White Sox fall to Cardinals 7-3 on June 18, 2025, but rookie Kyle Teel's homer and Colson Montgomery's big night show the future is bright in Chicago.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was another one of those nights at Guaranteed Rate Field. A tough 7-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, the team's fourth straight, served as a stark reminder of where the White Sox are in 2025. But while the final score might paint a familiar, frustrating picture, the details within the game tell a different, more hopeful story—one of a franchise fully committed to its youth, even if it means taking lumps along the way.
Sixteen of the club's top 30 prospects are expected to debut by the end of 2025, signaling a tidal wave of talent is on its way to the South Side.
The game felt out of reach almost from the start. A three-run bomb from Nolan Gorman in the first inning put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of. Young starter Jonathan Cannon had a rough outing, lasting 4.2 innings and giving up 5 runs (4 earned). It's the kind of performance you expect from a developing arm, but it doesn't make the loss any easier. The offense showed flickers of life, led by the kids. Shortstop of the future Colson Montgomery looked comfortable, lacing a double and an RBI in a 2-for-4 night. But the biggest spark came from the team's new backstop.
Pedro Grifol and the front office have been clear: this season is about development. And they're backing it up with action. Teel's homer wasn't an isolated event; it's part of a wave. Look around the diamond and you'll see the future taking shape right now. Recent call-ups like Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, and pitcher Mike Vasil are all getting crucial big-league reps. This youth movement is starting to show results, especially at home where the team has won 12 of its last 20. And the pipeline isn't slowing down, with infielder/outfielder Brooks Baldwin tearing it up in Charlotte and likely on his way back to Chicago soon.
Remember the dark days of 2024 and that painful 121-loss season? The silver lining is a farm system that has been completely revitalized. Once a weakness, the White Sox system is now considered one of the most improved in all of baseball, loaded with Top 100 prospects. The Garrett Crochet trade with Boston, while tough at the time, netted two of those key pieces in catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery. They join a stable of high-ceiling arms like Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, forming a core that promises a much brighter future. The rebuild is real, and the talent is coming.
So yes, Wednesday's 7-3 loss adds another tally in the wrong column for a 22-45 team. It's easy to get bogged down by the daily results. But for the first time in a long time, the plan is clear and the talent is undeniable. These aren't just losses anymore; they're lessons. They're auditions. Every game is a chance to watch the foundation of the next competitive White Sox team being built, one at-bat and one inning at a time. The payoff isn't here yet, but it's getting closer with every swing from Teel and every pitch from the next wave of arms.
