Nazareth grad taken in the second round and signed by the White Sox

By Jeff Vorva

Longtime White Sox fan Jaden Fauske has been on Rate Field before.

“I got to be the bat boy for batting practice when I was maybe 10 or 11,” he said during a video news conference. “I have a bunch of pictures of that somewhere. I have to go find that. I was on the field before the game, and I got a few autographed balls.”

Maybe someday Fauske will be the one autographing baseballs for bat boys.

Fauske, a Nazareth Academy graduate from Willowbrook, was picked in the second round of the Major League Baseball draft on July 13. He was the 44th  pick overall.

“He’s a local kid, but he’s deserving of this opportunity and being in this spot.”

– Jim Thome

He originally committed to Louisiana State University but instead opted to sign with the Sox organization on July 22 and earned a reported signing bonus of $3 million.

It capped a wild 2025 season in which he was named the Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year after hitting .475 with 40 RBIs, 39 runs, 33 stolen bases, a .601 on-base percentage, and an .832 slugging percentage for the Roadrunners.

Fauske was teammates with Landon Thome, whose father, Jim, is a Hall-of-Famer and was a Hinsdale resident for six years. Jim has been a

Former Hinsdale resident and MLB Hall of Famer Jim Thome worked closely with White Sox draftee Jaden Fauske at Nazareth.
Photo by Jeff Vorva

special assistant for the Roadrunners for the past couple of seasons, and Fauske was able to learn a lot from him.

“He’s a local kid, but he’s deserving of this opportunity and being in this spot,” Thome told MLB.com. “He’s a hard worker and an extremely talented left-handed bat. I love the kid.”

Fauske said learning from Thome was a “blessing.” Thome said he loves the kid, and so do some of the White Sox brass, as scouts have been keeping a close eye on him, too.

White Sox Director of Amateur Scouting Mike Shirley told reporters after the draft that the team selected Fauske because he is a quick study.

In an age in which major league teams would prefer to draft college players over high school grads, Fauske is held in high regard.

“The maturity level, his approach, and how he actually applies it to the game is one thing,” Shirley said of Fauske. “When you think about these high school guys, it’s one thing if you identify the tool. It’s another thing how the tool actually applies to the maturity of the game today. He’s able to take the tools he worked his (butt) off to accomplish and he actually applies them to the game really well. That’s the exciting part for us.”

Plus, being local is a plus.

“I’ve said all along, local kids, we feel they have the ability,” Shirley said. “This is our city, man. We believe in the people who live here.”

Jaden Fauske hugs Nazareth coach Lee Milano after winning the IHSA Class 3A state championship in 2023. Two years later Fauske was drafted by the White Sox.
Photo by Jeff Vorva

Fauske has been a mainstay on the Roadrunners roster since his freshman year, but didn’t take his final year for granted. He was determined to continue to work hard in order to catch the eyes of the pro scouts.

“I changed my body and cut down a little bit,” he said. “I increased my mobility and explosiveness. It really translated on the field for me. It’s the leanest I’ve ever been, and I worked hard on that. I’m happy where I am right now.”

His coach, Lee Milano, is not surprised Fauske was drafted high.

“Jaden is a truly special talent with one of the best offensive skill sets I’ve ever seen,” Milano said. “His hitting tools have been ranked among the best in the country by numerous national evaluators. His hitting eye and swing are simply elite. He has performed with grace and dignity under the microscope his entire career. He will walk away from the Nazareth baseball program as the most decorated player in school history.”