White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Shielded from Rule 5 Draft
Rotowire
The White Sox selected McDougal's contract from Double-A Birmingham on Tuesday.
McDougal turned in a 3.26 ERA and 1.33 WHIP to go with a 136:49 K:BB over 113.1 innings between High-A and Double-A in 2025. Considered one of the top pitching prospects in the White Sox's farm system, the 22-year-old will officially receive a spot on the 40-man roster to prevent another team from selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft, and he has a strong chance to make his MLB debut in 2026 and join a talent-deficient White Sox rotation.
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White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Breakout season at Double-A
Rotowire
McDougal has a 1.20 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 65:16 K:BB in 52.2 innings over his last 10 starts across High-A and Double-A.
McDougal earned a promotion from High-A Winston-Salem to Double-A Birmingham on June 18 and hasn't skipped a beat, registering a 0.89 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 38:8 K:BB in 30.1 innings through six starts for the Barons. The 6-foot-5 righty had Tommy John surgery in 2021 and it wasn't until this year that he started throwing enough strikes to start, as he logged a 13.6 percent walk rate at Single-A and High-A in 2024. McDougal has big-time stuff, boasting a triple-digit fastball and a hammer curveball. He'll need to be added to the 40-man roster this season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and McDougal is trending toward being a prominent part of the White Sox rotation in 2026.
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White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Healthy again at Single-A
Rotowire
McDougal has made two starts for Single-A Kannapolis since being reinstated from the 7-day injured list April 21, covering six scoreless innings between those outings while striking out nine and allowing five hits and one walk.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2021, McDougal missed the entire 2022 campaign, and the White Sox opted to have him open the 2023 season on Kannapolis' 7-day IL. The 20-year-old right-hander missed only about a week of action before making his debut April 13, but he then went back on the IL immediately following that outing. Given that McDougal was activated nearly a week later, his return to the IL looks to have been precautionary. Given how well he's pitched for Kannapolis in his first two stats back in action, McDougal could soon be in store for a promotion to High-A Winston-Salem.
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White Sox's Tanner McDougal: Returns to IL after appearance
Rotowire
McDougal (elbow) made his season debut last Thursday for Single-A Kannapolis, striking out three over 3.1 scoreless innings while walking five and giving up no hits. Kannapolis placed him on the 7-day injured list one day later.
Pitching in a game for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2021, McDougal did well to keep Delmarva off the scoreboard but struggled mightily with his efficiency. Kannapolis' decision to move him to the IL immediately following the outing could hint that McDougal experienced a setback with his surgically repaired elbow, though no update on his status has been provided.
