CHICAGO -- George Wolkow could have waited.
He could have stayed at Downers Grove North High School for his senior year and almost assuredly be projected as a first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft.
After all, Wolkow has the prototypical makeup of a top prospect. Six-foot-7, 239 pounds, left-handed hitter with immense power and even greater untapped potential, not to mention the ability to play both corner infield and outfield positions.
But a career delay was not in the long-term plan for the 17-year-old. Quite the opposite actually. Upon early graduation from high school and reclassifying in the 2023 Draft, Wolkow soon will be part of the White Sox after a physical is completed and all the I's are dotted and T's are crossed, selected by the South Siders in the seventh round.
¡°I wanted to start my career a year early. I felt like, development wise, it was the best option,¡± Wolkow told MLB.com during a Tuesday interview. ¡°I wasn¡¯t too worried about missing out on my true senior year of high school and sticking around and playing. It was a long-term decision.
¡°Sure, I might not be a first rounder in the Draft, or I could have been next year. I don¡¯t look at it that way. I made the decision, so there¡¯s no looking back. It was like, ¡®No, I¡¯ll go work even harder and I¡¯ll be a big leaguer before those kids that will be [drafted] next year.¡±
This plan is not one Wolkow entered into on a whim. In fact, even his interview skills are relatable to a seasoned veteran.
He¡¯s ready to learn from his coaches and his teammates. He¡¯s ready to study any metric or training device necessary to make him a better player and, in the process, help the White Sox. Wolkow is also savvy beyond his years, knowing if all goes well, starting one year early could mean one year closer to arbitration, one year closer to free agency and hopefully one year closer to becoming a Major Leaguer.
Some compare Wolkow to a very raw, left-handed-hitting Aaron Judge, which jives with his build and his power potential. No pressure there, kid.
No, seriously. That comparison is seen as far more of a positive for Wolkow than an unnecessary early distraction.
¡°My goal was never to get drafted. My goal is to be a Hall of Famer,¡± Wolkow said. ¡°Drafted is the first part down that career. Getting compared to a guy like Aaron Judge for me, that¡¯s just motivation to go be better than him.
¡°Down the road, I want there to be kids compared to George Wolkow. Once I¡¯m on that level, competing against [Judge], how can I find that edge to be better than him? Just kind of keep my head down and keep working. Hopefully, people some day will be compared to me.¡±
Wolkow is a Chicago sports fan overall, who grew up with the 2016 Cubs World Series run. But he has no dislike for any of the city¡¯s teams.
Fishing has occupied more of his time of late, and he was committed to play baseball collegiately at South Carolina. But Wolkow loves the game and all the work coming with it, and with Chicago going significantly over slot to secure his services, he¡¯ll begin his professional career.
The White Sox arranged their Day 2 of the Draft to make this connection happen. They love his bravado. They really love his power.
¡°His power is unbelievable. We talked about his raw tools,¡± White Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley said. ¡°At the combine, throwing the ball 100 mph. He was hitting balls somewhere around [an exit velocity] of 117 mph. It¡¯s an elite type of force production. The power is significant. Remember he¡¯s 17, 6-foot-7, 240 pounds or whatever his exact weight is. His body is still maturing at 17 years old.
¡°Major League baseball players are very confident people, and we know the planning in our lives of having some real goals can make a difference. George checks those boxes. We are talking about a kid who is taking a huge risk in his life. He graduated high school early and took a significant amount of money from a pro baseball team to jump into a career.¡±
Wolkow is ready for the next challenge after playing this summer for the Green Bay Rockers in the Northwoods League.
¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t wait,¡± Wolkow said. ¡°Going out to the Northwoods League and playing vs. older guys, I started to really learn how to learn from them. How to pick their brain, watch during BP or infield. Learn their approaches at the plate. Being able to do that with pro players will be unreal.¡±