By Townhall Chicago News Staff
White Sox No. 2 prospect Caleb Bonemer wrapped up a three-week stint in the Arizona Fall League on Saturday, finishing as the league’s co-leader in extra-base hits with nine and ranking second in total bases with 31.
Bonemer, ranked No. 27 overall by MLB Pipeline, posted a .286/.364/.633 line with three home runs over 55 plate appearances for the Glendale Desert Dogs, according to MLB.com.
“The main reason coming out here — getting some outfield reps, playing some center — I definitely got a lot of good work out there,” Bonemer said, according to MLB.com. “Overall, I think it was a great three weeks. I’m very pleased with it.”
The White Sox sent the 20-year-old right-handed slugger to the desert primarily to gain experience in the outfield. Of his 13 AFL games, 12 came on the grass: eight in center field, three in left and one in right, according to the report.
Bonemer was drafted in the second round of the 2024 Draft out of an Okemos, Michigan, high school and signed for a well-over-slot $2,997,500 bonus. He spent most of his early professional career at shortstop and third base but shifted to center field in late August after the White Sox recognized a crowded infield picture.
The organization’s major league roster features infielders Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas, with 2026 No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky advancing through the minor league system, according to MLB.com. The move to the outfield could provide Bonemer a faster path to the big leagues.
“Obviously, wherever the organization wants me to play, I’m totally fine with it because at the end of the day, we all want to play in the big leagues,” Bonemer said, according to MLB.com. “Whatever will help me get there the quickest is definitely what I’m up for.”
During the regular season, Bonemer led the minors in extra-base hits with 69 and ranked fifth in home runs with 37 while reaching Double-A Birmingham at age 20, according to MLB.com. His AFL performance showed continued offensive improvement, with a 50 percent hard-hit rate and a maximum exit velocity of 111.9 mph.
His contact rate also improved at each level during the 2026 season, climbing from 67.8 percent at High-A to 73.6 percent at Double-A to 77.3 percent in the AFL, according to the report.
“I was definitely really cheating a lot, cheating to certain pitches,” Bonemer said, according to MLB.com. “I think as I moved into Double-A and guys started mixing and matching different stuff, I had to kind of know how to pick my spots and know how they were attacking me.”
Bonemer heads into his third professional offseason with a possible 2027 MLB debut on the horizon. The White Sox, who reached the American League playoffs this year after a surprising 84-78 season under manager Will Venable, are watching their prospect pipeline closely.
Three members of the organization’s 2025 AFL class, including Sam Antonacci, Braden Montgomery and Hagen Smith, played key roles in Chicago’s playoff run, according to MLB.com.
Bonemer plans to keep his outfield skills sharp through the winter.
“We’ll try to figure that out,” he said, according to MLB.com. “But luckily I have some good people I can work with.”
