Eric Adler

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #21 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 40/Medium.
  
  Track Record: The book on Adler going back to his college days at Wake Forest was that he had major league stuff but an inability to throw it for strikes, especially in the 2022 draft year. The White Sox took a chance that year with their sixth-round pick anyways. It has taken a couple seasons, but Adler’s promise started to show during a strong 2024 season split between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham. He held hitters to a .172 opponent average and recorded 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings. He continued with postseason work in the Arizona Fall League and with the USA Premier 12 team.
  
  Scouting Report: Adler primarily relies on a plus 94-97 mph four-seam fastball that approaches 99 mph with natural sinking action. He upped the usage of his cut-slider in 2024, throwing it nearly 50% of the time which made his four-seamer even more effective. Adler’s 88 mph slider has 12-to-6 movement and he has good feel to command it well. His 80-84 mph curveball has bite, and he rarely uses an 88 mph changeup. Adler has quieted his crossfire delivery but needs to continue improving the consistency of his pitches.
  
  The Future: Adler is a one-inning reliever with the chance to eventually slot in near the back of a major league bullpen. After continually improving in 2024, a strong start to 2025 could get him to the big leagues later in the season.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Control: 40.
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #30 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Very High
  
  Track Record: The White Sox selected Adler in the sixth round in 2022 despite abysmal numbers in his final season at Wake Forest when he walked 25 and hit nine batters in 21.1 innings while fanning 37. Perhaps a better indication of his potential was seen in the summer of 2021 when he was one of the better relievers in the Cape Cod League, where he posted a 1.15 ERA and struck out 29 in 15.2 innings. Adler made six short outings in the White Sox system before reporting for fall instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Adler's electric fastball was up to 98 mph in college and touched 97 at Low-A Kannapolis, with high spin rates on all of his pitches. His 80-mph curveball has medium depth with 11-to-5 shape, and his mid-80s slider has late tilt. Both breaking balls project as average pitches, but have flashed plus for some evaluators. The command and control issues surface when his hand is late and long out of the glove, and he gets behind and tries to use his body to catch up. He has a tendency to miss to his arm side and not get fully on top of his breaking ball.
  
  The Future: He'll head to one of the Class A affiliates in 2023. The White Sox pitching development group will be challenged to unlock Adler's true potential. It's major league closer-caliber stuff if it all comes together.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Control: 40

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #230 prospect in 2022 draft
  School: Wake Forest Committed/Drafted: Never Drafted
  Age At Draft: 21.8
  A 6-foot-2, 190-pound righthander, Adler has been a key reliever for Wake Forest throughout his college career and was one of the better bullpen arms in the Cape Cod League during 2021. He made 15 appearances for Bourne and posted a 1.15 ERA over 15.2 innings, with 29 strikeouts (46.8 K%) and seven walks (11.3 BB%). Control has held Adler’s performance back this spring, despite arm talent that scouts love. He throws a fastball in the 94-95 mph range and has been up to 98, with high spin rates across the board. On top of a fastball in the 2,500-2,600 rpm range, Adler throws two high-spin breaking balls: an 80 mph curveball with downer shape and a mid-80s slider that gets up to 90 mph with short, cutting action. Scouts have put plus grades on the breaking stuff at times, but he’s a no-doubt reliever at the next level and his 2022 performance will raise eyebrows: an 8.86 ERA in 21.1 innings, with 37 strikeouts (33.0 K%) and 25 walks (22.3 BB%). He has potential high-leverage reliever stuff but needs to find high-leverage reliever control.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Very High
  
  Track Record: The White Sox selected Adler in the sixth round in 2022 despite abysmal numbers in his final season at Wake Forest when he walked 25 and hit nine batters in 21.1 innings while fanning 37. Perhaps a better indication of his potential was seen in the summer of 2021 when he was one of the better relievers in the Cape Cod League, where he posted a 1.15 ERA and struck out 29 in 15.2 innings. Adler made six short outings in the White Sox system before reporting for fall instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Adler's electric fastball was up to 98 mph in college and touched 97 at Low-A Kannapolis, with high spin rates on all of his pitches. His 80-mph curveball has medium depth with 11-to-5 shape, and his mid-80s slider has late tilt. Both breaking balls project as average pitches, but have flashed plus for some evaluators. The command and control issues surface when his hand is late and long out of the glove, and he gets behind and tries to use his body to catch up. He has a tendency to miss to his arm side and not get fully on top of his breaking ball.
  
  The Future: He'll head to one of the Class A affiliates in 2023. The White Sox pitching development group will be challenged to unlock Adler's true potential. It's major league closer-caliber stuff if it all comes together.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Control: 40
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Very High
  
  Track Record: The White Sox selected Adler in the sixth round in 2022 despite abysmal numbers in his final season at Wake Forest when he walked 25 and hit nine batters in 21.1 innings while fanning 37. Perhaps a better indication of his potential was seen in the summer of 2021 when he was one of the better relievers in the Cape Cod League, where he posted a 1.15 ERA and struck out 29 in 15.2 innings. Adler made six short outings in the White Sox system before reporting for fall instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Adler's electric fastball was up to 98 mph in college and touched 97 at Low-A Kannapolis, with high spin rates on all of his pitches. His 80-mph curveball has medium depth with 11-to-5 shape, and his mid-80s slider has late tilt. Both breaking balls project as average pitches, but have flashed plus for some evaluators. The command and control issues surface when his hand is late and long out of the glove, and he gets behind and tries to use his body to catch up. He has a tendency to miss to his arm side and not get fully on top of his breaking ball.
  
  The Future: He'll head to one of the Class A affiliates in 2023. The White Sox pitching development group will be challenged to unlock Adler's true potential. It's major league closer-caliber stuff if it all comes together.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Control: 40