Best draft picks in Chicago White Sox history

The Major League Baseball draft is unique among professional sports drafts. The 30 organizations pick teenagers and college students who will not join their big league clubs for years—if ever.

These athletes will spend that time honing their craft in the minor leagues, where long bus rides and minuscule paychecks are the norm. A few will move quickly up the ranks, seizing playing time opportunities to advance their careers and making their names known to scouts, fans, and other observers around the country.

Some of the best will become MLB stars, but there's minimal correlation to draft position. Four of the best draft picks nationally were picked after hundreds of other diamond darlings, and only two were #1 overall selections.

There's also more than a handful who didn't do much for the teams that drafted them, including superstars such as Nolan Ryan, Ozzie Smith, and Randy Johnson. Each of these players was traded before they evolved into Hall of Famers.

Still, calling the draft a "crapshoot" might be going too far. College players are "slightly more likely" than high schoolers to reach the revered stadiums of the majors, and third-rounders have a better chance than fifth-rounders, for example, though the margins are slim, as Vice reported. Teams not only make picks based on years-in-advance projections but also whether they can sign players, a step that must be completed before those youngsters begin playing professionally.

To see how clubs have fared since the inaugural draft in 1965, ATS.io compiled a list of the best draft picks in Chicago White Sox history using data from Baseball Reference. The players were ranked using career wins above replacement, so not one recent choice was named. Unsigned picks were not considered, and players who were traded as picks were credited to their acquiring teams. Data is as of June 5, 2024.

#25. Ron Karkovice
- Draft: 14th overall pick in 1982
- Position: Catcher
- Games played: 939
- Career stats: 96 home runs, .221 batting average, .672 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 14.6

#24. Joe Crede
- Draft: 137th overall pick in 1996
- Position: Third baseman
- Games played: 888
- Career stats: 140 home runs, .254 batting average, .748 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 14.7

#23. Tim Anderson
- Draft: 17th overall pick in 2013
- Position: Shortstop
- Games played: 942
- Career stats: 98 home runs, .278 batting average, .722 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 15.0

#22. Chris Bassitt
- Draft: 501st overall pick in 2011
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 181
- Career stats: 68 wins, 3.53 earned run average, 1.21 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 16.0

#21. Pete Vuckovich
- Draft: 56th overall pick in 1974
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 286
- Career stats: 93 wins, 3.66 earned run average, 1.37 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 16.4

#20. Chris Young
- Draft: 493rd overall pick in 2001
- Position: Outfielder
- Games played: 1,465
- Career stats: 191 home runs, .236 batting average, .743 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 16.5

#19. Carlos Rodón
- Draft: 3rd overall pick in 2014
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 178
- Career stats: 66 wins, 3.78 earned run average, 1.25 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 16.8

#18. Bob Wickman
- Draft: 44th overall pick in 1990
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 835
- Career stats: 63 wins, 3.57 earned run average, 1.40 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 16.9

#17. Britt Burns
- Draft: 70th overall pick in 1978
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 193
- Career stats: 70 wins, 3.66 earned run average, 1.29 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 17.8

#16. Terry Forster
- Draft: 30th overall pick in 1970
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 614
- Career stats: 54 wins, 3.23 earned run average, 1.35 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 20.4

#15. Aaron Rowand
- Draft: 35th overall pick in 1998
- Position: Outfielder
- Games played: 1,358
- Career stats: 136 home runs, .273 batting average, .765 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 20.9

#14. Randy Velarde
- Draft: 475th overall pick in 1985
- Position: Shortstop
- Games played: 1,273
- Career stats: 100 home runs, .276 batting average, .760 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 24.9

#13. Jack McDowell
- Draft: 5th overall pick in 1987
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 277
- Career stats: 127 wins, 3.85 earned run average, 1.30 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 27.8

#12. Gio Gonzalez
- Draft: 38th overall pick in 2004
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 344
- Career stats: 3 home runs, .090 batting average, .247 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 28.3

#11. Alex Fernandez
- Draft: 4th overall pick in 1990
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 263
- Career stats: 107 wins, 3.74 earned run average, 1.28 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 28.5

#10. Doug Drabek
- Draft: 279th overall pick in 1983
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 398
- Career stats: 155 wins, 3.73 earned run average, 1.24 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 29.2

#9. Ray Durham
- Draft: 132nd overall pick in 1990
- Position: Second baseman
- Games played: 1,975
- Career stats: 192 home runs, .277 batting average, .788 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 33.8

#8. Harold Baines
- Draft: 1st overall pick in 1977
- Position: First baseman
- Games played: 2,830
- Career stats: 384 home runs, .289 batting average, .820 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 38.8

#7. Rich Gossage
- Draft: 204th overall pick in 1970
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 1,002
- Career stats: 124 wins, 3.01 earned run average, 1.23 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 41.1

#6. Marcus Semien
- Draft: 201st overall pick in 2011
- Position: Shortstop
- Games played: 1,403
- Career stats: 225 home runs, .258 batting average, .771 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 44.4

#5. Mike Cameron
- Draft: 488th overall pick in 1991
- Position: Outfielder
- Games played: 1,955
- Career stats: 278 home runs, .249 batting average, .782 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 46.7

#4. Chris Sale
- Draft: 13th overall pick in 2010
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 354
- Career stats: 128 wins, 3.1 earned run average, 1.04 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 48.8

#3. Robin Ventura
- Draft: 10th overall pick in 1988
- Position: Third baseman
- Games played: 2,079
- Career stats: 294 home runs, .267 batting average, .806 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 56.1

#2. Mark Buehrle
- Draft: 1139th overall pick in 1998
- Position: Pitcher
- Games played: 518
- Career stats: 214 wins, 3.81 earned run average, 1.28 walks plus hits per inning
- Wins above replacement: 59.1

#1. Frank Thomas
- Draft: 7th overall pick in 1989
- Position: First baseman
- Games played: 2,322
- Career stats: 521 home runs, .301 batting average, .974 on-base plus slugging
- Wins above replacement: 73.8

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Mike Taylor, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 30 MLB teams.