The post White Sox select Jaden Fauske with the 44th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Sox On 35th.
If there is one thing we know about the Chicago White Sox, it’s that they love to draft local kids!
With the 44th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the team selected C/OF Jaden Fauske out of Nazareth Academy (IL). Fauske was the top-ranked prep prospect from the state of Illinois.
Fauske, 18, was a highly regarded catching prospect before his senior season. However, he spent most of this past season in the outfield, where scouts believe he wants to remain long-term. Wherever his defensive position ends up, it is his bat that gives him value, possessing a smooth left-handed swing and an advanced eye at the plate. He has average or better tools across the board, with enough athleticism to potentially stick in center field.
Here are MLB Pipeline’s tool grades for Carlson:
– Hit: 55
– Power: 50
– Run: 55
– Arm: 50
– Field: 50
– Overall: 50
Here’s how MLB Pipeline scouts view the newest member of the organization:
Fauske could be the best high school catching prospect in the Draft, but teams aren’t convinced that he wants to play behind the plate and he hasn’t much this spring. After helping Nazareth Academy (La Grange Park) win Illinois state 3-A titles as a freshman and sophomore, he spent most of his junior season at DH and much of the showcase circuit and senior season in the outfield. Gatorade’s state prep player of the year, he could become a slightly smaller and less athletic version of Jayson Werth, a 1997 first-round pick as an Illinois high school catcher who became an All-Star outfielder.
With a smooth left-handed stroke and a disciplined approach, Fauske has a history of hitting against both high school and showcase competition. He rarely chases pitches or swings and misses, though he can get too passive at times. He works the ball from gap to gap and should develop 20-homer power as he gets stronger and turns on more pitches.
Check out all the White Sox’s picks in our running 2025 MLB Draft Tracker here.
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Featured Photo: Riverside-Brookfield Landmark
The post White Sox select Jaden Fauske with the 44th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft appeared first on Sox On 35th.