Low Three Quarter Media

By Coleman Smith

Noah Schultz is a left handed pitching prospect who was selected 26th overall in the 2022 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox out of local Oswego East HS in IL. The left hander stands out, literally, for his height measuring in at a towering 6 feet 9 inches. With a lower arm slot, lanky build, and fastball that has clocked as high as 97 mph, the electric young prospect has already begun to draw lofty comparisons such as the Big Unit and Chris Sale. While injury issues delayed and ultimately ended his pro debut in 2023, Schultz was filthy when on the bump, beginning his career with 6 consecutive scoreless outings and posting a 36.5% K% across 27 total IP.

Schultz throws a fastball, slider, and changeup that matches the aforementioned Sale’s arsenal. The slider has good sweeping action that when combined with his lower arm slot creates a pitch that is extremely difficult to pick up for left handed hitters. Check out this slider from this July start against the Brewers’ Columbia Fireflies that spins the hitter around.

In another start, this one against the Orioles’ Delmarva Shorebirds, Shultz would go 4 scoreless and set down Carolina League MVP Samuel Basallo with a slider that caused the extremely talented young hitter to take an unbalanced swing that would come up empty. In the full clip below, Schultz also showcases the fastball then the changeup for strikeouts, showing feel for his full arsenal to create outs.

While Schultz has been borderline un-hittable when on the mound, he has just ten starts under his belt in his pro career. He suffered a forearm strain in Spring Training that would ultimately not require surgery, but would delay his professional debut until June. He was eventually stretched out to around 50-60 pitches an outing, topping out at 68 in an August 5th start against the Charleston RiverDogs, before having his season ended when he landed on the IL with a shoulder impingement at the end of August. Despite this, his ceiling could be higher than any other current pitching prospect not named Skenes. In his ten outings in 2023, nine of them were scoreless. His only start he left with runs on the board was an ugly July 22nd outing against the Carolina Mudcats in which he would get as many outs as earned runs allowed (four). In the month from June 9th to July 8th, Schultz would throw 10 hitless innings across 4 starts with an 11-1 K-BB ratio. While his outings weren’t very long in length, Schultz is capable of stretches of dominance not many prospects in the game are. If he can stay healthy, there may be top of the rotation talent in his lanky left arm.

The Randy Johnson comps are not without merit. Schultz stands just 1 inch shorter and 5 pounds lighter than Johnson, as well as sharing the lower arm slot. If we take a look at the cut-up below, we see how similar their mechanics look as well as the shape of their sliders. Obviously Johnson is one of the greatest pitchers of all time, so sharing characteristics with him should be a major green flag for a prospect.

The injuries in 2023 limited Schultz to just 27 IP. He likely won’t throw more than 80 to possibly 100 innings in 2024, and barring a miracle the White Sox won’t be competing. With no reason to rush him, Schultz almost surely appears on a timeline for a 2025 debut, with the chance further injuries could push it back to 2026 or beyond. He will be just 20 in the 2024 season, meaning he has plenty of time to grow into his large frame and harness his massive potential.

From a fantasy perspective, Schultz is a long term dynasty hold that won’t provide value for a few seasons, but could see his stock very quickly rise with a healthy 2024. The off-season is often the best time to get in on young players with high ceilings who haven’t had a chance to shine yet for one reason or another, and if Schultz can stay healthy he would fit the bill. This may be the last opportunity to get in on him before his value takes off, as he finished the 2023 season at #61 on MLB Pipeline and is the #4 left handed pitcher.