Phil Fox – Pittsburgh

After selecting four straight college hitters in rounds 3-6, the White Sox went to the ACC and plucked Pittsburgh’s closer, Phil Fox. An undersized right-hander, Fox was a draft-eligible sophomore who spent two seasons at Gardner-Webb before transferring to Pitt prior to the 2024 season. He missed the entirety of the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Fox is coming off a fantastic season. In 36.2 innings for Pitt, he struck out 45 hitters while walking only three. That came out to a K-BB% of 30%, which was the fifth best in Division 1 baseball in 2024, trailing only Chase Burns (41.2%), Hagen Smith (38.4%), Ryan Johnson (32.5%), and Trey Yesavage (31.5%) – all of whom were selected in the first 75 picks of this year’s draft.

With 90% usage, Fox leaned almost exclusively on his Fastball. Sitting 92-94, he generated a 28% Whiff rate (93rd percentile) while throwing 73% strikes (95th percentile). The pitch thrives on its “stuff” and deception profile. He obviously has great control, but without its unique shape, it would likely give up a lot more damage given where he located it and how often it was used.

Fox stands at 5’9” and gets down the mound at his release point, creating a 4’11” release height on his Fastball (league average is 6’0”). What this helps to do is create a very flat approach angle that hitters struggle to get on plane with. His league average vertical break plays like a pitch with elite ride. His efficiency locating at the top of the strike zone also allows him to get the most out his shape.

Fox also featured a Slider and Changeup, but he only threw a combined 54 of them, so it’s hard to get a great feel for their potential. His Slider graded well both stuff- and command-wise, and it induced a 56% Whiff rate in 2024 despite being in the strike zone just 35% of the time. It fooled hitters just based on the sheer infrequency of its usage.

Needing to save bonus pool money somewhere, the Sox under-slotted Fox and will look to get the most out his elite heater profile, hoping to progress him to the major league bullpen in the next couple years.

Aaron Combs – Tennessee

In the eighth round, The White Sox again looked to add to their future bullpen with another Power 5 closer and 2024 national champion, Aaron Combs from Tennessee.

Combs threw 66.2 career innings at Tennessee through 2023 and 2024 with a 3.25 ERA (2.13 SIERA), 48 hits, 30 walks and 105 strikeouts. He featured a five-pitch arsenal in 2024, but mainly leaned on a Fastball/Curveball combo. His Fastball, that sits 92-94 mph, held hitters to a .156 BAA and induced a 35% Whiff rate (15th best in D1). Lefties really struggled with Combs’ heater, as they hit .160 with a 45% Whiff rate.

Combs’ Fastball is similar to Phil Fox’s in that he also has a low release height with good top-of-the-zone efficiency. He too created an ultra-steep -3.9 VAA despite league average ride and slightly above average velocity. Also, only 25% of his Fastballs were thrown in the heart of the strike zone, which ranked in the 97th percentile of D1 baseball. The main differences between Fox and Combs are that Combs also gets elite arm-side run and has a great breaking ball. Hitters had a lot to contend with.

His sweeping Curveball generates both plus depth and sweep with a shape that mirrors his Fastball, meaning the spin and movement are almost polar opposites. It also generates a lot more movement than his release traits suggest, and this feature is a key component to his deception profile. It’s also a big reason why his Expected Run Value (xRV) and his overall results played much better than his Stuff and Command.

Combs shut down games for the best team in college baseball, and he definitely possesses that “Closer moxie” that you like to see. He fits the profile of arms that the Sox (and we’d assume, Brian Bannister) have been targeting as of late – low release heights that help otherwise non-elite Fastball shapes play up. Success in a high-leverage role as an SEC pitcher should allow the White Sox to be aggressive with Combs as he moves through the system.

Featured image courtesy of Tennessee Athletics