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Two prospects have officially received Chicago White Sox "Minor League Player of the Month" honors, as voted on by a panel of Chicago-area media members.
For the month of June, right-handed pitcher Jairo Iriarte was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Month, while catcher Boston Smith earned Minor League Player of the Month honors.
Iriarte has been on a roller coaster over the last few seasons. He made his MLB debut for the White Sox on September 3, 2024, and posted a 1.50 ERA over six appearances and six innings pitched.
He failed to make the team out of spring training the following year and started 2025 in Triple-A Charlotte. But after posting a 7.24 ERA over 46 innings in the minor leagues, Iriarte was permanently relegated to a bullpen role and pulled from game action on multiple occasions to go to the Arizona spring training complex and work on his delivery.
That was to no avail. It didn't help him much in Charlotte, and he struggled even more in the Venezuelan Winter League, posting a 15.19 ERA in eight appearances for the Tiburones de La Guaira this past winter.
But in 2026, Iriarte seems to have rediscovered himself.
In 17 games and 23.2 innings for the Double-A Birmingham Barons, Iriarte had a 2.28 ERA, which earned him a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte once again. In 15 innings so far with the Knights, Iriarte has a 1.20 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP.
In June specifically, he had a 1.26 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts over eight games, earning him Pitcher of the Month honors for the White Sox organization.
At this rate, given how the bullpen has looked recently, Chicago's desperate need for right-handed relief arms, and the fact that they just traded Ben Peoples to the Texas Rangers, I wouldn't be surprised if Iriarte was back with the White Sox over the next few weeks.
Boston Smith won't find himself in the big leagues this season, but he has certainly made a lot of waves in his first professional campaign. Smith was a sixth-round draft pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2025 MLB Draft and landed in the White Sox organization after an offseason trade.
Smith was selected 171st overall out of Wright State. After batting .330 with 26 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in his final collegiate season, he was one of the most statistically dominant players in college baseball, and his 26 home runs were tied for the most in Division-I. Because of his age and the level of competition he was facing, though, Smith wasn't seen as a highly touted draft prospect, even with those numbers.
Entering 2026, he was still a somewhat unknown quantity as a prospect because he did not play in any professional games last season before the Nationals traded him for Curtis Mead.
Since landing in the White Sox organization, though, all Boston Smith has done is hit. He's carried over all of that collegiate success and quickly risen through the ranks of the organization. He recently received a promotion to Double-A Birmingham after starting the year in Low-A Kannapolis. But in 58 total games across three levels of Minor League Baseball, he's batting .289 with 15 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a 1.015 OPS.
In the month of June, playing for the Winston-Salem Dash, Smith had a .481 on-base percentage and a 1.084 OPS, with five home runs, 13 RBIs, and 12 runs scored in 17 games.
A left-handed hitting catcher with this much power and offensive ability is a really rare find. And it's made Smith one of the prospects I'm most excited about for the White Sox moving forward. Even if he's not currently ranked in the top 30, the numbers speak for themselves.
While they're at different stages of their careers, both Iriarte and Smith have found a way to make a big impact on the White Sox organization in 2026. Both of them have been rewarded with minor league promotions, and both of them have positioned themselves to have a future with the big league club. Keep an eye on both of these prospects, even now that the calendar has turned to July.
Continue reading...
For the month of June, right-handed pitcher Jairo Iriarte was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Month, while catcher Boston Smith earned Minor League Player of the Month honors.
Iriarte has been on a roller coaster over the last few seasons. He made his MLB debut for the White Sox on September 3, 2024, and posted a 1.50 ERA over six appearances and six innings pitched.
He failed to make the team out of spring training the following year and started 2025 in Triple-A Charlotte. But after posting a 7.24 ERA over 46 innings in the minor leagues, Iriarte was permanently relegated to a bullpen role and pulled from game action on multiple occasions to go to the Arizona spring training complex and work on his delivery.
That was to no avail. It didn't help him much in Charlotte, and he struggled even more in the Venezuelan Winter League, posting a 15.19 ERA in eight appearances for the Tiburones de La Guaira this past winter.
But in 2026, Iriarte seems to have rediscovered himself.
In 17 games and 23.2 innings for the Double-A Birmingham Barons, Iriarte had a 2.28 ERA, which earned him a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte once again. In 15 innings so far with the Knights, Iriarte has a 1.20 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP.
In June specifically, he had a 1.26 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts over eight games, earning him Pitcher of the Month honors for the White Sox organization.
At this rate, given how the bullpen has looked recently, Chicago's desperate need for right-handed relief arms, and the fact that they just traded Ben Peoples to the Texas Rangers, I wouldn't be surprised if Iriarte was back with the White Sox over the next few weeks.
Boston Smith won't find himself in the big leagues this season, but he has certainly made a lot of waves in his first professional campaign. Smith was a sixth-round draft pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2025 MLB Draft and landed in the White Sox organization after an offseason trade.
Smith was selected 171st overall out of Wright State. After batting .330 with 26 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases in his final collegiate season, he was one of the most statistically dominant players in college baseball, and his 26 home runs were tied for the most in Division-I. Because of his age and the level of competition he was facing, though, Smith wasn't seen as a highly touted draft prospect, even with those numbers.
Entering 2026, he was still a somewhat unknown quantity as a prospect because he did not play in any professional games last season before the Nationals traded him for Curtis Mead.
Since landing in the White Sox organization, though, all Boston Smith has done is hit. He's carried over all of that collegiate success and quickly risen through the ranks of the organization. He recently received a promotion to Double-A Birmingham after starting the year in Low-A Kannapolis. But in 58 total games across three levels of Minor League Baseball, he's batting .289 with 15 home runs, 42 RBIs, and a 1.015 OPS.
In the month of June, playing for the Winston-Salem Dash, Smith had a .481 on-base percentage and a 1.084 OPS, with five home runs, 13 RBIs, and 12 runs scored in 17 games.
A left-handed hitting catcher with this much power and offensive ability is a really rare find. And it's made Smith one of the prospects I'm most excited about for the White Sox moving forward. Even if he's not currently ranked in the top 30, the numbers speak for themselves.
While they're at different stages of their careers, both Iriarte and Smith have found a way to make a big impact on the White Sox organization in 2026. Both of them have been rewarded with minor league promotions, and both of them have positioned themselves to have a future with the big league club. Keep an eye on both of these prospects, even now that the calendar has turned to July.
Continue reading...
