2025 South Side Sox Top Prospect No. 84: Shane Murphy
High-A to Triple-A? The southpaw got two shots at that jump last year, and passed with flying colors in September
Shane Murphy
Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
6´5´´
210 pounds
Age: 24
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 56
2024 High Level Charlotte (AAA)
Age relative to high level -4.0
SSS rank among all left-handed starters in the system 9
Overall 2024 stats 1-4 ⚾️ 23 games (16 starts, 2 finishes) ⚾️ 101 1⁄3 IP ⚾️ 4.44 ERA ⚾️ 1.095 WHIP ⚾️ 86 K ⚾️ 22 BB
The White Sox selected Murphy in Round 14 (No. 431) of the 2022 MLB Draft. The lefthander pitched three seasons for Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Ariz. — although during his time there, the lefty only threw a total of 14 innings (0-1, 0.64 ERA, 18 strikeouts, three walks over seven appearances).
After signing with the Sox in 2022, the team assigned him to the ACL in August for a few weeks before promoting him to Kannapolis to finish out the season. Murphy appeared in three games (two starts) for the Cannon Ballers, and opponents had no trouble seeing the ball, as they hit .350 off of him with two walks over 4 1⁄3 innings.
Murphy returned to Kannapolis for 2023, where he started 21 games for the Ballers. He had a much stronger showing this time around, going 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA and a 9.12 K/9. Throughout the season, the Sox assigned him to the Developmental List a few different times as well, to work through some mechanics and/or possible injury issues.
In 2024, the White Sox kept Murphy on a relatively aggressive track, pitching just six games for Winston-Salem before getting a start, albeit an emergency one, in Charlotte. The southpaw was rocked for eight earned over four innings in that outing, but returned to the Dash for a strong overall season (a longball-tainted 4.14 ERA, offset by impeccable control and a stingy 1.062 WHIP). Murphy even got another cup of coffee with Charlotte, righting the wrongs of June by throwing six scoreless innings over two September games.
Murphy’s extraordinary control (he threw 14 homers in High-A ... and just 15 walks!) places him in the top 5% of all his peers, among other impressive ratings:
Murphy’s Baseball Cube player ratings
Walks 95 (unchanged from last season)
K/BB 92 (-2)
Hittable 61 (-7)
vs. Power 61 (-7)
Durability 54 (+8)
Strikeouts 31 (-12)
Average 65.67 (-3.33)
Without making too much of those final two appearances with Charlotte, it’s not inconceivable that Murphy breaks camp in 2025 with the Knights; he’s proven to have poise and smarts on the mound. There’s no overwhelming strikeout pitch in his arsenal, but his stingy attitude toward free passes (and safe hits that stay in the park) might well offset that.
2025 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox Prospects
100. Cole McConnell, CF
99. Drake Logan, LF
98. Marcelo Alcala, RF
97. Lyle Miller-Green, 1B
96. Jared Kelley, RHRP
95. Adrian Gil, 1B
94. Adam Hackenberg, C
93. Loidel Chapelli, 2B
92. Eddie Park, CF
91. Chase Plymell, RHRP
90. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa, RHRP
89. Tristan Stivors, RHRP
88. Pierce George, RHRP
87. Wes Kath, 3B
86. Daniel González, LHRP
85. Mikey Kane, 1B
84. Shane Murphy, LHSP