THE APEX TIMES
White Sox Fall League roommates Bonemer and Shelton talk swings, then both go deep again
Caleb Bonemer and Colby Shelton, prospect teammates in the Arizona Fall League, homered in the same game while sharing a largely baseball-centered off-field rhythm and a mutual push toward versatile roles.
Two of the White Sox system’s top prospects are also roommates again in the Arizona Fall League, and they made the connection count on the field. Caleb Bonemer and Colby Shelton each hit a home run in Glendale on Tuesday as Glendale’s Desert Dogs dropped a 6-5 extra-inning decision to the Salt River team at Camelback Ranch.
Their paths to the organization have been different. Bonemer entered the system as a second-round selection in the 2024 Draft from Michigan prep baseball, while Shelton was a sixth-round pick the following year out of the University of Florida. Despite that split, they spent much of the season together in the minors and returned to the same Fall League roster for six weeks.
With so much shared time, the central question is what they actually talk about when baseball is off the schedule. Bonemer described conversations that revolve around the same thing that fills their days, focusing on swings and the small details that might “get us over the edge.” Shelton echoed the theme, adding that they try to keep things light away from the field with activities like watching things at home and playing board games.
In the game itself, it was more than just friendship producing headlines. Bonemer’s homer came as MLB’s No. 27 prospect, and the story credited him with a fast start in the Fall League before his Tuesday shot, including a deep hit off southpaw Sean Sullivan of Salt River. Across seven Fall League games at that point, the release said Bonemer had a.321 batting average, a.994 OPS, eight RBIs, and five extra-base hits.
Shelton also provided the counterpoint, with the team framing him as the White Sox No. 23 prospect. The release said his approach at the plate includes a heavy pull tendency, and it linked Tuesday’s extra-base hit to a broader breakout April with Double-A-level results in the South Atlantic League, where he earned Player of the Month honors. At the end of the regular season, Shelton finished with 24 home runs, fifth among White Sox minor leaguers, and trailed Bonemer’s 37.
The homers landed as part of a role shift for both players in Glendale. The Fall League schedule is also where the organization is putting a new premium on versatility, with the release noting Bonemer is learning the outfield and Shelton getting his first pro reps at first base in addition to his infield work.
Why It Matters
- For the White Sox, the Fall League reps are not just about production, they are also about establishing whether top prospects can expand roles that make their eventual big-league paths smoother.
- Bonemer and Shelton homering in the same contest underscores how quickly multiple batters from the same organization can impact at once, even while working on new defensive responsibilities.
- Their shared swing focus and willingness to keep learning new positions speak to how the next wave of in-system talent is being asked to contribute in more than one way.
Key Facts
- Caleb Bonemer and Colby Shelton, both top White Sox prospects, homered in the same Arizona Fall League game for the Glendale Desert Dogs.
- The homers came in Glendale’s 6-5 extra-inning loss to Salt River at Camelback Ranch on Tuesday.
- Bonemer is identified as the White Sox MLB Pipeline No. 27 prospect, and the release said he was hitting.321 with a.994 OPS and eight RBIs across seven Fall League games at that point.
- Shelton is identified as the White Sox No. 23 prospect; the release credited a strong start to the 2026 season in the minors and noted he finished with 24 home runs in the system before the Fall League.
- Both players described their off-field time as heavily centered on baseball details, while also keeping things light with non-baseball activities.
- The release said the Fall League is also being used for positional development: Bonemer learning the outfield and Shelton receiving first-base reps.