Downers Grove North graduate George Wolkow is one of the youngest players in the minor leagues, but he hopes to reach the majors with the White Sox soon.
Krista Jasso/Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
Tall hitters have become a successful trend in Major League Baseball, from 6-foot-7 Aaron Judge on the way to his second Most Valuable Player award, to Elly De La Cruz and Oneil Cruz providing some of most impressive tools in the National League Central.
The White Sox may be mired in a miserable season, but a tall tale is growing in the minor leagues.
Downers Grove North grad George Wolkow is a 6-foot-7, left-handed hitting outfielder. He was the Sox’ seventh-round pick a year ago but has already moved up to the No. 7-ranked prospect in the system by MLB Pipeline.
Wolkow is hitting .263 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI for the Class A Kannapolis (N.C.) Cannon Ballers this season, but those numbers don’t reflect the full story.
He’s one of the youngest players in all of minor-league baseball, won’t turn 19 until January, and his ability to adapt quickly might be the most impressive skill of his first professional season.
When Wolkow started playing games for the White Sox rookie league squad in May, he struck out in 11 of his first 15 at-bats. At Kannapolis, it was 14 strikeouts in the first five games. But after a couple weeks of seeing pro pitching, he went on a 12-for-27 tear.
“I love it. To me, it’s just part of that path, part of that development,” Wolkow said in a phone interview. “There’s been some good times, there’s been some bad times, but I think overall every failure is an opportunity to grow.”
Part of the process is learning how to handle the basics of the minor-league experience. Every player is anxious to move up and get to the big leagues. But one big swing or one great game doesn’t get it done. It’s more about developing good habits and consistency.
“The first time seeing what a promotion is like, jumping up, playing at the next level, I think I just got a little ahead of myself,” he said. “When I came out there, I wanted to show who I am and go crazy and get promoted again. It was a great learning opportunity. It was almost good it happened then, so I could quickly bounce out of it and settle in.”
And let’s face it, the White Sox need some star power badly at the big-league level. Wolkow and every other player in the system know 100-loss seasons create opportunities. There’s no guarantee he’ll become baseball’s next great 6-foot-7 power hitter — but that is the goal.
“I want to be one of the best players to ever play the game,” Wolkow said. “I want to continue to go up and challenge myself. I would love to keep going, keep moving. Seeing that uncomfortable space, that’s how I’m going to get better.”
Skipping school
The story of how Wolkow became one of the youngest minor-leaguers is interesting in itself. He committed to play in college at South Carolina, and during his sophomore year at Downers North he decided the sooner he could get there, the better.
So he loaded his class schedule, doubled up on English courses, took one online class and basically jumped from being a sophomore to a senior. Along the way, he also helped take Downers North downstate in basketball in 2023.
Downers Grove North’s George Wolkow goes for a layup against Downers Grove South during a game in Downers Grove on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021.
Mike Mantucca/for Shaw Media
“Whether I was going to step on campus a year earlier or step into pro ball a year earlier, I felt like I was ready for the challenge,” he said. “I was ready to put myself in that uncomfortable environment. I knew my goals, I knew what I wanted to do, knew what I wanted to be.”
One of Wolkow’s favorite players growing up was Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper. The former No. 1 overall pick did something similar, actually leaving high school after his sophomore year and getting a GED so he could spend a season at junior college and then enter the MLB Draft a year early. Slightly different path, but certainly an inspiration.
“I know my mom would never let me drop out, get my GED and go straight to Juco,” Wolkow said with a laugh. “But looking at a guy like that, how he pushed himself literally to the limits, to the highest level of baseball he could. It only helped him in the long run.
“He didn’t care about living a regular high school life, he just wanted to be the best baseball player. I think the overall principle, you definitely have to look up to that.”
Downers Grove North’s George Wolkow, shown celebrating a double during the Class 4A baseball regional final between Downers Grove North and Hinsdale Central, was drafted Monday by the Chicago White Sox with the 209th pick.
Tony Gadomski/for Shaw Local News Network
Minor-league highlight
White Sox general manager Chris Getz spoke recently about Wolkow’s impressive pro debut.
“George has certainly been a highlight of our minor leagues,” Getz said. “He’s one of the younger players in minor-league baseball. He’s put together some solid at-bats, played good defense, he’s flashed some power and he loves to play.
“He’s got an infectious personality and will. We’re excited about his future, but his first season with us has been really good.”
Wolkow said he wasn’t necessarily a White Sox or Cubs fan growing up. He was happy when the Cubs won the World Series and attended games on both sides of town.
“I was just a baseball fan,” he said. “I loved watching Harper growing up. When I was really young, my favorite player was Andrew McCutchen, so I had a Pirates hat for him.”
So what’s next? First of all, Wolkow is hoping to use the success and failures of Kannapolis to launch a productive off-season. He plans to work mostly at Bracey Performance in Chicago, where he’s already trained alongside big-leaguers like Cleveland’s Steven Kwan.
The assumption is he’ll start next year in High-A Winston-Salem. If that goes well, then his future is in the White Sox’ hands.
“A lot of people say, ‘Oh, you’re young, it’s good, you’ve got time,’” Wolkow said. “But I want to be young when I’m in the big leagues too. I want to get there as a fast as possible. I think right now, it’s important to stay where my feet are, stay with my process.”
That last line could work as a transition to having big shoes to fill on the South Side, but we all know that’s not true. The best-case scenario for the White Sox is Wolkow riding an express escalator to the top floor.