Sox hope prized lefty arms follow in Buehrle's footsteps

CHICAGO – Baseball comparisons drawn between Mark Buehrle and the duo of Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith basically begin and end with all three being left-handed hurlers and having connections to the White Sox organization. It’s true at least at this point.

Buehrle is happily enjoying retirement in Missouri with his wife, son and daughter, surveying a successful 16-year Major League Baseball career, with 12 coming for the White Sox. He has a no-hitter, a perfect game, five All-Star appearances, four Gold Gloves and 15 straight seasons with at least 198 2/3 innings thrown, 30 starts made and double-digit victories upon his vast resume.

As one of the greatest pitchers in White Sox history, Buehrle also had his jersey No. 56 retired by the team and will have a statue unveiled at Rate Field on July 11, which was announced this past Friday at SoxFest Live. Schultz (115 1/3 innings pitched) and Smith (7 2/3 innings) have combined to throw 123 innings at the Minor League level.

They are the No. 1 and No. 2 left-handed pitching prospects in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, but extrapolating their projections years down the line to near a Buehrle level wouldn’t be prudent or really fair. But for the White Sox to eventually move from this latest rebuild into contention, it will be key for Schultz and Smith to develop into the top-of-the-rotation hurlers in a role so aptly handled by Buehrle for more than a decade.

Their paths crossed this past weekend at the Ramova Theatre, located just half a mile from the Rate. If nothing else, Buehrle certainly could advise the pair on how to consistently work deep into starts.

“I would say probably a different style,” said a smiling White Sox general manager Chris Getz when asked about any sort of brief influence Buehrle could foster on the No. 16 overall prospect in Schultz and No. 34 in Smith. “Mark would look pretty good next to those other lefties as well."

“It might have been a little before my time,” said Schultz of Buehrle. “The World Series team was earlier on, that was right when I was born. But I’ve definitely seen clips of it.”

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Schultz and Smith, who are both 21, make their first appearance at big league camp this Spring Training as non-roster invitees. Schultz is coming off a season split between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham where his innings, starts and pitch totals were strictly limited. He worked every Saturday while amassing 115 strikeouts against 24 walks in 23 starts covering 88 1/3 innings. Smith made three starts for the Dash after being selected fifth overall in the 2024 Draft.

Both pitchers will have innings targets in 2025 but will be working as part of a regular five-man rotation. Sergio Santos, who managed Schultz as part of the Barons’ Southern League championship squad in ‘24, recently quipped about Schultz not being thrilled when removed at the set limit regardless of the game situation, so Schultz is excited to get into a more normal starter’s flow.

“Yeah, it will be my first year without as much innings limit and being on a five-day [routine]. It will definitely be nice to get back to that routine. I’m just excited for the new year,” Schultz said. “I knew there was a plan for me all along. I knew it ahead of time, but once you get in the game moment and the pitch limit with runners on, I guess you could say it’s frustrating at times, but then you think big picture and it was the smart choice.”

A 2025 end-of-season big league arrival is possible for Schultz and Smith, with 2026 seemingly more likely if all goes well. They aren’t focused on the Majors in late January, and certainly are not concerning themselves with becoming the next Buehrle.

“My goal is to stay healthy, compete every time I get out on the mound. Get my innings,” Schultz said. “It’s something to think about, but not something I would say whether a specific day or anything like that. Go out and do my thing, and I know there’s a plan for me in place.”

“I don’t want to do that for my mental state,” said Smith of a big league timetable. “I was telling someone else earlier: Wherever I’m at, I want to pitch well and the rest will take care of itself. I’m ready to get started with the next actual full season. It’s fun to learn all the ins and outs of pro ball.”