The post 3 under-the-radar White Sox prospects to watch in 2026 appeared first on Sox On 35th.
As players ramp up toward the start of the season, most of the White Sox’s most intriguing future pieces have arrived in Glendale. Some are competing for minor league promotions and, for a select few, one of the 26 roster spots waiting in Bridgeport.
After a 2025 season that saw the debut of cornerstone pieces like Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel, much of the focus has shifted to who has already ascended into the majors. Despite the big headlines, the Sox still boast a deep farm system filled with young, exciting talent worth following all summer long.
The following three players might be part of the Major League roster down the line, each with their own unique case for inclusion in the blueprint.
Mathias LaCombe – RHP
Player Comp: Brayan Bello (BOS)
When you picture Cochise Community College in southern Arizona, I’m sure a few things go through your head. The college sits just under two dozen miles from the Mexico border, in an area rich with Wild West history. However, Mathias Lacombe of Pimeuith, France, somehow ended up as the sheriff in town.
During his sophomore season with Cochise CC in 2023, LaCombe posted a 1.74 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 19 appearances, eight of which were starts. The spectacular campaign for the flamethrower garnered enough interest for the White Sox to take a chance with a 12th-round pick later that year, making him the second-ever French-born player drafted in history.
Last season, LaCombe struck out an absurd 32% of batters in rookie ball before being promoted to Low-A Kannapolis. He made five starts in seven appearances as a Cannon Baller, collecting 23 strikeouts with an ERA just over four in a small sample size. The French National holds an extraordinary arsenal as well, possessing a sinker that touches 98 mph, an already MLB-ready low-80s sweeper, and an improving split-change, glued together with some low-release-point deception.
Bienvenue, Mathias LaCombe
The @WhiteSox French phenom makes his @Kcannonballers debut, spinning three no-hit frames: pic.twitter.com/GldaOuYk7T
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 26, 2025
Within a 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame, LaCombe could see further velocity improvement as his lower half develops. Everything in his pitch mix is solid and plays well, with huge room to improve as it gains speed and spin. The primary similarities in how he can improve can be seen in someone like Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello. Like Bello, LaCombe’s success will primarily rely on heavy movement in his fastball and changeup to generate ground balls, while leaning on a sharp, horizontal breaking ball to put hitters away.
LaCombe has also represented the French National team, pitching on a staff in 2023 that was eliminated in World Baseball Classic qualifiers. While the team did not participate in the qualification process for the 2026 WBC tournament, his international experience adds another layer to an already unique profile.
He’s a fast-rising prospect that all Sox fans should keep an eye on, not only for the fun story, but for his legitimate big-league upside, whether as a starter or eventual bullpen weapon.
Javier Mogollon – 2B
Player Comp: Jose Altuve (HOU), Jonathan India (CIN)
Any undersized second baseman who can hit automatically draws comparisons to Jose Altuve, and for good reason here. Javier Mogollon is a Venezuelan infielder who was a part of the White Sox 2023 international free agent class. He stands at just 5-foot-8, but that hasn’t hampered his power-bat archetype at all.
Mogollon has all the fight in the world he needs. He’s a compact ball of muscle and a phenomenal all-around athlete. A recorded 109.7 MPH exit velocity showed his pure power potential, but he has struggled to make contact and has been prone to strikeouts. In addition, his 2025 season ended early due to constant knee issues, which could slow his path upward beyond Kannapolis.
Mechanically, his swing evokes shades of players like Altuve and Jonathan India, two MLB second basemen who generate power through great mechanics and a lot of violence. When healthy, Mogollon can pair this with what has been some fairly ridiculous discipline, drawing a healthy amount of walks. With more experience, the swing-and-miss concerns may continue to diminish, so we shall see how he stacks up to the league’s power second basemen in time.
Defensively, Mogollon has struggled some in the field, getting ahead of himself and being aggressive. Despite this, he could clearly be a utility piece, with great speed and talent at his core. He’s also torn the basepaths up every season in his pro career so far, tallying double-digit steals every season, despite injury.
If he maintains his double-digit HR pace and high walk rate, he will be a big problem in the majors one day. Mogollon may face greater difficulty finding contact at higher levels, but time will tell. Likely, he will start with Kannapolis, with a short walk to High-A Winston-Salem, where he may easily climb, should he start the season hot.
Gabe Davis – RHP
Player Comps: Bailey Ober (MIN), Tyler Wells (BAL)
At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds, it’s hard to miss Gabe Davis, but the fifth-round selection out of Oklahoma State has still managed to fly under the radar for many White Sox fans. The mountain of a man holds his frame with a rocket strapped to his arm, tossing fastballs that touch triple digits, paired with some slider and changeup pitches with great potential.
Davis was a pitcher viewed with round 1-2 potential, though injuries have really been what’s kept him down. He suffered a broken collarbone in 2024, keeping him out for nearly his entire season with the Cowboys. That, along with a shoulder injury, limited his workload in 2025, forcing him into a primarily relief role.
Aidan Knaak (Clemson) and Gabe Davis (Oklahoma State) stifle their opposing lineups through one inning. Knaak up to 95. Davis touches 97. Knaak punched out the side. Davis got two of his own.
@FloSports pic.twitter.com/Haq5lwXb8o
— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) February 14, 2025
As a starter, Davis compares similarly to an arm the White Sox are familiar with in Twins pitcher Bailey Ober. Within actual physics, both pitchers’ size and extension can make fastballs in the 95-97 MPH range feel closer to triple digits. The duo also creates a steep downhill motion, which can make a deceptive downward movement to fool hitters, though Davis has a habit of attacking the upper-half of the zone.
As a reliever, the Orioles’ Tyler Wells provides another great, more likely example of what Davis might become. The White Sox prospect could amplify his stuff with a transition to the bullpen that many scouts project, given his low career workload and command struggles. Both pitchers rely upon two main pitches, the slider and fastball, to extinguish bats, though Wells’s arsenal has less power than Davis. In a relief role, Davis’s combination of a triple-digit heater and a power slider would make him a prototypical weapon down the stretch.
Davis has some of the best raw stuff in the White Sox system. Time will tell if he can sustain a full pro season, as he didn’t throw many innings in college. If his stamina proves strong enough and he can harness his control, the right-hander will rise quickly through the system. However, for now, it’s all about recovery for Davis, who will likely start in rookie ball and try to hone the claymore of his arm, which has elite potential.
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Featured Photo: math_lcb/IG
The post 3 under-the-radar White Sox prospects to watch in 2026 appeared first on Sox On 35th.