Billy Carlson has played shortstop since he was 6.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take a lot of pride in pitchers liking to have me at shortstop,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Carlson aims to aid the Chicago White Sox up the middle<\/a> in the future after being selected by the team with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 MLB draft on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was kind of a wild draft, so I was keeping my eyes peeled for everyone,\u201d Carlson said during a video conference call. \u201cIt was crazy stuff. Honestly, I didn\u2019t even know they were going to take me. I was just in shock as much as you guys were. It was exciting, and (I\u2019ve been) celebrating with the whole fam.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlson, 18, had a .365\/.517\/.647 slash line with four doubles, six home runs, 34 RBIs, 33 runs and a 1.164 OPS in 31 games as a senior at Corona (Calif.) High School.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hand skill, the feet skill, it\u2019s a big-time arm \u2014 he does so many things on the defensive side that are elite,\u201d Sox director of amateur scouting Mike Shirley said Sunday night. \u201cThe bat speed. He moves very easy.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m super excited about Billy Carlson and glad the White Sox got that opportunity tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlson slashed .308\/.442\/.515 with 19 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, 56 RBIs, 75 runs and a .957 OPS in 95 career games at Corona. He recorded 109 putouts and 115 assists while only committing 17 errors in his career.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it gets slept on a little bit,\u201d Carlson said of the offensive production. \u201cI feel like this spring I showed I can bang with the best of them and really have some thump for my size. Super excited to be able to prove that and show that these next few years. Just super stoked and ready to get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlson, who is 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, was named by Perfect Game as the top defensive player in the 2025 class.<\/p>\n \u201cJust trying to perfect that craft and be the best defensive shortstop I can be,\u201d Carlson said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the third time in the last five years the Sox have drafted a shortstop in the first round. They took Colson Montgomery<\/a> out of Southridge High School in Indiana in 2021. In 2023, the Sox selected Mississippi shortstop Jacob Gonzalez<\/a> in the first round.<\/p>\n Montgomery made his major-league debut on July 4<\/a>. Gonzalez is at Double-A Birmingham.<\/p>\n