Sox loved Larson’s raw talent and felt he had a pair of plus pitches in his fastball and slider. His changeup has been a work in progress, but it’s a pitch that Brian Bannister has worked on with many White Sox pitchers. Larson was set to join Low-A Kannapolis at some point in 2025, but an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery wiped out his entire season. He’ll return at some point in 2026, although his status for Opening Day is not yet known. With the way he’s talked about, however, don’t be surprised to see Larson excel upon his return. 

Blake Larson will look to get healthy and make an impact in 2026

The White Sox have several good pitching prospects, so the fact that Chris Getz specifically mentioned Larson during the interview shows how highly the White Sox think of him. He’s only 19 years-old and is still several years away from making a big league impact, but it’s not too early to start looking at the next wave of prospects. Larson will be given every opportunity to work as a starter and develop his third pitch, but his fastball/slider combo should be good enough to play as a reliever if he can’t harness the control or make the change-up serviceable. The primary goal for 2026 for Larson should be getting healthy and back on the field, and the White Sox will then begin the work of building up his inning to starter’s level. 

The White Sox had an exciting wave of young talent make it to Chicago in 2025, and with players like Larson, Billy Carlson, and Jaden Fauske, more talent is on the way. Keeping the farm system stocked while staying competitive on the Major League team is a very tough balance to find, but the White Sox are well on their way.