TEMPE, Ariz. — White Sox shortstop prospect Billy Carlson had never played in front of as many people as he did during his first Cactus League game March 6 against the Diamondbacks.
“Just getting that exposure and feeling that adrenaline was pretty cool,” Carlson said. “The guys were awesome; the big-leaguers did a good job of helping us through it and walking us through it.”
The Sox hope Carlson, the 10th pick in the 2025 draft, gets used to raucous environments as he travels through the system.
Carlson is the 73rd-ranked prospect, according to MLB.com. He is one of 14 Sox prospects participating in the Spring Breakout game Saturday. Braden Montgomery (No. 36), Caleb Bonemer (No. 61) and Hagen Smith (No. 72) will join him.
For Carlson, the game is just another steppingstone as he begins his minor-league career, which the organization hopes will end in the majors. He’s a part of an increasingly deep pool of shortstop prospects — William Bergolla Jr., Kyle Lodise, Bonemer and Carlson are ranked among the team’s top 11 prospects.
But the advantage of having many athletic shortstops is that they can move around the field and play different positions.
“We push each other every day,” Carlson said. “It’s super cool to be a part of a super talented group. I’m excited to compete for a spot.”
Of course, the Sox have Colson Montgomery at shortstop, and he played defense at a Gold Glove level last season after some skepticism that he’d last at the position. He also has taken some reps at third base this spring.
Carlson has drawn praise for his exceptional defense as he continues to work on his offense. He’ll start the season at Single-A Kannapolis.
“We have been working on my setup a little bit,” he said.
“Just being in a good spot to swing from and stuff like that.”
Roster moves
The Sox released right-handers Lucas Sims and Austin Voth, left-hander Ryan Borucki and infielder LaMonte Wade Jr.
Wade had a productive camp, batting .250/.378/.417 with one home run and six RBI, but
