South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 46: Chase Solesky

Chase Solesky
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
6´3´´
201 pounds
Age: 25
2022 High Level Birmingham (AA)
Age relative to high level -0.4 years
SSS rank among all right-handed starting pitchers in the system 14
Overall 2022 season stats 4-8 ⚾️ 26 games (24 starts) ⚾️ 116 1⁄3 IP ⚾️ 4.10 EA ⚾️ 1.341 WHIP ⚾️ 88 K ⚾️ 34 BB

Chase Solesky struggled in his sophomore season at Tulane, as he tried to rush back from Grade 1 spinal spondylolisthesis — a slipping of vertebra that occurs most commonly at the base of the spine. As a result, his results tanked. While he enjoyed a better junior season, it still wasn’t as good as Solesky had hoped because he was trying to alter his delivery. But a 5.05 ERA and 1.37 WHIP, to go along with 66 strikeouts in his 67 2⁄3 innings in the Green Waves rotation, were enough to convince the White Sox to select him in the 21st round of the 2019 draft.

A first look at Solesky’s numbers with Great Falls in 2019 (6.17 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) would tell you there’s not much to get excited about. However, when looking at his strikeout and walk totals, he flashed potential. With 45 strikeouts (9.57 K/9) and just 12 walks (2.66 BB/9) over just 42 1⁄3 innings, Solesky managed a nifty 3.75 K/BB ratio. He clearly flashed some stuff and control, but he obviously needs command to limit damage. It may also help to have had a little good luck as well, as he vastly underperformed his 4.77 FIP.

After losing 2020 to the pandemic, Solesky started 2021 at Kannapolis on a 14-game run with a 5.08 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. Given a season-finale promotion to High-A Winston-Salem Solesky’s numbers dropped a bit in a smaller sample-size (four starts): 5.29 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. Combined with both teams, Solesky posted a 5.14 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 18 starts totaling 68 1⁄3 innings. In those starts, he allowed 78 hits (.277 OBA) and 24 walks (3.22 BB/9) while striking out 88 (11.59 K/9). Again Solesky posted a great BB/K ratio, and an especially good strikeout rate, but still was too hittable. Thus, it seems like he’s fine when working ahead in the count, while throwing pitches down the middle when behind. The numbers back this up, as opponents hit .327 (giving him a 2.92 WHIP) off of him when behind the count and just .215 against him (and a tiny 0.85 WHIP) when he was ahead.

Returning to Winston-Salem to begin 2022, Solesky made marked improvement, enough to have ended up the sole starting pitcher the White Sox sent to the AFL. For the regular season, Solesky started in Winston-Salem and got a cameo in Double-A. He is a contact pitcher, but one of the few who did go longer into games. Over his 24 starts, Solesky covered 110 1⁄3 innings with a 4.24 ERA. He has shown good command, with a BB-rate around 6.5% for his professional career, but the strikeouts did decrease from last season.

Solesky’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Durability 87
Walks 66
K/BB 62
Strikeouts 44
vs. Power 30
Hittable 30
Team Winning Percentage .432

Solesky’s assignment to the Desert Dogs for some Arizona Fall League showcasing can’t be blown up as too important, but clearly the White Sox see something that want to monitor in the righty as he moves up the ladder. He will begin 2023 in Birmingham, but given an overall dearth of starters in the upper system, Solesky could matriculate to Charlotte later this summer.

2023 South Side Sox Top 101 White Sox Prospects

46. Chase Solesky, RHSP
47. Godwin Bennett, RF
48. Wilber Sánchez, SS
49. Tyler Neslony, LF
50. Mario Camilletti, 2B
51. Sammy Peralta, LHRP
52. Jacob Burke, CF
53. Moisés Castillo, SS
54. Victor Quezada, 3B
55. Edgar Navarro, RHRP
56. Craig Dedelow, RF
57. Darío Borrero, 1B
58. Michael Turner, C
59. Tyler Osik, 1B
60. Haylen Green, LHRP
61. Mark McLaughlin, RHRP
62. Terrell Tatum, LF
63. Shawn Goosenberg, 2B
64. Randel Mondesí, LF
65. Emerson Talavera, RHRP
66. Declan Cronin, RHRP
67. Fraser Ellard, LHRP
68. Colby Smelley, C
69. Ethan Hammerberg, RHRP
70. Lincoln Henzman, RHRP
71. Vince Vannelle, RHRP
72. Brooks Baldwin, 3B-2B
73. James Beard, CF
74. Gabriel Rodríguez, RHSP
75. Ronny Hernandez, C
76. Troy Claunch, C
77. Brooks Gosswein, LHSP
78. Tim Elko, 1B
79. Yoelvín Silven, RHRP
80. Trey Jeans, LHRP
81. Jerry Burke, RHSP
82. Carlos Jiménez, 1B
83. Mason Adams, RHSP
84. Frankeli Arias, LHSP
85. Ernesto Jaquez, RHSP
86. Laz Rivera, 3B
87. Xavier Fernández, C
88. Álvaro Agüero, CF
89. Ben Norman, RF
90. Erick Bello, RHRP
91. Adisyn Coffey, RHRP
92. Arnold Prado, RF
93. Alsander Womack, 2B
94. Johan Domínguez, RHSP
95. Evan Skoug, C
96. Noah Owen, RHSP
97. Javier Mora, 2B
98. Will Kincanon, RHRP
99. Yohemy Nolasco, RHSP
100. Billy Seidl, RHRP
101. José Rodulfo, RHRP