The Chicago White Sox have a lot of talent developed through their farm system.

With players like Colson Montgomery and Sean Burke making their way through the White Sox system, they are in a position where they need to replenish the minors. Chicago holds the first pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, so it’s safe to assume they will do that.

But where do they rank for the 2026 season? Let’s take a look at what one outlet believes.

The Chicago White Sox drop to 18th in Bleacher Report’s 2026 farm system rankings

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report ranked all 30 MLB teams’ farm systems for the 2026 season. The White Sox saw a significant drop from last year’s rankings, going from third to 18th. Below is what Reuter wrote while highlighting prospect Braden Montgomery:

“The White Sox received four prospects in the deal that sent Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox, and Montgomery is the only one that has yet to reach the majors. The No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 draft racked up 50 extra-base hits in 121 games last year while reaching Double-A, and the everyday right field job and a spot in the middle of the lineup awaits before 2026 is over.”

In addition, he would write the top 10 prospects in the system. Below is the list he curated:

1. SS Caleb Bonemer
2. LHP Noah Schultz
3. OF Braden Montgomery
4. SS Billy Carlson
5. LHP Hagen Smith
6. RHP Tanner McDougal
7. 2B Sam Antonacci
8. OF Jaden Fauske
9. LHP Christian Oppor
10. SS Kyle Lodise

With the White Sox promoting a lot of their young prospects to the majors, it makes sense to see a dropoff.

Do not be surprised to see them climb up rankings by next season if they are sellers at the trade deadline once again.

It will be intriguing to follow the prospects and see how many get their shot in Chicago this season.

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Chicago White Sox slugger, first baseman/designated hitter Munetaka Murakami, has been on a tear to begin the year.

More News: Chicago White Sox return prospect to the Red Sox

Early into his big league career, Murakamai has mashed four home runs. According to MLB’s Sarah Langs, the 26-year-old’s four home runs are the most by a Japanese-born player through their first eight games.

Murakami’s fourth home run came against Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Brandon Little. In the top of the sixth inning of Saturday’s game. Little threw Murakami a 1-0 sinker that ran back across the plate. Muraki didn’t miss and sent the pitch 431 feet to dead center field for a two-run homer.

Munetaka Murakami’s four home runs are the most by a Japanese-born player in his first 8 career MLB games https://t.co/XYcYOjI9LT

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) April 4, 2026

Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery have proven to be the Chicago White Sox’s source of power

Murakami is settling into hitting at the top of the order. So far, he is the White Sox leader in home runs and RBI (seven). Shortstop Colson Montgomery is second after hitting his second home run in the same inning as Murakami.

Montgomery’s first home run was a grand slam against the Milwaukee Brewers. Little again threw a hanging sinker on a 3-1 count that Montgomery didn’t miss and deposited over the right field fence.

round trip for Colson Montgomery pic.twitter.com/tXXTsdaEwJ

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 4, 2026

The White Sox ranked 23rd in home runs last season (165). This means the White Sox will rely on Murakami (24 last season) and Montgomery (21) to continue to generate the team’s power.

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The Chicago White Sox’s experiment with right-hander Jedixson Paez has come to an end. According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, Paez has cleared waivers and was returned to the Boston Red Sox organization.

More News: Chicago White Sox LHP will go for a personal feat vs. Blue Jays

The White Sox selected Paez in the Rule 5 Draft after finding success with right-hander Shane Smith. Smith was the White Sox’s lone All-Star in 2025, with a 7-8 record and a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts.

Jedixson Paez struggled in his three appearances with the Chicago White Sox

Paez, 22, didn’t have a good spring with the White Sox, having a 6.35 ERA in seven games (two starts). He also hadn’t pitched above High-A in his professional career before getting added to the White Sox Opening Day roster.

Paez posted a 5-4 record with a 3.17 ERA and striking out 113 in 96.2 innings last season. A right calf strain sidelined Páez for four months last season.

Making the jump from the lower levels of the minor leagues to the big leagues proved to be too much for Paez. In three innings of work against the Milwaukee Brewers, Paez allowed six earned runs, two home runs, and walked three.

Two of Paez’s walks and three of his earned runs came in his failed mop-up role in the White Sox’s 14-2 loss on March 26. Back with the Red Sox, Paez will have time to develop, but since he’s appeared in the big leagues, his service time has started.

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Coming off a win in their home opener, the Chicago White Sox look to win two in a row against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Anthony Kay will try to get his first win in five years while pitching for the Chicago White Sox

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The Chicago White Sox have been one of the weakest teams in the first week of the season. Their abilities on the mound have failed to live up to the hype. The team needs to figure out ways to pitch better in order to win games. One outlet is not too thrilled with the pitching performances so far this season. Let’s take a closer look at the outlet and what the White Sox’s issues are right now.

Bleacher Report labels the Chicago White Sox pitching staff as a loser

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller wrote an article discussing the winners and losers in the first week of the MLB season. One of the losers was the White Sox pitching staff. Below is a snippet of what Miller wrote:

“Only two White Sox pitchers have a sub-4.50 ERA—Lucas Sims, who pitched two scoreless innings in Wednesday’s 10-0 loss to Miami; and Anthony Kay, who had a 3.86 ERA in his season debut in the rotation, albeit with a 6.41 FIP that suggests even that was fool’s gold.

“The fun news here (unless you’re a White Sox fan) is we might be on the fast track to a scenario where Murakami—who signed a two-year, $34M deal this winter—enters the All-Star break with 30 home runs for a team that is 30 games below .500, thus becoming one of the biggest, gettable names on the trade block.”

After the first six games of the season, Chicago has an 8.63 team ERA. This is more than three runs above the second-worst team currently. Chicago needs to figure out how to correct their pitching woes, as it cannot survive with a league-worst .319 opposing batting average through two series. It will be interesting to see how the team is able to do better on the mound going forward.

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Despite the game having to go into extra innings, the Chicago White Sox won their home opener 5-4. Facing the reigning American League champions, the Toronto Blue Jays, a critical bunt by outfielder Derek Hill and a single by outfielder Tristan Peters sealed the victory.

More News: Chicago White Sox prospect’s performance may force a tough decision

The White Sox’s resilient win came on the heels of manager Will Venable saying his team “needed to be better.” The White Sox currently have a Major League-worst 2-5 record and had a terrible road trip (1-5) to begin the season.

TRISTAN. PETERS. pic.twitter.com/GaBlnobkNe

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 3, 2026

Sean Burke’s bounce-back performance was key for the Chicago White Sox to win

Sean Burke’s first outing against the Milwaukee Brewers didn’t go well. He allowed seven hits, four runs (three earned), walked one, and struck out five in 4.0 innings. However, Burke showed some growth pitching against the Blue Jays. Burke told reporters postgame that he’s “trying to stay on my plan.”

“I think it’s been big,” Burke said to the media postgame. “I think that this year, just trying to stay on my plan and continuing to attack hitters and not let a couple hits or whatever it might be rattle me, and just trying to continue to flood the zone and make good pitches every single time out, I think the focus component, just being super, super focused on what I want to do with each pitch, and just being intentful behind it has been helpful.”

The 26-year-old threw six strong innings, allowing one run (earned), walking none, and striking out seven. Burke pitched behind right-hander Grant Taylor, who was the opener.

Right-handers Jordan Leasure and Seranthony Dominguez and left-hander Sean Newcomb also pitched well following Burke. Combined, all three went 3.0 innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs (three total), walked one, and struck out three. 

According to ESPN, Taylor is the probable pitcher for Game 2 on Saturday. Left-hander Anthony Kay will likely be the “bulk” guy. Kay is also coming off a tough outing against the Brewers — Kay went 4.2 innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, four walks, and struck out five on 92 pitches.

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The Chicago White Sox have been struggling, and one player who may help is catcher Kyle Teel. He is yet to play this season due to an injury. He gave a bit of an update regarding his status and how he is feeling. Let’s take a closer look at what he said and what it means for the White Sox going forward.

Kyle Teel is feeling better as he recovers from his hamstring injury

MLB’s Scott Merkin talked with Teel ahead of the White Sox’s home opener. Teel provided a bit of an update regarding his status and how he is feeling better as time goes on.

“I feel much better this week, honestly. It’s going well. I would say that like I still don’t know exactly when on the timeline I’ll be back. From the way I’ve been feeling, it’s been a steady incline. From what everyone who has hamstring injuries tell me, there’s going to be a day where it just feels really really good. That’s when you make that big jump. I feel like I’m coming up on that day really soon. I love playing so it’s tough. But everything happens for a reason so going day by day.”

Teel suffered a hamstring injury in pool play for Team Italy during the World Baseball Classic on March 11. He was projected to have a 4-to-6 week recovery timeline, and we are approaching the four-week mark.  Chicago is hoping to have him back soon to continue his progression in the majors. Teel only played in 78 games last season and had a .273/.375/.411 slash line with eight homers, 35 RBI, and 38 runs scored while being an excellent catcher.

With the White Sox looking to get their core players together in the lineup, it will be interesting to see when Teel officially heads for a rehab assignment.

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The Chicago White Sox are struggling in the early stages of the season, but they made some news on Friday. With all the emotions that the home opener brings, one of the faces of the franchise will be immortalized. Let’s take a closer look at what happened and why this decision has been made.

Ozzie Guillen will have his number retired with the Chicago White Sox

During the home opener on Friday, the White Sox announced they will be retiring Guillen’s #13 jersey on August 8. They announced it on the scoreboard with a video showing some of his highlights as a player and manager. Guillen spent the first 13 years of his playing career with the White Sox. In that time, he would win the 1985 AL Rookie of the Year Award, win a Gold Glove, and make three All-Star teams. He would post a .265/.286/.339 slash line with 24 homers, 565 RBI, and 163 steals in 1,743 games.

Guillen would return to the organization as a manager for the team in 2004. It took just two years and he led the team to win the World Series. He would manage the team through the 2011 season and post a 678-617 (.524) record. He would go 12-4 in the playoffs as well before leaving to take the Miami Marlins job in 2012. Guillen will now have his number immortalized with the following other numbers:

• Nellie Fox (#2)
• Harold Baines (#3)
• Luke Appling (#4)
• Minnie Minoso (#9)
• Luis Aparicio (#11)
• Paul Konerko (#14)
• Ted Lyons (#16)
• Billy Pierce (#19)
• Frank Thomas (#35)
• Jackie Robinson (#42)
• Mark Buehrle (#56)
• Carlton Fisk (#72)

Chicago is retiring one of its top all-time personalities and lifers for the rest of the franchise’s history. Guillen was brought to tears when this was announced, catching him completely by surprise. It will be interesting to see how August 8 will look when the ceremony takes place.

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Chicago White Sox play-by-play John Schriffen didn’t get off to the best start with fans when he took over for Jason Benetti. The first “South Side Stand Up” call was criticized by fans, analysts and local media members. But now, there might be another concern for Schriffen.

One of the lone bright spots through the first week for the White Sox has been rookie Munetaka Murakami. He began the year with three-straight home runs despite the team being swept in Milwaukee. He even earned a nickname on behalf of Schriffen as “South Side Samurai” following a RBI single the other day against the Miami Marlins.

But a new report from the Chicago Sun-Times suggests that White Sox brass wasn’t happy with the call.

John Schriffen’s nickname for Munetaka Murakami causing concern for White Sox?

With Schriffen in a contract year, this isn’t a great start. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Jeff Agrest reported on Thursday that Schriffen’s call didn’t excite the White Sox brass due to the possibility of offending viewers:

“That one is crushed into center field,” Schriffen said. “Here comes [Edgar] Quero, he will score easily. An RBI single for the ‘South Side Samurai.’ ”

Schriffen emphasized those last three words, of which analyst Gordon Beckham seemed to approve, following excitedly with, “Whoa! Oh, baby!”

Sox officials weren’t as excited about the possibility of offending viewers. Fans shouldn’t expect to hear the nickname again.

The White Sox are set to host the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday for their home opener. We will see if Schriffen uses the nickname or if it was a one-time thing on the South Side.

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The Chicago White Sox got off to a poor start to begin the season.

More News: Chicago White Sox prospect’s performance may force a tough decision

Starting 1-5 on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers and the Miami Marlins, manager Will Venable said his team “needs to be better.”

“However you want to characterize it, we fell short, right? And I think, you know, our message to the guys is that we need to be better,” Venable said before the home opener on Friday to 104.3 The Score.

White Sox manager Will Venable on his message after a disappointing start: “We’re moving forward.” pic.twitter.com/3n9OHfhu5k

— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) April 3, 2026

The White Sox’s pitching staff pitched poorly and ranks as the worst staff in baseball (8.63 ERA). The White Sox also gave up the most earned runs in the early goings (47).

The road ahead won’t get easier for the Chicago White Sox

Despite being back home, the White Sox welcome in some tough American League East opponents. The White Sox open a three-game series on Friday versus the reigning American League Champions, the Toronto Blue Jays (4-2). The Baltimore Orioles come to town on Monday (3-3, April 6-8).

The Blue Jays’ starting rotation has been hit hard with injuries. Right-hander Cody Ponce sprained his right ACL on Monday and will miss time.
The Blue Jays were already without right-handers Trey Yasavage (right shoulder impingement), Jose Berrios (right elbow stress fracture), and Shane Bieber (right elbow inflammation) to begin the year.

Maybe now that they’re back at home and the Blue Jays are down some of their better arms, the White Sox could finish the home stand at .500.

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Chicago White Sox prospect, infielder Sam Antonacci, has been outstanding since joining the Charlotte Knights.

More News: Former Cubs and White Sox SP impresses in Diamondbacks debut

In his first six games, Antonacci is batting .333 with a 1.083 OPS, two home runs, and four RBI. The 23-year-old’s strong start comes on the heels of a great spring. In nine games, he hit .368 with a 1.328 OPS, two home runs, and five RBI.

Antonacci has made a strong case to get a call-up to the White Sox. However, he is currently blocked and may force the White Sox to make a tough decision.

Sam Antonacci has expanded his versatility while in the minor leagues

An infielder by trade (third baseman, second baseman, and shortstop), Antonacci has played five of his six games in left field. So far, he’s posted a perfect fielding percentage (1.000) and made eight putouts with one assist.

The idea of Antonacci playing the outfield is to expand his versatility. Shortstop Colson Montgomery and second baseman Chase Meidroth block Antonacci in the middle-infield.

Third base could be in play with Miguel Vargas proving to be a poor defender so far (-17 defensive runs saved). However, his bat has been solid to start the season, .263 with a double, a home run (grand slam), and six RBI.

Sam Antonacci’s performance and versatility may force the Chicago White Sox to make a tough decision

Antonacci may force the White Sox to make a tough decision with his expanded versatility and batting. Only a couple of players on the 26-man roster are “expendable.”

Infielder/outfielder Luisangel Acuña has struggled at the plate through five games, batting .200 with a .494 OPS. Acuña has also been terrible in center field, posting a -71 defensive runs saved in 19.0 innings.

Outfielder Everson Pereira (day-to-day with a sore ankle) has done better at the plate but struggled in the field. In five games, Pereira is batting .250 with a .794 OPS and a home run, but has a -37 defensive runs saved in 37.0 innings in right field.

Acuña and Pereira have no more minor league options left. Since they’re out of options, the White Sox would need to place them on outright waivers, exposing them to be claimed by another team.

Both are still young in their careers — Acuña is 24 and Pereira is 25. The White Sox may have to take a gamble on losing one of them if they feel Antonacci can come up and produce as he has.

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The Chicago White Sox have a young team that is going to grow together as the years go on. As they are attempting to figure out ways to win games, the roster may change a bit. This offseason saw the White Sox trade center fielder Luis Robert Jr to the New York Mets, but the trade could’ve looked a lot different. Let’s take a closer look at what the potential trade could have been.

The Chicago White Sox tried to trade for Brett Baty

New York Post’s Jon Heyman wrote an article discussing the eventual trade between the White Sox and Mets this offseason. The deal saw Chicago send Luis Robert Jr to New York for Luisangel Acuna and prospect Truman Pauley. However, things could’ve turned out differently as Heyman details.

“The White Sox understandably tried in talks for the emerging Brett Baty, who looked back then like he might be the odd man out in Queens. But the Mets quickly rebuffed that. Figuring a diminishing role for Mark Vientos, the Mets offered Vientos before renewing their deadline proposal. The South Siders preferred [Luisangel] Acuna to Vientos since they weren’t looking for a hit-first righty batter.”

The team’s current roster has seven right-handed hitters with one switch hitter. It also appears that general manager Chris Getz would rather have Acuna and Miguel Vargas on the team rather than Vientos and a different center fielder. Baty would have been an intriguing addition to Chicago’s lineup as he is a career .665 OPS hitter. However, he has shown signs of improvement and the former first-round pick is under contract until 2030.

It seems the White Sox are happy with the return they got as Acuna is currently the everyday center fielder for the team, replacing Robert. It will be intriguing to see if this showcases what Getz will want to do with the roster going further into the season.

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The Chicago White Sox have had a bit of a bumpy road to begin the regular season. After being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers to begin the season, they secured a 9-4 win on Monday in the series-opening game against the Miami Marlins. One outlet released their Week 1 power rankings, so let’s take a look at where the White Sox wound up.

The Athletic’s power rankings have the Chicago White Sox ranked 29th after Week 1

The Athletic’s power rankings include a vote from their selection committee to decide how the order would be. For Chicago, they dropped one spot from the preseason record to 29th. Levi Weaver wrote the section for the team and explained poetically that the team will do better on the mound.

“Could the White Sox finish the season with a half-dozen pithcers wearing double-digit ERAs? I dunno, sure. Why not. The reason it’s meaningless is because – as the White Sox have so frequently reminded their fans in recent years – we are on an infinitesimally small rock, floating through some distant corner of a universe that we have barely begun to understnad. We grow wiser as we grow more fragile, but, compared to the age of rocks and oceans, we no sooner begin our time on this planet than we are whisked away into the arms of a mystery.

“What does any of it even mean? How can we do anything at all but hold each other, look around in bewilderment at the whole construct, and thank our fellow man for being here to see it with us? So no, you can’t make me care about the ERAs of White Sox pitchers.”

Below are the bottom five teams on The Athletic’s power rankings, with the average rankings included:

• Minnesota Twins (25.0)
• Los Angeles Angels (27.3)
• Washington Nationals (27.3)
• Chicago White Sox (27.8)
• Colorado Rockies (30.0)

The White Sox have two more games in Miami against the Marlins before heading up north for a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays. It will be interesting to see how they do and if they can climb up next week’s rankings.

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The Chicago White Sox have not gotten off to a good start to the season. The team’s pitching not living up to expectations through the first handful of games. As a result, there are going to be some roster moves made to help that side of things. Let’s take a closer look at what the move was and what it means for the White Sox going forward.

The Chicago White Sox called up Lucas Sims from Triple-A Charlotte

Ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the Miami Marlins, the team made some news regarding its roster. Chicago is calling up veteran pitcher Lucas Sims and designating pitcher Jedixson Paez for assignment. The White Sox will have to give Jedixson Paez back to the Boston Red Sox if unclaimed on waivers.

Paez has struggled out of the bullpen to begin the season as he has appeared in three games (3.0 innings) and has an 18.00 ERA with a 2,33 WHIP and .333 opposing batting average. He also has struggled with command, giving up three walks without recording a strikeout. Paez was the organization’s 19th-ranked prospect, so giving up on him so soon is intriguing.

The failed experiment of Chicago’s Rule 5 selection is going to be interesting. There is an off chance that Paez remains in the minor leagues, but this is certainly a swing and a miss for general manager Chris Getz. Sims has been a veteran reliever who has yet to make his White Sox debut. Last season with the Washington Nationals, he was 1-0 with a 13.86 ERA and a 2.27 WHIP in 12.1 innings (18 games).

Sims was one of the final players cut at Spring Training. Chicago’s 8.34 team ERA through five games is the worst in the majors by more than two full runs. It will be interesting to see how Sims looks in the majors for Chicago’s bullpen.

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Former Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox right-hander Michael Soroka had quite the debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

More News: Chicago White Sox’s pair of grand slams makes MLB history

Signing a one-year ($7.5 million) contract in the offseason, Soroka scattered four hits, struck out 10, and walked one in five innings against the Detroit Tigers. According to MLB Stats, Soroka’s 10 strikeouts surpassed Hall of Fame left-hander Randy Johnson for most strikeouts in a Diamondbacks debut.

Dominance in the desert

Michael Soroka passed Hall of Famer Randy Johnson for the most strikeouts in a @Dbacks debut!

(MLB x @SageUSAmerica) pic.twitter.com/QAHCCE2kOq

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) March 31, 2026

Michael Soroka pitches an immaculate inning in his debut

Even more impressive the former All-Star (2021), Soroka pitched an immaculate inning (nine strikes, three strikeouts). Soroka struck out Tigers shortstop and former Cub Javier Baez, designated hitter Kerry Carpenter, and second baseman Gleyber Torres.

IMMACULATE INNING FOR MICHAEL SOROKA!

10 strikeouts through 5 innings in his @Dbacks debut! pic.twitter.com/M9hopu3jxN

— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2026

The seven-year veteran knew he was in the middle of an immaculate inning with one strike remaining on Torres. Soroka called Torres a “good hitter” and tried to throw a pitch in the zone to complete the feat.

“It was pretty special,” Soroka said to Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. “I think I’ve talked to you guys about not putting too much stock in results but I think that’s one that’s worth celebrating. Gleyber is a good hitter, he’s quite passive, too. So I wanted to make sure it was something in the zone and just give myself a chance to get it done right there. So pretty cool. I tried to play it off, but started smiling on the field.”

Soroka’s performance helped the Diamondbacks secure their first victory of the season. The 28-year-old filled up the strike zone, with 60 of his 89 pitches being strikes.
The Diamondbacks right-hander also threw first-pitch strikes to nine out of the 20 batters faced. He also recorded five outs via flyout (three) and groundout (two).

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The Chicago White Sox blasted their way to victory over the Miami Marlins (9-4) on Monday to secure their first win of the season.

More News: Chicago White Sox slugger makes history with his MUNEshot

Infielder Miguel Vargas and outfielder Austin Hays were the White Sox’s sole run producers. Vargas tallied six RBI, with four coming on a grand slam in the fourth inning, while Hays hit a three-run home run in the third inning. 

Vargas’s grand slam Monday came on the heels of one hit in Sunday’s series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.

A pair of Chicago White Sox grand slams makes history

According to OptaSTATS, the White Sox became the first team to hit grand slams consecutive games played in March. Montgomery’s grand slam on Sunday was a part of a five-RBI, two-hit game.

The @whitesox are the first MLB team ever to hit grand slams in consecutive games played in March. pic.twitter.com/K8IPKHbCKq

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) March 31, 2026

The White Sox offense may have woken up

Despite getting swept by the Brewers, the White Sox offense may have turned a corner. The White Sox’s nine-run outburst against the Marlins fell one run shy of the total runs scored (10) in the Brewers series.

Rookie first baseman/designated hitter Munetaka Murakami also kept his hot bat going, picking up his fourth straight hit on Monday. The 26-year-old also leads the team in home runs (three) and total bases (13).

The White Sox also had multi-hit games from three players in the lineup on Monday. Vargas 2-4 (.308 batting average) and two runs scored, outfielder Tristin Peters 2-3 (.444) scored a run, and Everson Pereira 2-4 (.286) with two runs scored. The White Sox are expected to face inexperienced right-hander Janson Junk (4.17 ERA in 2025) on Tuesday. 

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The Chicago White Sox had some players perform well, but ultimately were swept in the first series of the season. They have a young roster, but there are not many expectations for the team in terms of the win column. Through the first three games of the season, we can see a bit of an idea of what Chicago will be. Let’s take a closer look at one outlet’s power rankings and where they have placed the White Sox after a rough weekend.

The Chicago White Sox drop to 30th in Bleacher Report’s recent power rankings

After being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers, the White Sox are looking like it could be a long season. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report wrote the first power rankings of the 2026 regular season. Look away White Sox fans as he has dropped them from 27th to dead last. Below is what he wrote about the team’s first three games of the season:

“The White Sox were outscored by 19 runs in three games against the Brewers, but hyped slugger Munetaka Murakami at least made a memorable first impression, homering in each of his first three games in a White Sox uniform.”

Through the opening weekend of games, the team is 13th in the bigs with a .729 OPS. However, the pitching has been brutal as they have a 10.13 team ERA, more than three runs higher than any other pitching staff. There was a lack of command, with a 22:24 walk-to-strikeout ratio over the first three games of the 2026 season.

Chicago has some quality offensive pieces, but the pitching is going to be a massive issue for the team. The White Sox are on the road to take on the Miami Marlins for three games before opening their home schedule with three games agianst the Toronto Blue Jays. It will be intriguing to see how the team does over the next week.

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One of the more intriguing decisions that the Chicago White Sox had to make early on was with Korey Lee. The catcher was projected to make the Opening Day roster after the Kyle Teel injury, but would wind up missing out after Reese McGuire was signed late in Spring Training. As a result, he would be waived and able to search for a team to place him on their 26-man roster. There has been a new wrinkle added to the drama, so let’s take a closer look at what has happened.

Korey Lee clears waivers and returns to the Chicago White Sox

It was announced on Saturday afternoon, ahead of their game against Milwaukee, that Lee is returning to the organization. The 27-year-old catcher would clear waivers and return to the team, but be optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Lee has not been able to produce too much at the plate throughout his four-year career, posting a .555 OPS with 14 home runs in 186 games played. Having him return gives Chicago some veteran depth in Triple-A at catcher, as he and Drew Romo are the backstops for the Charlotte Knights.

What happens with the catcher depth is going to be intriguing once Teel returns to the team. Could general manager Chris Getz make an early trade to move one of these catchers off the roster? The team currently has five catchers between the majors and Triple-A, so it is likely one of them will be off the team soon. Lee is the most likely candidate if there were to be a move in the works, as he was initially waived. It will be intriguing to see what happens for the catcher depth chart going forward, as Getz has his hands full there.

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Chicago White Sox slugger, first baseman/designated hitter Munetaka Murakami, has been making waves three games into his MLB career.

More News: Munetaka Murakami historic 2 game effort is 1 bright spot for White Sox

The 26-year-old slugger has homered in the first three games to start his career, joining three others to do so. Cleveland Guardians rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter recently accomplished the feat, having four total against the Seattle Mariners (March 26-28)

Infielder Trevor Story — four with the Colorado Rockies in 2016 — and outfielder Kyle Lewis — three with the Mariners in 2019 — are the other two.

Munetaka Murakami joins Chase DeLauter, Trevor Story, and Kyle Lewis as the only players to homer in their first three regular season MLB games https://t.co/QWxH7iZGDr pic.twitter.com/zcLA6kknK6

— MLB (@MLB) March 29, 2026

Munetaka Murakami is quickly becoming a force in the Chicago White Sox lineup

Murakami is quickly showing manager Will Venable why he should be batting him in the heart of the order. To open the season, Murakami has hit sixth, cleanup (fourth) and batting second in the finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Sunday starters: pic.twitter.com/p3w64JJMEE

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 29, 2026

Murakami is picking up where he left off in spring training. In nine games, he batted .276 with a .771 OPS and a home run. The Japanese slugger also hit a home run in the World Baseball Classic for Japan.

If Murakami keeps mashing home runs, Venable will need to think about keeping him in the two through four spots in the lineup.

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The Chicago White Sox have a lot of exciting players on a young team. They have some quality pitching that does not have that premier ace, but they have some middle-of-the-rotation depth throughout their rotation. Where does the White Sox pitching staff rank compared to the rest of the sport? Let’s take a look where one outlet believes that to be.

The Chicago White Sox’s pitching staff ranks 27th according to Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter created a list where he ranked all 30 MLB pitching staffs. Despite making some quality additions, the White Sox are fourth-lowest at 27th place. Below is Reuter’s explanation of where Chicago found itself:

“Shane Smith, Davis Martin and Sean Burkes emerged as a useful trio of arms for the rebuilding White Sox last year. The gaps have been filled around them with free agents Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde. Top prospects Noah Schultz and Tanner McDougal should also arrive at some point in 2026, while reliever Grant Taylor has huge breakout potential with some of the best pure stuff in baseball. There’s upside here for this to be a top 20 group, but they are lacking in true impact talent.”

To put their ranking in perspective, below are the bottom five teams in the majors on this list:

• 26: Athletics
• 27: Chicago White Sox
• 28: Los Angeles Angels
• 29: Colorado Rockies
• 30: Washington Nationals

He mentioned that this list took into account impact talent, rotation quality, depth, and back-end bullpen excellence. The pitching staff has to show the ability to step up throughout the season, as the young pitchers can struggle. As a core, they should be able to climb up this list as the season progresses. However, Opening Day proved there is still some work to be done before feeling confident on the mound.

Chicago has some strong talent, but without that top-of-the-rotation star, things are a bit questionable. However, they have significantly improved their bullpen with five new arms, including closer Seranthony Dominguez. Manager Will Venable will need to deploy his bullpen in the right situations. If he can do that and the pitching staff delivers, they can surprise a lot of people.

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The Chicago White Sox have not wasted time in making a change to their roster this season. General manager Chris Getz is staying busy as the team is making moves ahead of its second game of the season. One player on the MLB roster is going to be playing on another team as a result. Let’s take a closer look at what just happened and what it means for the White Sox going forward.

The Chicago White Sox traded Curtis Mead to the Washington Nationals

Ahead of Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the White Sox announced they have made a trade with the Washington Nationals. The White Sox are sending infielder Curtis Mead to the Nationals in exchange for minor-league catcher Boston Smith. Smith has not played any professional baseball in his career, but the 23-year-old catcher was a sixth-round pick by the Nats in last year’s draft. While playing for Wright State last season in the Horizon League (college baseball), he showcased an incredible hitting ability. He would have a .330/.498/.770 slash line with 26 home runs, 70 RBI, 70 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases on 23 attempts over 59 games.

Giving away Mead is a tough loss for a player with promise, but he was designated for assignment ahead of Opening Day as one of the final roster cuts for Chicago. It is going to be some time before we hear about Smith’s abilities to affect the White Sox roster, but he certainly has shown the ability to swing the bat well. He has been assigned to the ACL White Sox to begin his professional career, but can be a fun prospect to keep an eye on in the coming years.

Mead played 41 games for Chicago after being traded by the Tampa Bay Rays last season. His bat has not been able to catch up in the majors thus far as he has a career .617 OPS across 152 games. It will be intriguing to see how this trade plays out for both sides in the future.

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The Milwaukee Brewers received terrible news on first baseman Andrew Vaughn’s status, with Vaughn expected to miss a chunk of time. According to USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale, the former Chicago White Sox will be out until early May with a fractured left hamate bone.

More News: Chicago White Sox swap out left-handers ahead of Brewers game

Vaughn was traded to the Brewers last season in exchange for right-hander Aaron Civale and cash considerations. The former first-round pick (third overall) was outstanding in 64 games, batting .308 with an OPS of .869.

Vaughn carried over his success from last year to the spring. In 16 games, Vaughn batted .367 with a 1.049 OPS, and hitting three doubles and home runs.

The Milwaukee Brewers call up top prospect to take Andrew Vaughn’s place

With Vaughn heading to the injured list, the Brewers decided to call up top prospect, catcher Jefferson Quero. Quero is the Brewers’ eighth-ranked prospect and appeared in one game at Triple-A — Quero went 0-2 with a walk and a strikeout. Last season, Quero batted .271 with a .839 OPS in 69 games between Rookie Ball and Triple-A.

Today's transactions pic.twitter.com/15wM1pRySi

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 28, 2026

Quero will give manager Pat Murphy some flexibility with his lineup, as he’ll have three catchers on his roster. Having Quero will allow Murphy to use Sanchez at first base, so all three bats are in the lineup.

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The Milwaukee Brewers lit up the Chicago White Sox to start the season, accounting for 14 runs. The Brewers’ pitching staff also struck out 20 White Sox, with right-hander Jacob Misiorowski having 11 of them (a franchise record).

More News: Chicago White Sox C left speechless after a tough day at the dish

Looking to bounce back on Saturday, the White Sox made a move to add a fresh arm to the bullpen. The White Sox used five arms of the bullpen in Thursday’s loss (14-2).

The Chicago White Sox swap out left-handers ahead of Brewers matchup

Before Saturday night’s matchup against the Brewers, the White Sox activated left-hander Bryan Hudson to the roster. To make room for Hudson, the White Sox optioned left-hander Tyler Gilbert to Triple-A. Gilbert pitched an inning in the loss and allowed two earned runs, a home run, and a walk.

The Chicago White Sox have activated left-handed pitcher Bryan Hudson and optioned left-hander Tyler Gilbert to Class AAA Charlotte.

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 28, 2026

Hudson was claimed off waivers from the New York Mets on Friday and appeared in four games (5.79 ERA) for the White Sox last season.

Hudson will offer manager Will Venable a fresh arm from the left side after he used two out of his three lefties yesterday. Left-hander Chris Murphy did not pitch, while left-hander Sean Newcomb will be down after pitching 2.1 innings (33 pitches).

The White Sox bullpen needs to limit the walks

The White Sox bullpen needs to be more effective in Game 2. Right-hander Jordan Leasure was the only successful arm used on Thursday. Leasure didn’t allow an earned run or a hit in his one inning of work.

The rest of the bullpen combined to allow 10 earned runs on nine hits and gave up two home runs. The bullpen also allowed too many walks, seven, with right-hander Jordan Hicks having four of them.

Limiting walks needs to be a focal point for the bullpen moving forward, as walks are a death knell for relievers.

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The Chicago White Sox are looking to take the next step of their rebuilding process in 2026. They have a lot of young talent throughout the MLB roster, but they need to find a way to continue developing its players. There are a lot of different ways to evaluate success for the team, but what is the best-case scenario for the team this seaosn? Let’s take a closer look at what one outlet believes it to be.

The Chicago White Sox need to continue moving forward this season

Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly wrote an article discussing the best-case outcome for all 30 teams. For Chicago, it is simply to continue moving in the right direction. Below is the snippet that Kelly wrote about the team:

“The White Sox lost 102 games in 2025, which for most teams would represent a disastrous campaign. However, it actually felt like a step in the right direction on the south side, considering Chicago had lost a staggering 121 losses the prior season.

“In Will Veneable’s second year as manager, it’s still not a realistic goal for the Chi Sox to be a playoff team. However, with Munetaka Murakami, Chase Meidroth, Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery and Shane Smith, you can start to see the makings of a core. If that group continues to show promise, it will be a successful season. Frankly, if two seasons after losing 121 games the White Sox look a year away from being a year away, that would actually speak well to the job that general manager Chris Getz is doing.”

The White Sox looked like they were heading in that direction with the offseason additions. Landing a player like Murakami should show that Chicago is still a possible free agent destination. With the young core continuing to develop, there is no rush to make the postseason. Instead, just correcting their issues and continuing to develop players.

They’ll also have the first pick in this year’s MLB Draft, so they will have another outstanding prospect to add to the organization. It will be intriguing to see how far this White Sox team can go in 2026.

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The Chicago White Sox had to decide to cut some players ahead of Opening Day. One of the players they decided to release was LaMonte Wade Jr. He is a solid veteran presence, but he wanted to see if any teams were interested in putting him on their MLB roster. However, things did not go that way. Let’s take a closer look at what the latest news is and what it means for Chicago going forward.

The Chicago White Sox re-sign LaMonte Wade Jr.

Noah Phalen of Southside Showdown reports that free agent first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr is signing a minor league contract with the White Sox. He spent Spring Training with the team, but did not make the final 26-man roster. He spent 2025 with the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Angels and had a poor offensive showing. Over 80 games, he had a .167/.271/.254 slash line with two homers, 18 RBI, 19 runs scored, and a 27:58 walk-to-strikeout ratio. However, he was on fire in Spring Training with a 1.034 OPS in 38 at-bats.

Wade can be a solid bench player to be part of the infield if he is eventually called up. However, he is starting in the minor leagues and needs to prove that he can swing the bat well. Wade has also played some corner outfield in his career, so he can be a versatile player. In the minor leagues, he can be a veteran leader to help some of the prospects looking to get the call.

This does not mean we will see Wade get the call to the bigs anytime soon, but it is a good sign for depth in the minors. It will be interesting to see if and when he finds his way to the White Sox.

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The Chicago White Sox may want to forget a lot of what happened in their 14-2 road loss on Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers. However, there are some things that the team can take from this loss to improve upon. Let’s take a look at the box score and explain the biggest takeaways from the game.

What are the biggest takeaways from the Chicago White Sox’s Opening Day?

Two young stars hit home runs

Let’s start off with the only positive from this game, we saw two young players hit home runs for Chicago. The first was on the first at-bat of the game as second baseman Chase Meidroth hit a leadoff homer to left center field. Then, in the ninth inning, Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami hit a solo homer to right field. Getting that zero off the homer column certainly is a positive, and doing it on Opening Day could lead to strong seasons for both hitters.

Pitching needs to limit runs

Chicago’s pitching staff is going to need to do a lot better than what they did today. It started with Sean Smith as he only recorded five outs in his Opening Day start. The inability to give much length made the White Sox need to use five relievers and out of the six pitchers, five gave up at least two runs. Smitch could not get a rhythm going as he could not overcome the catcher’s interference to limit runs.

The White Sox’s pitching is not going to overwhelm many hitters, but they need to provide a lot better battles against a tough Milwaukee lineup. Only recording three strikeouts, none past the fourth inning, is not going to prove much help going forward.

The lineup needs to make more contact

Speaking of strikeouts, the White Sox were in the opposite boat of the Brewers there. Chicago’s hitters struck out for 20 of the 27 outs on Thursday, including Jacob Misiorowski recording 11. Murakami and Luisangel Acuna were the only two hitters to not record a strikeout out of the 13 White Sox hitters to have at least one at-bat. It is difficult to win games when you cannot put the bat on the ball.

Chicago needs to find ways to make more contact otherwise it cn be a long time at the dish.

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Chicago White Sox end of upon the wrong side of history on multiple occasions against the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day

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The Chicago White Sox had a game to forget when playing the Milwaukee Brewers to open the season on March 26. The Brewers demolished the White Sox 14-2, with right-hander Shane Smith lasting 1.2 innings, allowing three earned and walking three. 

More News: Milwaukee Brewers leadoff hitter to start the season on the IL

All-Star right-hander Jacob Misiorowski struck out 11 to set a Brewers franchise record, while the White Sox struck out 20 times overall. Of all the White Sox hitters, three: shortstop Colson Montgomery, infielder Miguel Vargas, and outfielder Everson Pereira struck out three times.

The White Sox’s lone two runs came on home runs, with infielder Chase Meidroth and first baseman/designated hitter Munetaka Murakami hitting their first of the season. Murakami‘s home run was also the first of his big league career after signing a two-year ($34 million) contract in the offseason. 

Chicago White Sox catcher Edgar Quero wants to flush this game and look towards the next one

Quero put together a fantastic spring — batting .283, an OPS of .722, two doubles, and a home run — but nobody would know that after Thursday’s game. Quero was one of three players — outfielder/designated hitter Andrew Benintendi and outfielder Austin Hays being the others — striking out twice.

When speaking to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, Queros said he “didn’t have much to say” on the game.

“First game. I don’t have too much to say. Just ready for tomorrow. Just first game. Start of the season. It’s a lot of games coming up, so you get ready for tomorrow. New game, and that’s it.”

The White Sox don’t play on Friday, but will play the Brewers again on Saturday. Right-hander Sean Burke will take the mound for the White Sox, while the Brewers will counter with right-hander Chad Patrick.

Burke went 0-3 with a 4.58 ERA and allowed nine earned runs and six walks in 17.2 innings this spring. 

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The Chicago White Sox kicked off the 2026 season with a bang!

More News: Milwaukee Brewers leadoff hitter to start the season on the IL

Infielder Chase Meidroth launched his and the team’s first home run of the season in the first inning to put the White Sox up 1-0. On a 3-2 fastball from Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, Meidroth sent the offering into the left field stands.

Chase Meidroth opens the @WhiteSox season with a BLAST #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/9q3eo4rwk4

— MLB (@MLB) March 26, 2026

Chase Meidroth makes Chicago White Sox history with his home run

Meidroth’s home run didn’t just give the White Sox the lead to begin the game, but made some history as well. In the White Sox’s 125 seasons as a Major League franchise, no player has hit a leadoff home run to begin the season until Meidroth.

what a way to start the season pic.twitter.com/qfO5mPcQam

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 26, 2026

In 122 games last season (450 at-bats), Meidroth hit five home runs. Meidroth hit only one in 54 at-bats this spring. Baseball Reference projects that the 24-year-old will hit eight this season.

Power is not Chase Meidroth’s game

Whatever the number of home runs Meiroth will finish with will be fine, as he is not a power hitter. Meidroth’s game is getting on base and walking, posting a .329 on-base percentage last season and walking 45 times.

Meidroth, in 2024, while with the Boston Red Sox organization, walked 105 times in Triple-A and struck out 71 times. As Will Venable’s leadoff hitter, Meidroth will need to continue to set the table for the White Sox for them to be successful.

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The Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers will square off on Thursday to start the 2026 season. The game will see two All-Stars start the game, with right-hander Shane Smith going for the White Sox and right-hander Jacob Misiorowski toeing the slab for the Brewers.

More News: Chicago White Sox finalize roster ahead of Opening Day vs. Brewers

Despite the solid pitching matchup, the Brewers will be without outfielder Jackson Chourio for Thursday’s game and beyond. According to USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale, Chourio was placed on the injured list with a left-hand fracture and will be out until mid-April.

Chourio’s injury is retroactive from Wednesday, March 25, and outfielder Blake Perkins was recalled from Triple-A to take his place, per MLB.com. In 10 games this spring, Chourio hit .267 with a .773 OPS.

The Milwaukee Brewers will be down their best leadoff hitter

Chourio is the Brewers’ best leadoff hitter last season, batting .265 with a .731 OPS and three home runs in 26 games. The Brewers also batted Chourio second (.259, .764), third (.283,.639), and fourth (.385, 1.174).

The 22-year-old also did well when leading off an inning versus the first batter of the game. In 26 games, Chourio hit .250 with a .683 OPS, while batting .354 with a .942 OPS to lead off an inning.

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The Chicago White Sox have been an intriguing team as they look to improve from last year. This offseason saw the front office add some new faces for the lineup. Chicago had a rough 2025 offensive season, but projections have it improving in 2026. Let’s take a closer look at where one outlet has the White Sox lineup ranked.

Bleacher Report ranks the Chicago White Sox’s lineup 24th in baseball

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter ranked all 30 MLB lineups ahead of Opening Day. The White Sox are low on the list, but are outside of the bottom five, ranked 24th. Below is what Reuter wrote about Chicago’s lineup:

“With up-and-comers Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Miguel Vargas and Chase Meidroth joined by prolific Japanese League slugger Munetaka Murakami, the White Sox lineup has some intriguing upside. They are probably still a year or two away from this being a fully-former offense, but they should be significantly more fun to watch than in years past.”

Last season, the White Sox finished in the bottom four in average, OBP, OPS, and runs scored. With the additions of Munetaka Murakami, Austin Hays, and Luisangel Acuna, they are expecting to take the next step as a team. To put it in perspective, below are the 21-30 rankings that Reuter listed:

• Kansas City Royals
• Minnesota Twins
• Los Angeles Angels
• Chicago White Sox
• Cleveland Guardians
• Miami Marlins
• Tampa Bay Rays
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Washington Nationals
• Colorado Rockies

Their lineup depth is being tested as catcher Kyle Teel is dealing with a hamstring injury. However, it is not a long-term injury, so he will return in April. It will be intriguing as Chicago’s young hitters have a lot of upside, so they can climb up the rankings.

The post Where does Bleacher Report rank the 2026 Chicago White Sox lineup? appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox are expected to be an intriguing team heading into the 2026 season. They have some new additions who are expected to shine as the young roster develops. There is a lot of intrigue with how this team does with their young talent. One outlet had a bold prediction for one of the players, so let’s take a look at who it is and the prediction.

CBS Sports predicts Munetaka Murakami will win the 2026 Home Run Derby

Munetaka Murakami has been one of the more interesting players as he prepares to make his MLB debut. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports wrote an article making bold predictions for all 30 teams. For the White Sox, his prediction does not take place until the All-Star break. Axisa’s prediction sees Murakami winning the 2026 Home Run Derby, and he explains it below:

“The Murakami signing was my favorite move of the offseason. That doesn’t mean I think it was the best move of the offseason, but I love the rebuilding ChiSox rolling the dice on a 26-year-old with enormous, game-changing power. There is major swing-and-miss risk I know, but two years and $34 million is nothing. It’s a potential steal, and if things don’t work out, the White Sox can walk away in 18 months. Anyway, this bold prediction says Murakami will get a chance to showcase his power at the Home Run Derby in July and he’ll win the thing. He would be the first Japenese-born player to do so.”

Murakami is expected to be a solid contender of the AL Rookie of the Year Award this season as well. He has showcased his power numbers with 265 career hme runs across the Japanese leagues and the World Baseball Classic. He has hit two homers since joining the White Sox (one Spring Training, one World Baseball Classic). It will be intriguing to see how his power stroke looks against MLB pitching.

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The Chicago White Sox are not having major expectations heading into the 2026 season. With a young team, there will be some growing pains but the core is beginning to enter the big leagues. They have some exciting players who will be interesting, but where does the team rank compared to the rest of MLB? Let’s take a deeper dive into what one major outlet believes heading into the beginning of the season.

The Chicago White Sox rank 28th in The Athletic’s Preseason Power Rankings

The Athletic posted their MLB Preseason Power Rankings ahead of Opening Day. The selection process sees local and national media vote on the rankings, and the average position places each team. Chicago finished 28th on the list with an average position of 27.5. Johnny Flores Jr. wrote a snippet about the White Sox’s offseason and why they should at least be a fun watch:

“The White Sox lost 102 games last year. They’ll probably lose 90-plus in 2026. Unlike last season, there’s a lot to watch for, even as the losses pile up. For one, the club signed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to a two-year deal just before his posting window expired. How the 26-year-old adjusts to MLB pitching will be fascinating to watch. On the other side, after trading away Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets, Chicago used some of that savings on its pitching staff, including the addition of Seranthony Dominguez on a two-year pact. The core of Chase Meidroth, Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery and not-switch-hitter Luisangel Acuna should also take another step forward.”

Below are the bottom five teams in the power rankings with their ranking to get an understanding of where the White Sox are entering the year:

• St. Louis Cardinals (25.2)
• Los Angeles Angels (27.3)
• Chicago White Sox (27.5)
• Washington Nationals (28.7)
• Colorado Rockies (29.8)

The White Sox have a lot of young players who can take a step, but it’s naive to believe they all will exceed expectations. Chicago can surprise people with their ability to win, but it is going to be intriguing to see how they do early in the season. They can climb up the rankings and be a pesky team throughout the season.

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Former Chicago White Sox prospect and infielder Bryan Ramos didn’t make the Baltimore Orioles roster.

More News: Chicago White Sox C Kyle Teel provides an update on his injury

According to BBWAA member Francys Romero, Ramos will get designated for assignment, despite a solid spring. In 15 games with the Orioles this spring, Ramos batted .316 with a home run and three RBI.

Ramos has played in 36 games in the big leagues and is a .198 hitter with a .577 OPS. Ramos ranked as the White Sox’s 15th-best prospect last season.

Bryan Ramos could find his way onto another team

Ramos’s showing this spring could help him land on another team as Opening Day approaches. A primary third baseman, Ramos has also played some first base (seven games), second base (34 games) and left field (three games).

Despite not being a consistent contact hitter, Ramos has some power (hitting 16 home runs last season). The Cuban native has also shown some speed, stealing 13 bags and getting caught four times last season.

This combination of power and speed could be intriguing enough for a team to take a chance on Ramos as a bar off the bench. At 24, Ramos is still young enough to be molded into a productive big leaguer, if he can find the right team.

A team like the St. Louis Cardinals would be a decent spot for Ramos. He could be a potential platoon bat with infielder Nolan Gorman. The Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals could also take a chance on Ramos.

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The Chicago White Sox are one day away (March 26) from Opening Day. Right-hander Shane Smith will square off against Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski.

More News: Chicago White Sox C Kyle Teel provides an update on his injury

Despite the rosters not officially getting finalized, the White Sox made a bold move by adding 22-year-old right-hander Jedixson Páez to the roster. According to BBWAA member Francys Romero, Páez will be jumping straight from Single-A to the Major Leagues without playing in Double-A.

Páez struggled in seven games, posting a 6.35 ERA, walking five and striking out 11 in 11.1 innings. Between High-A and Single-A last season, Páez had 5-4 with a 3.17 ERA and striking out 113 in 96.2 innings. A right calf strain sidelined Páez for four months last season.

The White Sox selected Páez in the Rule 5 Draft from the Boston Red Sox this offseason. Being a Rule 5 pick, Páez needed to make the Opening Day roster and spend the season with the White Sox, or get offered back to Boston.

Source: Right-hander pitching prospect Jedixson Páez has been informed he made the Opening Day roster of the Chicago White Sox.

Páez, 22, will go straight to the big leagues without passing through Double-A.

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) March 25, 2026

Jedixson Páez offers the Chicago White Sox and Will Venable an interesting arm

A starting pitcher by trade, Páez will work out of manager Will Venable’s bullpen. Smith, right-handers Sean Burke, Erick Fedde, and Davis Martin and left-hander Anthony Kay will initially be in the starting rotation.

Given his starting experience, Páez could fill in the rotation in case of injury or spot start. Páez could also give Venable length in the bullpen if there’s a need.

The young right-hander will join right-handers Grant Taylor, Seranthony Dominguez, Jordan Hicks, and Jordan Leasure, along with left-handers Sean Newcomb and Chris Murphy in the bullpen. 

Páez is the White Sox’s 19th-ranked prospect and has a three-pitch mix. Páez throws a four-seam fastball (45/80 grade), a slider (50/80) and a changeup (55/80).

Despite having below-average stuff, Páez has exceptional control of his arsenal — grading out at a 70/80. Páez has also started experimenting with a cutter.

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The Chicago White Sox have been looking better over the last few years as the young core is getting promoted to the majors. Their starting pitching staff is a bigger question mark entering 2026, with young pitchers looking to step up. Chicago has some young arms in the minors, but how does their starting pitching rank amongst the rest of MLB? Let’s take a closer look at where one outlet thinks the pitching staff ranks.

The Athletic places the Chicago White Sox’s starting rotation at 28th in MLB

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden wrote an article ranking all 30 MLB starting rotations entering the 2026 season. He placed the White Sox extremely low, as they ranked 28th in the bigs. They are only ahead of the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies. Below is what Bowden wrote about the team’s rotation:

“The White Sox are waiting for their top pitching prospects – southpaws Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith and right-hander Tanner McDougal – to develop into major leaguers. In the meantime, Shane Smith leads the staff after making his first All-Star team last year as a rookie. They added a couple of veterans in free agency this offseason in lefty Anthony Kay and righty Erick Fedde to join Davis Martin and Sean Burke. They are still a couple of years away from being a competitive team, but are at least trending in the right direction.”

The team has a lot of starting pitching depth. They announced the starting rotation of Shane Smith, Davis Martin, Anthony Kay, Sean Burke, and Erick Fedde. They also have Drew Thorpe and Ky Bush on the Injured List. In addition, Noah Schultz, Tanner McDougal, and Hagen Smith all are beginning in the minor leagues. There is a significant amount of starting pitching depth who can be called upon if needed.

Looking back at last season, the White Sox starting pitchers finished in the bottom-third of the sport in almost every major category.

• ERA: 4.39 (21st)
• WHIP: 1.35 (27th)
• BB/9: 3.56 (28th)
• K/9: 7.60 (25th)
• Innings pitched: 758.2 (30th)

It appears Bowden does not believe the minor leaguers are close to a call-up or they may be higher in this list. The lineup also was not that high in The Athletic’s rankings either, so it may be a long season. It will be interesting to see how they are able to perform this season and if they can climb up the rankings.

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The Chicago White Sox are in an intriguing position heading into the 2026 season. The team has some interesting hitters in their lineup, but compared to the rest of the league, it’s not as strong. There are some quality hitters, but where exactly does the team rank? One outlet listed all 30 teams’ lineups, so let’s take a look at that list.

The Chicago White Sox rank 28th in The Athletic’s lineup rankings

The White Sox have some interesting hitters, but overall is a weak lineup. Jim Bowden of The Athletic created a list of every team’s lineup. Chicago struggled as they were 28th in the majors on his list. Below is what Bowden wrote about its lineup:

“The White Sox jumped into free agency this offseason and landed Japanese star Munetaka Murakami, who will be their everyday first baseman. Murakami has plus power but also significant contact issues. He has drawn comparisons to a wide spectrum of players… My guess is he lands the closest to [Max] Muncy, which would still mean he’s a strong player.

“The rest of their lineup includes 2021 first-round pick Colson Montgomery’s power bat and one of the best up-and-coming catchers in Kyle Teel, who had a solid debut last season. The White Sox finally traded Luis Robert Jr. this offseason, but I’m not sure they got enough back in the deal… The Sox have a ways to go before they have a contending lineup, but they are trending in the right direction.”

The White Sox have some young players who can go through some growing pains. However, others are going to be able to live up to expectations. According to Fangraphs, four hitters have a projected wRC+ of at least 100. Chicago needs to figure out how to outperform projections and have a strong lineup throughout the season.

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The Chicago White Sox are gearing up to exceed expectations for the 2026 season. The team has some players who are ready to take a step forward and be productive players. One player in particular is expected to have a massive season for Chicago. Let’s take a closer look at why one outlet is high on his abilities this upcoming season.

Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas is on the 2026 All-Breakout team

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The Chicago White Sox have a lot of young talent littered throughout their farm system. As a result of struggling at the major league level, the team has been able to draft high and get quality talent. However, it is also a statement of being able to develop the players themselves in their minor league system. The White Sox have some major names in their system who could be on the fast track to the bigs. Let’s take a deeper dive into who one outlet is considering to be the White Sox’s top prospect heading into the 2026 season.

Chicago White Sox prospect Caleb Bonemer ranks as the team’s top prospect

Bleacher Report created a list of the top 100 prospects entering the 2026 season. The White Sox are featured heavily on there as they have five players noted on this list. Their top prospect finds himself 48th on this list in shortstop/third baseman Caleb Bonemer. Below is a snippet that was written about him from the article:

“There’s a new No. 1 prospect in the White Sox system after Caleb Bonemer debuted with a bang in 2025. The 20-year-old hit .281/.401/.473 with 30 doubles, 12 home runs and 29 steals while logging a 15.8 percent walk rate. His future is likely at the hot corner, but he has more than enough offensive upside to be a clean fit.”

At only 20 years old, Bonemer is expected to take some time before finding himself in the majors. He was selected in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft and only made appearances in Single-A last season. There is still a lot of developing that needs to take place in order to be the star he’s projected to be. Expect it to be a few more seasons before Bonemer finds himself as the everyday third baseman for Chicago. It will be interesting to track how he does throughout the minor league season.

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Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel has been on the sidelines dealing with a hamstring injury. Teel injured his hamstring while playing for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

More News: Former Chicago White Sox pitcher ends Rays OF’s home run drought

Unfortunately for the White Sox and Teel, he won’t be ready for the home opener. According to the 24-year-old backstop, the odds aren’t good, and he’ll hopefully be ready not too long after Opening Day.

“From talking with the training staff, it doesn’t look like I’ll be back [for the] home opener,” Teel said to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. “But maybe soon after that, yes. But then again, they haven’t told me a specific time when I’m going to be back. It’s going to be playing it out.”

Teel struggled in five spring training games — .071 batting average and .378 OPS — before joining Italy. In two games in the World Baseball Classic, Teel had four hits, a home run, a double, and an RBI.

Until Kyle Teel returns, others will need to step up for the Chicago White Sox

The White Sox not having Teel’s offense — .273 average and .786 OPS in 78 games last year — will hurt their lineup. Others, like catchers Edgar Quero and Korey Lee, will have to pick up the slack until Teel returns.

Manager Will Venable wanted to carry three catchers on his roster to start the season until Teel got hurt.

Quero will likely get the bulk of the reps behind the dish to start. Quero had a fantastic spring, with a .304 batting average, a .773 OPS, and 12 RBI.

Lee has also done well this spring, batting .294 with a .975 OPS, two home runs, and six RBI. Lee was in the mix to catch last season before a left ankle sprain against the Cleveland Guardians ended his time in the big leagues.

Lee would spend the majority of last season at Triple-A and spend 25 games with the White Sox. Until Teel returns, Quero and Lee will be serviceable at the plate and behind it.

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The Chicago White Sox have been looking towards the future with their prospects. While some prospects are getting prepared for the minor league season or possibly making the majors out of Spring Training, others have a bit more of a question mark right now. Chicago has one prospect who has not appeared in a Spring Training game and there has been an update on his status. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and what update has been provided.

Chicago White Sox pitcher David Sandlin gets a promising update

Paul Janish, the team’s Director of Player Development, spoke to the media and explained David Sandlin’s status. He would mention that Sandlin is throwing off the mound now, but there is no timetable for him to be available to pitch in a game. Sandlin has been dealing with back and right elbow issues throughout Spring Training, but it appears he is getting closer to a return. He expanded on this as well:

“We’ll probably take it easy with him in terms of the build-up. All signs are pointing up. I wouldn’t feel totally comfortable sharing the exact timeline just yet. He is doing well relative to a little speed bump.”

Sandlin is the 18th-ranked prospect in the White Sox organization and has not appeared in a Spring Training game this season. He had a rough stretch in Triple-A last season as he pitched as a reliever. In 15 games (one start), he was 4-2 with a 7.61 ERA and a .337 batting average against in 23.2 innings. Sandlin struggled with his command and needs to show significant improvement if he wants to be considered for a call-up this season. It will be intriguing to follow Sandlin’s status and see how he does when he is able to pitch in Triple-A Charlotte.

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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson has not hit a home run since June 7, 2024. That changed on Saturday.

More News: Milwaukee Brewers AS will start Opening Day vs. the White Sox

In the bottom of the seventh inning versus the Minnesota Twins, Simpson barely hit a ball over the right field wall to secure his second career home run as a professional — though it didn’t count. According to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes, the home run came off Twins right-hander and former Chicago White Sox Dan Altavilla.

Altavilla appeared in 28 games for the White Sox last season and had a 2.48 ERA in 29.0 innings. A likely member of the Twins bullpen this season, Altavilla has a 2.25 ERA in four innings this spring.

Save that ball!

Chandler Simpson hit his first over-the-fence home run in professional baseball pic.twitter.com/WPtb7qQPuH

— MLB (@MLB) March 21, 2026

Despite hitting a home run for the Tampa Bay Rays, power is not Chandler Simpson’s game

Clearly, power is not Simpson’s specialty, as he has hit two home runs between the pros and college. Moreover, speed and a contact hitter: Simpson hit three triples, 15 doubles, and had 44 steals — caught 12 times, leading the American League — in 109 games with the Rays last year. Simpson had a .295 batting average in 414 at-bats (441 plate appearances).

On defense, Simpson needs to step up his game. In centerfield, he’s provided a -13 defensive runs saved and a -12 in leftfield. Simpson will likely be the Rays’ everyday leftfielder with Cedric Mullena patrolling centerfield.

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The Chicago White Sox have seen some players step up in Spring Training. While the games may not count, the performances do matter as rosters get cut down to see who will be with the team on Opening Day. One pitcher for the team has been opening eyes after pitching overseas for a few seasons. Let’s take a look at one White Sox player who people are buying into his exhibition numbers and expecting him to continue it into the 2026 regular season.

Bleacher Report is buying in on the Chicago White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay’s Spring Training

Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer wrote an article discussing Spring Training performances and which to buy/sell. One White Sox pitcher would pop up in Anthony Kay. Rymer put Kay’s performance on the ‘soft buy’ tier, which is a somewhat optimistic view of him. Kay has pitched in five games (16.1 innings) and has a 2.2o ERA with a 6:15 walk-to-strikeout ratio with less than a hit per inning. Of course, the quality of hitters is different than what he will see in the regular season, but this is impressive nonetheless. Below is what Rymer wrote about Kay’s performance:

“This is basically a continuation of what Kay did in Japan, where he had a 1.74 ERA over 24 appearances for Yokohama. And while his spring performance is light on strikeouts, that isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker. He only fanned 130 batters in 155 innings in 2025, so there was clearly good contact management going on. And so it goes this spring. Batted balls off him have averaged just 87.0 mph, albeit with ground balls on only 16 of 44 balls in play.”

Kay is currently slated to be the team’s third starting pitcher in the rotation for the season, behind Shane Smith and Sean Burke. Kay signed a two-year, $12 million contract in December with the White Sox, so he can be a valuable asset if he continues his hot Spring Training. It will be intriguing to see if he can find his footing in his first MLB season since 2023.

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The Chicago White Sox are continuing to trim their Spring Training roster ahead of Opening Day. With just three Spring Training games remaining, the organization is making the final decisions on who will be on the 26-man roster. After Thursday’s Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Angels, the team made the decision on two more players. Let’s take a closer look at who learned their fate and what it means for Chicago’s roster going forward.

Jarred Kelenic and Drew Romo are not making the Chicago White Sox Opening Day roster

The White Sox have made a decision on two more players’ futures with the MLB team. Chicago said that both outfielder Jarred Kelenic and catcher Drew Romo will not make the Opening Day roster. However, they are going to remain with the major league camp through the final game on Monday afternoon. Neither player has been released, which means they will likely begin the season at Triple-A. This also means that Everson Pereira and Derek Hill likely will make the Opening Day roster, but that is not confirmed as of this writing.

Kelenic struggled a bit at the plate as he went 7 for 35 (.200) with two home runs and five RBI. He was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training when he signed his contract. Romo had a lot more success offensively this spring, going 6 for 17 (.353) with five RBI and a 4:3 walk-to-strikeout ratio. There was seemingly a chance for him to make the roster after the Kyle Teel injury, but instead, the team seemingly decided to go with Edgar Quero and Korey Lee as the two catchers on the roster.

It will be interesting to see if any other team is going to call looking to acquire either player for their roster. It should not take too long before either player finds his way into an MLB lineup.

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The Chicago White Sox are getting closer to Opening Day, as it is less than a week away. As a result, the roster is beginning to shrink as the front office makes the final decisions on which 26 players will be on the big league roster. Cuts continue to happen, but we have seen four players be outright released and become free agents. Let’s take a closer look at the news and discuss what this means for the White Sox going forward.

The Chicago White Sox released four players, bringing their roster down to 36 players in Spring Training camp

The White Sox announced that prior to Thursday’s Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Angels, they have released four players: Lucas Sims, Austin Voth, Ryan Borucki, and LaMonte Wade Jr. All four players were outright released, meaning they are free to sign with any team ahead of the 2026 season. Chicago is now down to 36 players on their roster, which is broken down to:

• 17 pitchers
• four catchers
• seven infielders
• eight outfielders

Players released breakdown

Sims looked sharp in Spring Training as he threw five scoreless innings with just three hits allowed over five appearances. The right-handed reliever will likely receive another option in the bigs by another team looking to get a quality bullpen arm. He struggled in 2025 with the Washington Nationals as he pitched to a 13.86 ERA in 12.1 innings over 18 appearances. Voth pitched in 2025 with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He made one appearance for the White Sox in Spring Training, so there is not much to go off of this year.

Borucki was the only left-handed pitcher released in this quartet, which makes sense. The White Sox have a few southpaw relievers expected to break camp, so they do not have that same need as other teams. Borucki showcased his skills this spring as he pitched five scoreless innings with just one walk and two hits allowed. Wade Jr is the singular hitter who was released today. He had a strong showing in Spring Training as he played in 14 games and across 45 plate appearances had a .794 OPS with one homer, six RBI, eight runs scored, and a pair of steals without being caught. With Munetaka Murakami projected to play first base, the team likely did not want a primary first base option off the bench and rather go with the youth on their roster.

It will be interesting to see which players wind up making Chicago’s Opening Day roster.

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The Chicago White Sox lineup will need to be on its game when facing the Milwaukee Brewers, as they announced their Opening Day (March 26) starter.

More News: Chicago White Sox slugger feels ‘ready’ to start the season

Squaring off against All-Star right-hander Shane Smith will be the Brewers’ All-Star right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. Smith and Misiorowski were teammates in the minor leagues before Smith was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the White Sox.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy is counting on his flamethrower to lead a relatively inexperienced starting staff. Right-hander Brandon Woodruff — who has had an injury-riddled past couple of years — has the most experience with over seven years of service time.

Opening Day just became even more electric @Jmisiorowski9 pic.twitter.com/VaBVxrq89Z

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 20, 2026

Jacob Misiorowski was outstanding last season for the Milwaukee Brewers

Misiorowski, in his rookie season, went 5-3 with a 4.36 ERA and struck out 87 in 66.0 innings. The soon-to-be 24-year-old had one of the better four-seam fastballs last season, ranking in the 99th percentile for velocity (99.3mph).

That outstanding performance has carried over to the spring, with Misiorowski striking out 12 in 7.1 innings. He has also allowed three earned runs, a home run, and three walks.

Pat Murphy explains his rationale for choosing Jacob Misiorowski as his starter

Woodruff, not being 100% ready to start Opening Day, created an opening for Misiorowski to get the nod.

“Obviously, if Woody is 100%, Woody would be in that spot,” Murphy said to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “Traditionally, people like Woody – he’s our one veteran starter. But ‘Miz’ is going to step up.”

Murphy didn’t commit to whether the two-time All-Star would start the season on the injured list or not. Murphy also wouldn’t say who would follow Misiorowski, saying he’ll have to be “creative” with his staff.

“I think we’re going to have to be creative on our pitching staff,” Murphy said. “But we’ve done that before. Miz being the Opening Day choice, I think he’s very capable.”

Right-handers Brandon Sproat and Chad Patrick, along with left-hander Kyle Harrison, are in line to possibly start.

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The Chicago White Sox are looking to figure out what they have as they continue their rebuilding process. They have some young players, but the left field position is occupied by one of the few veterans on the roster. The White Sox have some question marks, but where does their starting left fielder rank in terms of the sport?

Andrew Benintendi ranked 29th among MLB starting left fielders

John Reuter of Bleacher Report wrote an article ranking all 30 starting left fielders. White Sox fans may want to look away as Andrew Benintendi was ranked 29th, only ahead of the Colorado Rockies left fielder Jake McCarthy. Below is what was said about Benintendi:

“Entering the fourth season of a five-year, $75 million deal, Benintendi has posted back-to-back 20-homer, 60-RBI seasons for some awful White Sox teams. He is no longer the Gold Glove defender or plus contact hitter he was in his prime, but he provides some useful pop and a veteran voice in a young clubhouse.”

Benintendi had his best offensive season since signing that contract with the White Sox. He played 116 games and posted a .240/.307/.431 slash line with 20 homers, 63 RBI, and 57 runs scored. Entering his age-31 season, Benintendi could begin to turn things around, but he certainly needs to prove he can go on a hot streak with a bad team.

His defensive abilities leave a lot to be desired in left field, but he has shown an ability to be a plus defender. Chicago needs him to be at least serviceable in 2026, as he played close to half his 2025 games at the designated hitter. Benintendi has a chance to turn things around after being one of the worst contracts for Chicago over the first three years of the deal. It will be intriguing to see how he does for the 2026 season.

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The Chicago White Sox are in a position where they need to figure out who is going to be remaining on the roster ahead of 2026 Opening Day. As we get closer to next week’s first game in Milwaukee, the front office has some decisions they need to make about the 40-man roster. The team has made a decision about one of the players who were borderline for the Opening Day roster. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and what Chicago decided.

The Chicago White Sox are returning Alexander Alberto to the Tampa Bay Rays

The White Sox have been making some roster decisions in the winding days of Spring Training. One of the decisions they needed to make was on right-handed pitcher Alexander Alberto. The team selected him in the Rule 5 Draft from the Tampa Bay Rays. However, MLB’s Scott Merkin is reporting the team has decided to return him to Tampa Bay.

As part of the Rule 5 Draft, the White Sox needed Alberto on their 26-man roster to keep him. As a result, Alberto has been placed on waivers for any team to acquire. If he were to clear waivers, Alberto would return to the Rays and could be placed in the minors or majors.

Alberto did not look sharp in his Spring Training outings as he pitched seven times out of the bullpen. He finished 0-1 with 10 runs (eight earned) allowed in 6.2 innings. The White Sox wouldn’t place him on their MLB roster and now have 39 players on their 40-man roster. As a result, they can elevate another prospect to that status or return a player from the 60-day Injured List before the season starts.

It will be intriguing to see what other roster decisions general manager Chris Getz makes ahead of Opening Day.

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Chicago’s newest land project “The 78” has become a hot topic for stadiums. The Chicago Fire were able to move forward with their stadium project, bringing a state of the art stadium to the land, funded all by ownership.

Now, the Chicago White Sox could be looking to make a big move and a report on Wednesday suggests just that.

A report on Wednesday from Crain’s Chicago Business states that Shore Capital, Justin Ishbia’s private equity firm, is close to a deal to buy 47 acres of rail yard across from The 78. The site is currently owned by Amtrak. However, the report suggests that Amtrak is looking for a bigger location which would open the door for this purchase.

Does this mean a new stadium for the Chicago White Sox?

There’s the obvious connection there with Ishbia who is the owner in waiting for the White Sox. With the stadium deal running up in 2029 for Guaranteed Rate, moving forward with a new stadium seems like an obvious move for the franchise.

However, there are some hurdles.

Shore Capital doesn’t mention anything about a potential site for a White Sox stadium. The land that is being purchased may not be big enough either to accommodate a new stadium.  There were plans for The 78 before the Fire scooped in and landed it. But there were questions about that plot of land as well.

The report from Crain’s does say that if this deal goes through, the groundwork could be all set for a stadium-centric district on the southern edge of downtown. If it works, it would be an awesome spot for a new stadium. It would also grow that area near the 78, with two stadiums close together.

This is still all speculation until the sale is finalized and then there are stadium plans. But at least for now, there’s some hope for a new stadium project with a new owner ready to spend.

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The Chicago White Sox have a lot of young talent throughout their organization. While some are expected to get the call to the big leagues, others are still refining their skills. One prospect has been able to showcase one of their top tools throughout Spring Training. Let’s take a closer look at that prospect and what they have done that is so remarkable.

Chicago White Sox prospect William Bergolla Jr impresses with bat-to-ball skills

MLB’s David Adler wrote an article regarding MLB prospects that have had some incredible Statcast data in Spring Training. One White Sox prospect was included as William Bergolla Jr’s ability to make contact is unmatched right now. Below is the snippet he wrote about Bergolla:

“Bergolla has the Steven Kwan/Luis Arraez skill set. He doesn’t hit the ball hard, but he always hits the ball. Bergolla’s bat-to-ball skills have been exceptional this spring. The 21-year-old middle infielder has played 14 Spring Training games, stepped to the plate 33 times and seen 89 pitches … and he just swung and missed for the very first time on Sunday, when Royals ace Cole Ragans struck him out with a nasty slider in a lefty-lefty matchup. Even with that strikeout, one K in 33 plate appearances is absurd. The White Sox’s No. 11 prospect has made contact on 37 of his 38 swings.”

The ability to make contact and not strike out is critical for success. Being able to put the bat on the ball and make things happen puts pressure on the pitcher and the defense. This is not a tool he has just picked up either, as his ability to not strike out has been on display his entire professional career. In 1,059 career at-bats in the minors, Chicago’s 11th-ranked prospect has struck out just 84 times.

In an era where swings and misses are not as penalized, Bergolla brings a rare ability of contact to dominate the competition. It will be intriguing to see how he does making contact in 2026.

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Chicago White Sox first baseman/third baseman Munetaka Murakami didn’t disappoint in his return from the World Baseball Classic, hitting his first home run of the spring.

More News: Chicago White Sox receive worst-case scenario for Mike Vasil

“It was perfect,” Murakami said through a translator to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.” “Just perfect.” Murakami added that he feels he’s seeing the ball better compared to when he left for the World Baseball Classic.

“Compared to when I left Arizona, I feel much better as far as conditioning, as well,” Murakami said. “I’m seeing the ball better, I’m swinging better, so I’ll keep that approach up and try to hit as much as possible.”

In five games, Murakami is batting .353 with an OPS of 1.000 and has three RBI.

ムーンに飛ばした！村上選手のスプリングトレーニング初ホームラン！ pic.twitter.com/hPJ9JcIukJ

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 17, 2026

Despite Munetaka Murakami struggling in the WBC, he enjoyed his experience with world-top-tier players

“The main thing is when I look back after the season, I would love to say that that experience in the WBC really helped me out with my accomplishment in the season,” Murakami said. “To be able to participate in a world tournament with world-tier players is just a blessing. For myself to be on a team with incredible athletes and incredible teammates, they were a pleasure to be with.”

In five games playing for Japan, Murakami had a .211 batting average with a .654 OPS, a home run, five RBI, and five strikeouts.

Munetaka Murakami is quickly getting comfortable with the Chicago White Sox

New to Major League Baseball, Murakami said to Feinsand, “I’m getting comfortable every single day,” “I think I’m ready.”

Primarily playing third base while in the NPB, Murakami will likely be the White Sox’s everyday first baseman. He should also get time at DH to get him off his feet, but keep his bat in the lineup.

Hopefully, Murakami’s hitting his first home run will lead to more, as the White Sox need more power in the lineup. Infielders Lenyn Sosa (22) and Colson Montgomery (21) were the team leaders in home runs last season.

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The Chicago White Sox are in a position where they need to figure out who is breaking camp with the team. With less than two weeks before Opening Day, difficult roster decisions are going to be made. The team had a position battle going on for spots in their starting rotation, but today they have one less pitcher competing for it. Let’s take a deeper dive into what happened and what it means for the team.

The Chicago White Sox sent down Jonathan Cannon to Triple-A team

The White Sox officially announced they are sending down Jonathan Cannon to Triple-A Charlotte to begin the 2026 season. Manager Will Venables would later announce the starting rotation of being:

1. Shane Smith
2. Sean Burke
3. Anthony Kay
4. Davis Martin
5. Erick Fedde

Cannon was competing for the final spot in the starting rotation, but the 25-year-old missed the cut. He had a decent Spring Training as he was 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP over 11.0 innings. However, the team has decided to let him get some more seasoning in Triple-A Charlotte before getting called back up.

Cannon has struggled throughout his young career in the majors as he has pitched in 45 games (38 starts) and was 9-20 with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP in 228.0 innings. His control has been solid as he has a 78:177 walk-to-strikeout ratio throughout his career as well. Chicago is likely to call him up at some point as he continues to develop on the mound.

The White Sox are high on him being a starting pitcher in the majors in the future, but allowing him to start the season in Triple-A lessens expectations. Fedde is a good veteran arm, but this allows Cannon the ability to improve his stuff with less pressure. It will be intriguing to see how he does in the minors.

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The Chicago White Sox received unfortunate news, as right-hander Mike Vasil will miss the entire 2026 season. According to CHSN reporter Chuck Garfien, Vasil will undergo Tommy John surgery in the coming weeks.

More News: Chicago White Sox prospect receives high praise from Will Venable

Vasil got pulled from his last outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers after 3.2 innings with elbow discomfort.

The 26-year-old had an outstanding rookie season out of the White Sox bullpen, going 5-3 with a 2.50 ERA in 47 games (three starts), and had four saves and 82 strikeouts in 101.0 innings. The 25-year-old had been doing well this spring, going 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in four games. However, Vasil had eight walks and nine strikeouts in 11.0 innings.

Unfortunate news for Mike Vasil.
He will undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery in the coming weeks.

— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) March 17, 2026

The Chicago White Sox will need others to step up on the pitching staff

The White Sox have done well to limit the number of pitchers who have undergone Tommy John surgery, after multiple pitchers went under the knife last spring. Right-hander Drew Thorpe is one arm recovering from Tommy John surgery and is slowly making progress toward a return.

Thorpe’s return will help manager Will Venable decide who will be in the starting rotation. Vasil was used out of the bullpen last season, but started two games this spring.

Having seven games left before traveling to Milwaukee to play the Brewers, Vasil’s injury creates openings for others to make the team.

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The Chicago White Sox have some tough roster decisions to make ahead of Opening Day. The team has to figure out which players are going to be heading with the big league team to take on the Milwaukee Brewers in less than two weeks. With the roster crunch coming, one player reportedly learned his fate. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and what it means for the White Sox going forward.

Pitcher Chris Murphy has reportedly made the Chicago White Sox Opening Day roster

One of the more exciting times for players is finding out they are going to be opening the season in MLB instead of being in the minors. Elijah Evans of Just Baseball is reporting that left-handed reliever Chris Murphy will be one of the players who made the White Sox roster. He is expected to be joining the bullpen, being one of at least two southpaw relievers Chicago will carry, alongside Sean Newcomb.

Murphy was traded to the White Sox during the offseason in a deal with the Boston Red Sox. He has pitched in the majors for a few years, making his debut for Boston in 2023. However, he has been one of those quadruple-A players who would pitch between Triple-A and MLB during the season. In 43 MLB games out of the bullpen, Murphy is 4-2 with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP across 82.1 innings.

This was a surprising move for the fact that Murphy has minor league options available. Bullpens in the majors typically only carry a pair of left-handed relievers due to matchup restraints. However, there are other bullpen arms who are on the fringe that are lefties. It will be interesting to see how Murphy does out of the bullpen in the big leagues throughout the season.

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Braden Montgomery is one of the future foundational pieces of the Chicago White Sox’s success

A center piece in the Garrett Crochet trade, Montgomery has shown he’s a future big leaguer. Ascending through three minor league levels last season — hitting .270 with an OPS of .804 and 12 home runs — Montgomery will likely start the season at Triple-A to offer him a challenge.

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Sadly for Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable, he could be down one arm for the rotation and his bullpen, with right-hander Mike Vasil leaving Saturday’s outing with right elbow soreness. According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, Vasil will undergo further evaluation for his elbow.

More News: Chicago White Sox right-hander takes another positive step in recovery

Will Venable won’t commit to anyone else in his starting rotation other than right-hander Shane Smith. Smith will be Venable’s Opening Day starter on March 26 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Vasil had an outstanding rookie season out of the White Sox bullpen, going 5-3 with a 2.50 ERA in 47 games (three starts), and had four saves and 82 strikeouts in 101.0 innings. The 25-year-old had been doing well this spring, going 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA in four games. However, Vasil had eight walks and nine strikeouts in 11.0 innings.

Upon being lifted from the game, Vasil went 3.2 innings, giving up two hits, two walks, and struck out three.

Mike Vasil has left the game with a trainer.

3.2 IP. 2 H. 2 BB. 3 K. 0 R pic.twitter.com/HdLJtqziFs

— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) March 14, 2026

Mike Vasil is the latest Chicago White Sox player to have an arm injury

The White Sox are no strangers to arm injuries, as they have had a couple of arms last spring, right-hander Drew Thorpe and left-hander Ky Bush, losing all of 2025 to Tommy John surgery. Hopefully for Vasil’s sake, it is just a soreness.

Vasil was one of the White Sox’s stars out of the bullpen last season and was going to be relied on to take down high-leverage innings this season. Right-handers Grant Taylor, Seranthony Dominguez, Jordan Hicks, and left-hander Sean Newcomb will make up the rest of the White Sox bullpen.

Dominguez (40 career saves) and Hicks (35 career saves) will get the first shots at closing games for Venable.

Potentially losing Vasil for even a short period of time would hurt the White Sox bullpen, as there aren’t many better options to replace his production. Non-roster invites: Right-handers Lucas Sims (0.00 ERA, four games), Adisyn Coffey (3.00 ERA, three games), and left-hander Ryan Borucki (0.00 ERA, five games) offer suitable replacements for Vasil.

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The Chicago White Sox have a lot of question marks that they are filling during Spring Training. One of them is which pitchers are going to be in the starting rotation and which are going to be bullpen options. Figuring out roles for manager Will Venable is going to be critical for the season. It appears one has been made about one possible starting pitcher. Let’s take a closer look at which pitcher it is and what the decision was.

The Chicago White Sox will have Sean Newcomb come out of the bullpen

Chicago has made a decision on what role pitcher Sean Newcomb will be starting the season as. Venable made the decision to have Newcomb come out of the bullpen to begin the season. At this point, outside of Shane Smith starting on Opening Day, the rotation is not set. Back in December, Newcomb signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the White Sox.

He pitched a majority of last season out of the bullpen for the Boston Red Sox and Athletics. In 48 combined games (five starts), he went 2-4 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in 92.1 innings. Newcomb would also tally a pair of saves, proving he could be pitching in the back-end of games as well.

He has a six-pitch arsenal (fastball, slurve, sinker, cutter, changeup, curveball) that will keep the opposing batter off-balanced. Newcomb has made four appearances so far in Spring Training with a pair of starts. He has allowed eight runs (six earned) in 11.0 innings thus far. There have been no other decisions made outside of Newcomb, so it will be interesting to see how the White Sox starting rotation looks this season.

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Pitcher Grant Taylor is considered the 2026 Chicago White Sox breakout candidate

Kiley McDaniel of ESPN wrote an article predicting which player on each team will break out this year. For the White Sox, he selected right-handed pitcher Grant Taylor and wrote the following about this selection:

“Taylor sits near 100 mph in short stints and has one of the best curveballs on Earth, along with a really good cutter and slider to bridge the gap between them. He’s going to be stretched out more this year and could be a lot of fun to watch.”

Taylor made his MLB debut last season, pitching a majority of his games out of the bullpen. He appeared in 36 games (two starts) and was 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA and six saves in seven opportunities. It appears throughout Spring Training that he will be primarily a bullpen arm, as he has pitched four innings throughout three games.

Chicago looks like he will be part of the late-inning bullpen with Jordan Leasure and Seranthony Dominguez. Taylor has a four-pitch arsenal (fastball, curveball, cutter, slider) and his fastball certainly plays at this level. His heater averaged 98.7 MPH last season and had 33 of his 54 strikeouts on that pitch. Just as McDaniel mentioned, the curveball has shown the ability to be a plus pitch as it breaks into right-handed hitters and away from lefties.

With the White Sox looking to have some young players play significant roles on the 26-man roster throughout the season, Taylor can be a massive factor. If he can develop into a strong reliever with multiple plus pitches, he could become one of the top relief pitchers in all of Major League Baseball. It will be intriguing to see how he does throughout the 2026 season.

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The Chicago White Sox are looking for some young players to take the next step during the 2026 season. The team has a lot of inexperience on the roster, but that can have positives and negatives. With a young team, their lineup can have some holes, but there is hope that things do not turn for the worse in that department. Let’s take a look at one of the possible Achilles heel for the 2026 White Sox lineup.

The Chicago White Sox have to figure out how to hit more consistently

Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated wrote an article discussing what would be the potential Achilles heel for each of the 30 MLB teams. For the White Sox, he would mention how their offense was struggling last season, and that could return. Below is what he wrote regarding the White Sox:

“The White Sox ranked 28th in MLB in OPS last season. Their lineup didn’t improve all too much during the offseason, either. They signed Munetaka Murakami to a two-year deal and added Austin Hays, too, but ultimately, the 2026 team will likely be plagued by the same offensive inefficiencies they’ve dealt with in recent years.”

During the 2025 season, the team posted an 88 OPS+, meaning they were 12 percent worse than the league average last season. Even with the additions of Murakami and Hays, the lineup has some upside, but things can go bad as well. There is a possibility that after the Luis Robert Jr trade, Chicago’s lineup took a dip in its potential. The lineup is already going to be without catcher Kyle Teel to begin the year, so injuries can also be an issue for the lineup’s production. It will be intriguing to see if the White Sox can figure out how to be consistent on the offensive side of things this season.

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The Chicago White Sox are getting ready for the regular season, as it is only a few weeks away. However, the injury bug has seemingly bitten the team towards the tail end of Spring Training. The team could be missing another player off its 26-man roster to begin the season, so let’s take a deeper dive into the news surrounding the situation.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Brooks Baldwin has inflammation in his right elbow

The White Sox are going to be monitoring the situation of outfielder Brooks Baldwin. Baldwin was dealing with right elbow soreness after throwing to bases and was shut down for a few days. The team did imaging on the elbow, and it revealed inflammation. As a result, it will likely shut him down for the remainder of Spring Training.

Baldwin has been competing with Luisangel Acuna and Everson Pereira for the starting center field position throughout Spring Training. If he were to land on the Injured List to begin the season, expect to see Pereira and Jarred Kelenic make the 26-man roster.

Baldwin has played 136 games over his two years in the bigs. He is posting a .232/.279/.382 slashline with 13 homers, 46 RBI, 41 runs scored, and nine steals without being caught. This injury can test the depth that the White Sox have for the outfield before games even begin. With the injury landing catcher Kyle Teel on Injured Reserve, Chicago is already going to need to have other players step up.

It will be interesting to see how severe the inflammation is in Baldwin’s elbow. It could be the difference between being ready for Opening Day or having to miss a few games/weeks at the beginning of the season.

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The Chicago White Sox received some promising news on right-hander Drew Thorpe, who missed all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery.

More News: Chicago White Sox: Two options to be Will Venable’s third catcher

According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, Thorpe will throw another side session on Friday, which is another step closer to his returning to action. Thorpe last pitched for the White Sox in 2024, going 3-3 with a 5.48 ERA in nine starts.

Thorpe was a part of two major trades in his career before joining the White Sox:

1. The deal that sent outfielder Juan Soto from the New York Yankees to the San Diego Padres in December of 2023. 

2. He was also a piece that helped the Padres acquire right-hander Dylan Cease in March of 2024.

The Chicago White Sox could use Drew Thorpe in the starting rotation

The White Sox will need all the arms they can muster to take down innings in 2026, as they ranked dead last in starting pitchers’ innings pitched last season (758.2).

Right-hander Shane Smith will be the White Sox’s Ace this season, as he will start Opening Day. Others, such as right-handers Sean Burke, Erick Fedde, Davis Martin, and left-hander Anthony Kay, will fall in behind Smith.

Having four out of the five spots filled leaves the fifth spot and depth pieces up for grabs, which Thorpe and left-hander Sean Newcomb will try to fill.

Thrope throwing another side session shows that he isn’t far off from throwing off a mound. If all continues to progress well with Thorpe’s throwing program, he could make a rehab start and possibly return to the White Sox soon.

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The Chicago White Sox are looking to get some quality players on the team to move in the right direction. Spending money effectively on quality players is the best way to do just that, but that’s not always the case. There are some bad contracts in baseball, as players aren’t living up to their expectations. Let’s take a closer look at who is considered the worst contract for the White Sox right now.

Andrew Benintendi’s contract is considered the worst for the Chicago White Sox in 2026

The White Sox have been able to get rid of some bad contracts, but are not at zero. Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly selected the worst current contract for each team. Andrew Benintendi was the listed player for the team as he in the midst of a five-year, $75 million contract. Below is what Kelly wrote:

“Considering the White Sox are projected to enter this upcoming season with a payroll of just $106.6 million, Andrew Benintendi’s contract is hardly weighing their franchise down. That doesn’t mean, though, that general manager Chris Getz doesn’t wish he hadn’t inherited the five-year, $75 million contract that Benintendi signed to join the White Sox ahead of the 2023 campaign.”

He has $32.2 million remaining on his contract through the 2027 season. However, there are some positives to look at in Benintendi’s career.

“Benintendi has spent a decade in the league, which isn’t an insignificant accomplishment. However, he’s never lived up to the superstar potential he flashed when he broke into the league with the Red Sox as a 21-year-old.”

Benintendi played in 116 games last season and struggled at the plate. He posted a .240/.307/.431 slash line with 20 home runs, 64 RBI, and 57 runs scored. It will be intriguing to see how Benintendi plays in 2026 and if he can turn things around to get off this list.

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The Chicago White Sox have a lot of young talent throughout their farm system. As the 2026 MLB Draft continues to get closer, it appears Roch Cholowsky is going to be the top pick. The White Sox hold the first pick in the draft, so there is reason to be excited about his future. One outlet is giving him a massive prediction, but what are they saying about the UCLA shortstop?

Projected top pick for the Chicago White Sox, Roch Cholowsky, gets massive praise in predictions

Jun 17, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky (1) throws to first base against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the third inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn ImagesThe trio of Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Sam Dykstra wrote an article regarding one prospect for each team. They made a bold prediction for the White Sox, even already having them selecting UCLA Bruins shortstop Roch Cholowsky. Below is what they predicted for the projected top pick:

“Not only will Cholowsky go No. 1 in the 2026 Draft, he’ll rank as the No. 3 overall prospect on the Top 100 Prospects list following his pro debut, trailing only fellow shortstops Jesús Made (Brewers) and Leo De Vries (Athletics). The best all-around college shortstop since Troy Tulowitzki, Cholowsky has launched nine homers in his first 16 games for UCLA this season. He’ll get a cup of coffee at Double-A this summer, setting him on course to reach Chicago at some point in 2027.”

The White Sox are in a position where they can get one of the top prospects since Paul Skenes in this year’s draft. Cholowsky is looking like a five-tool prospect in college baseball right now and has no signs of slowing down. In 16 games this season for UCLA, he’s posting a 1.322 OPS with nine homers, 26 RBI, and 22 runs scored.

He’s a second-generation baseball player and knows what this entails as a result. It will be intriguing to see if Chicago can land him and what Cholowsky’s future looks like.

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The Chicago White Sox and manager Will Venable planned to go into 2016 with a three-catcher mix. However, that will change with catcher Kyle Teel missing four to six weeks with a hamstring injury.

More News: Chicago White Sox starter officially out for Opening Day with injury

With Teel down and missing the beginning of the season, catchers Edgar Quero and Korey Lee will get the bulk of the duties.

Quero showed that he could be an everyday catcher last season — batting .268 with an OPS of .689 in 111 games. Quero is also going off this spring — .367 batting average and .920 OPS in nine games.

Venable has a couple of other options if he wants to start with three catchers.

Two choices to be Will Venable’s and the Chicago White Sox’s third catcher

Catcher Drew Romo | Non-roster invite |

Drew Romo, like Quero, is a switch-hitter and was claimed off waivers from the New York Mets in January. A former first-round (35th overall) draft pick of the Colorado Rockies, Romo has 19 big league games under his belt. In 15 games behind the plate in 2024, Romo had 21 defensive runs saved.

Romo has a great chance to be the White Sox’s third option at catcher, given his defensive skills and having a great spring. In 12 games, Romo is batting .385 with a 1.145 OPS, a double, a triple, and five RBI.

Catcher Michael Turner | Minor Leaguer and non-roster invite |

Michael Turner is a 27-year-old catcher from Warren, Ohio, and is a former ninth-round draft pick of the White Sox (2022). In four minor league seasons, Turner showed promise offensively, having a .262 career batting average and .730 OPS.

Turner was limited to 35 games in 2025 due to injuries, but batted .279 with a .720 OPS between Rookie ball and Double-A. Turner and Romo would need to get added to the White Sox 40-man roster, which is at capacity. 

The White Sox don’t necessarily need to carry three catchers to start the season

With Teel starting the season on the injured list, wasting a roster spot to carry three catchers doesn’t make too much sense. The smart move would be to add another pitcher, as injuries are a factor to begin the year.

Teel could likely be mid-April, missing the White Sox’s first 17 games. Teel could likely return during the White Sox series with the Tampa Bay Rays, or meet them in Sacramento (April 17-19) when they play the Athletics.

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The Chicago White Sox have seen an injury to a key player of their 2026 team. While injuries can always happen, one of their young starters will miss Opening Day now. This injury is not considered to be a long-term injury and affect his season, but is a bit of a downer. Let’s take a deeper dive into who is injured and what it means going forward.

The Chicago White Sox will be without catcher Kyle Teel for 4-6 weeks

MLB’s Scott Merkin is reporting that catcher Kyle Teel is going to be missing some action to begin the 2026 season due to an injury. The injury is officially ruled a right hamstring strain, and he will miss 4-6 weeks. Teel was injured on Tuesday night for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic in their game against Team United States.

Teel would open up the top of the sixth inning with a double down the right field line. However, while rounding first base, he would grimace before immediately exiting the game. Teel was swinging the bat well as he was 4 for 6 with a home run, one RBI, and two runs scored.

He is expected to be a mainstay in the White Sox lineup as he was productive in his rookie season. Posting a 121 OPS+ in 78 games in, 2025, his bat looked capable of dominating MLB. Chicago is expected to have him return mid-to-late April, so this injury will not cost Teel too many regular season games, but it’s not ideal for a young team to be without their catcher.

With Teel missing the beginning of the season with this injury, expect to see Edgar Quero get the starting catcher spot early on. It will be interesting to see if he is able to return earlier than the six-week prognosis.

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The Chicago White Sox have a lot of expectations for their young players heading into the 2026 season, but one of them had to leave Tuesday’s World Baseball Classic with an apparent injury. Let’s take a closer look at what happened and what it means for the White Sox going forward.

Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel exits the World Baseball Classic with an apparent injury

White Sox fans are currently holding their collective breath as catcher Kyle Teel exited tonight’s game with an injury. In the top of the sixth inning of tonight’s Team Italy vs. Team United States pool play game, Teel would hit a double down the first base line. After rounding first base, he would slide into second base and grimace while getting up.

Teel would be checked out by Team Italy’s trainer and immediately be taken out of the game. There has been no official word on what the specific injury is at this time. It will be interesting to see what the diagnosis of Teel’s injury is and what his status will be for the remainder of the World Baseball Classic, as well as for Opening Day for Chicago.

Teel has played in two games for Team Italy so far and is 4 for 6 (.667) with one home run, two RBI, one walk, and two runs scored.

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The Chicago White Sox have announced their Opening Day starter for the 2026 season, with right-hander Shane Smith getting the nod from manager Will Venable. Ironically, the start comes against his former team, the Milwuakee Brewers. 

More News: Chicago White Sox agree to terms on contracts with 31 players

Smith, 25, was the No. 1 overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft in the 2025 offseason and was the White Sox’s lone All-Star last season, going 7-8 with a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts. Right-hander Sean Burke was the White Sox Opening Day starter last season, pitching six scoreless innings of three-hit baseball, hitting one batter, striking out three, and earning the win.

On the bump for Opening Day pic.twitter.com/L8uRawDtjn

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 8, 2026

Shane Smith is the Chicago White Sox Ace, with manager Will Venable starting him on Opening Day

Even though he has one season under his belt, Smith is clearly the “Ace” of the White Sox starting staff, with a decent supporting cast surrounding him. Right-handers Erick Fedde, Davis Martin, and Burke will follow Smith in the rotation, with left-handers Anthony Kay and maybe Sean Newcomb offering left-handed options to round things out.

Smith’s struggles didn’t affect Venables decision to make him the Opening Day starter — having a 5.79 ERA, allowing four runs (three earned), two walks (two hit batters) in 4.2 innings. According to FanGraphs, they project Smith will go 7-8 with a 3.98 ERA and make 28 starts, and strike out 140 in 144.0 innings in 2026.

Being asked to be the ace in his second season in Major League Baseball is a lot of pressure to put on a former Rule 5 pick, but Smith and his calm demeanor appear to be up to the task.

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The Chicago White Sox are looking to build off a pair of miserable seasons to take the next step as a franchise. They are coming off a 60-102 season in 2025, but could make a massive leap. There are some exciting players throughout the roster, and could make for a fun watch. Let’s take a closer look at how this team is being viewed entering the 2026 season.

The Chicago White Sox are expected to be a fun team to watch in the 2026 MLB season

MLB’s Will Leitch wrote an article discussing a handful of teams that are going to be sneaky-fun to watch this season. One of the teams he mentions is the White Sox. Below is the reasoning he gives, including their outstanding young talent:

“The White Sox were better last year than you remember. They weren’t good, let’s not get carried away. They did lose 102 games, after all. But that’s still 19 fewer games than they lost in 2024, and there were little signs of hope here. Shane Smith, a 2024 Rule 5 Draft pick, now looks like a solid starter, one who is still only 25 years old. Shortstop Colson Montgomery had a legitimately breakthrough season and, at 24, may have another one coming. Fellow position player prospects like Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero and Chase Meidroth also debuted and showed some promise.”

In addition to all the young talent on the roster, they also were able to sign Japanese free agent Munetaka Murakami. The team is expected to be a force, whether or not they are able to record enough wins to be in the playoff picture.

“And now there’s Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, with whom the White Sox surprised many by being able to sign in free agency. There will be many homers launched on the South Side this year, always a compelling visual on MLB.TV. And heck, you can always know that the Pope may be watching, too.”

It is going to be interesting to see how the White Sox look throughout the season. If the first few weeks of Spring Training are anything to say, they will at least be competitive.

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The battle to start in center field for the Chicago White Sox is one of the biggest competitions in MLB

The Athletic’s Eno Sarris wrote an article highlighting some of the more intriguing MLB position battles in Spring Training. One of the position battles he mentioned was center field for the White Sox. The candidates for the position are Everson Pereira, Luisangel Acuna, and Brooks Baldwin. Below is what Sarris wrote regarding the battle:

“None of the main candidates for center field in Chicago have really played all that much center field. Luisangel Acuña came over in the Luis Robert Jr. trade and is neither a switch-hitter nor even an outfielder by trade. Brooks Baldwin played nearly twice as much corner as center last year. Ditto for Everson Pereira last year in the minors. They all have the speed to handle it, so their defensive looks in spring might decide who gets the bulk of the reps out there during the regular season.

“Fantasy managers should hope Baldwin wins this battle. He might still be below-average at the plate like projections say, but he could hit .240 with double-digit homers and steals and down here at the bottom of a piece like this, that might be interesting.”

The Luis Robert Jr trade opened up this battle, but it appears to be an open battle. It is interesting to see as center field is a difficult position to play, and none of the three candidates have played much center field at the big-league level. All three men are expected to be massive hitters in the White Sox lineup, so it appears that whoever can man the position the best will head into the 2026 regular season with the starting job. With three weeks remaining of Spring Training, it will be intriguing to see if any of these players (or a possible trade before the season starts) will win the battle.

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After only seeing him in a few Spring Training games, infielder Munetaka Murakami would head to play for Team Japan in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The team is looking to repeat as World Baseball Classic champions following its win in the tournament in 2023. Murakami would play first base in the team’s opening game of pool play against Team Chinese Taipei. Let’s take a deeper dive into how he performed in his first game of the tournament.

Chicago White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami holds his own for Team Japan in its 2026 World Baseball Classic opening game

The White Sox fans were able to get a bit of a feel of what they can expect out of Murakami, as he was playing first base for Team Japan in their opening game of pool play against Team Chinese Taipei. The game would only last seven innings as Japan won 13-0 due to the early termination/mercy rule, but Murakami would hold his own at the plate, going 1 for 3 with a walk and three runs scored.

He would lead off the second inning with a walk and set the groundwork for Team Japan’s 10-run second inning. Murakami would get a second at-bat in the inning and get his first hit of the 2026 World Baseball Classic with an infield single deflected off the pitcher. He would ground into a fielder’s choice in the third inning to reach base for a third time and come around to score for the third time in the game.

Despite playing only third base for the White Sox in Spring Training, he spent all seven innings at first base. The positional versatility will only do well for Chicago’s roster construction. Team Japan will play again tomorrow as they will be the home team against Team Korea in pool play. It will be intriguing to see how Murakami is able to play in the World Baseball Classic.

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The Chicago White Sox on Friday agreed to terms with 31 out of 32 of its pre-arbitration players, with infielder Miguel Vargas’ contract getting renewed for 2026, according to a press release.

More News: Chicago White Sox: 3 players vying to be the third baseman

Vargas put together a great second half last season — batting .267 with a .790 OPS post-All-Star Break — and will look to be the White Sox’s starting third baseman come Opening Day, or a platoon bat with first baseman/designated hitter Munetaka Murakami if he can’t hit left-handers.

Other notable Chicago White Sox players to have contracts for the 2026 season

Of the pitchers who agreed to terms to pitch for the White Sox in 2026, we’re right-handers Shane Smith — the White Sox’s only All-Star in 2026 — Davis Martin, and Sean Burke, who will all be a part of Will Venable’s starting rotation. Right-handed relievers Grant Taylor and Mike Vasil also got contracts and will be options for Venable to use in the backend of his bullpen.

All three of the White Sox’s potential catchers for this season, Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, and Korey Lee, were also given contracts. Teel and Quero split the catching duties last season, while Lee spent most of the season at Triple-A, but Venable could tryout a three-catcher mix to start the season.

Infielders Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Curtis Mead, and Brooks Baldwin will all be back as well. Montgomery and Meidroth will occupy shortstop and second base, with Baldwin offering versatility playing both infield and outfield. Mead will be in the running with Vargas to start at third base or platoon at first base.

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Chicago White Sox fans had a reason to stay up late on Thursday night as infielder Curtis Mead was back in the lineup for Team Australia in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Going up against Team Czechia, he was able to showcase why he is the only MLB player on the roster, having a strong game. Let’s take a closer look at how he did in their second pool play game.

Curtis Mead shows off his power for Team Australia in their second pool play game

The projected third baseman for the White Sox, Mead was able to have another strong performance in the World Baseball Classic pool play. He was able to go 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI on the day. In the top of the third inning with Team Australia trailing 1-0, Mead came up to the plate with two runners on. He got this at-bat with runners in scoring position due to a costly error to extend the inning.

Mead would crush the two-strike pitch into the left-center field bleachers to give Team Australia a 3-1 lead, and they would not look back. He would also single with two outs in the eighth inning, but nothing came of that hit. That was Mead’s first home run in the World Baseball Classic, and Team Australia would hold onto the lead and win 5-1. They are now 2-0 in pool play and are in a great position to advance into the knockout portion of the WBC.

Mead is now 4 for 8 with one home run in his first two games in the World Baseball Classic. The team will now get an off day before taking on their toughest challenge yet in the reigning WBC Champion Team Japan. It will be intriguing to see if Mead is able to continue his hot swinging at the plate or if he will be neutralized by better pitching in the tournament.

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The Chicago White Sox have many young players vying for a spot to make the Opening Day roster, with only a handful of positions open.

More News: Chicago White Sox reliever makes bold bullpen prediction

Third base is one position available, with three players competing to be the everyday player for manager Will Venable.

Three Chicago White Sox infielders are vying to be the everyday third baseman

Infielders Curtis Mead, Miguel Vargas, and Sam Antonacci (White Sox No. nine prospect) are competing to be the everyday third baseman, and all three have stood out this spring for the White Sox — Antonacci (Italy) and Mead (Australia) left camp to play in the World Baseball Classic.

Infielder Sam Antonacci |

Antonacci has been raking at the plate this spring, batting .308 with a 1.346 OPS and two home runs in six games. Antonacci got an RBI in Italy’s 9-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on March 3.

A combination of contact, power, and speed, Antonacci is giving Venable something to think about, with the 23-year-old being a non-roster invite to camp.

Infielder Miguel Vargas |

Vargas struggled before the All-Star break last season, batting .218 with an OPS of .680 in 93 games, but turned things around post-All-Star break, batting .267 with a .790 OPS. Having made the necessary changes to show he’s worth starting at third base and batting .409 with two doubles and two RBI in eight games this spring, Vargas could likely get the first crack to start at the hot corner.

Infielder Curtis Mead |

Mead got traded over to the White Sox from the Tampa Bay Rays in the deal that sent right-hander Adrian Houser over. Mead has also been productive at the plate in four games this spring, batting .308 with a home run and three RBI. Playing for Australia in the World Baseball Classic, Mead went 2-4 with a pair of singles in his first game against Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and started at third base.

His production during the World Baseball Classic and the rest of spring should help his chances of being an option to start over Vargas.

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The Chicago White Sox have a lot of talented prospects as the team is continuing their rebuild. However, with the graduation of prospects into MLB, the top prospects list has seen a lot of changes over the last few seasons. There have been players who have seen their stock rise, while others have not been as fortunate, as they saw their stock drop. Let’s take a deeper dive into the prospect who has seen the biggest fall over the last year.

Jairo Iriarte has been the biggest faller among the Chicago White Sox prospects

The White Sox have a lot of names in the top 100 prospects, but there have been some significant drops as well. MLB’s Jim Callis wrote an article breaking down the team’s prospects list, and right-handed pitcher Jaire Iriarte saw a precipitous drop over the last season. He went from the ninth-ranked prospect in the organization to now being outside of the top 30. Below is the snippet that he wrote about Iriarte:

“Part of the Dylan Cease trade with the Padres two years ago, he got rocked for a 7.24 ERA in Triple-A last year after his fastball and slider regressed.”

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound righty has not been able to do too well on the bump. He has a three-pitch arsenal (fastball, slider, changeup) and was a big piece of the Dylan Cease trade. While prospects are not always guarantees, seeing a miserable 2025 season where he was getting shelled in Triple-A makes Iriarte a player who needs a strong 2026 season.

It will be intriguing to see how he does this season and if he can find his way back on the top 30 list for the Chicago organization.

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Chicago White Sox reliever Grant Taylor got his feet wet in the big leagues last season, pitching out of a shaky bullpen (dead last in saves, 25), and he believes things will be better in 2026.

More News: Chicago White Sox infield prospect may force his way onto the team

“I think we can be one of the best bullpens in the game,” Taylor said to Elijah Evans of Just Baseball Media. “I’d say we’re close to that just purely based on stuff.”

In 36.2 innings pitching out of the bullpen, Taylor had a 2-4 record with a 4.91 ERA, with six saves and striking out 54. Taylor should be an important member of manager Will Venabale’s bullpen, which will feature some new faces.

The Chicago White Sox’s new faces in the bullpen should help Grant Taylor’s prediction come true

Taylor is one of a handful of arms returning to occupy a spot in the bullpen, with right-handers Mike Vasil and Jordan Leasure — the White Sox leader in saves last season with seven — also returning. Right-handers Seranthony Dominguuez — free agent signing for two years, $20 million — and Jordan Hicks — traded over from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for right-hander Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later — were brought in to offer some experienced arms.

Dominguez will likely get the first crack at being Venable’s closer, with 40 career saves under his belt, but Taylor or Hicks (35 career saves) could also see time in the ninth inning.

Others like left-handers Tyler Gilbert, Brandon Eisert, and Sean Newcomb (who could also be in the starting rotation), and right-handed Wikelman Gonzalez, will offer suitable depth pieces to fill things out.

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The Chicago White Sox have a great young core and prospects developing to add to it, with one prospect, infielder Sam Antonacci (White Sox 11th prospect), who may force his way onto the Opening Day roster.

More News: MLB: Bruce Meyer continues to prepare for a potential 2027 lockout

Antonacci is a local product, hailing from Springfield, Illinois, and the White Sox drafted him in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Coastal Carolina University.

Sam Antonacci may force the Chicago White Sox’s hand to add him to the Opening Day roster

Antonacci has the knack for the ball to find him, and not in the field, but as a target when at the plate, getting hit by a pitch 39 times in 2025 and walking 69 times. Having a great ability to get on base (.439 career on-base percentage), Antonacci showcased his hitting skills, batting .291, and his speed, swiping 48 bases (getting caught 10 times).

Antonacci has brought those talents into White Sox camp this spring, batting .308 with two home runs and three RBI, while stealing three bases (hasn’t been caught), walking three times, and hit by a pitch twice. The 23-year-old recently left camp to join Team Italy along with his teammate, catcher Kyle Teel, to play in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). The WBC will take place from March 5 to 17, and will be in Japan, the United States, and Puerto Rico.

Depending on how well Antonacci does during the World Baseball Classic, where he’ll see some major-league-caliber arms, and the rest of spring training, he could force the White Sox to add him to the 26-man roster. With the White Sox needing a starting third baseman, Antonacci could work his way into a platoon role with third baseman Miguel Vargas, who showed some signs of growth at the plate last season.

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The Chicago White Sox have a lot of outstanding prospects throughout their organization. While not all of them are going to pan out, there are many who have outstanding tools, trying to improve upon them before being called up. One of them have an incredible amount of power, to the point they are considered the best in the organization. Let’s take a closer look at who is considered to have the most power for the White Sox.

George Wolkow is ranked as the top power-hitting prospect for the Chicago White Sox

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter recently published an article titled, ‘Every MLB Team’s Best Power-Hitting Prospect in 2026’. To rank the prospects, he used statistical track record, batted-ball metrics, and physical projections to help guide the answer to the question. For the White Sox, outfielder George Wolkow was selected, and below is what he wrote about the player:

“With a hulking 6’7″, 239-pound frame, Wolkow has offered tantalizing raw power since he was selected in the seventh round of the 2023 draft and signed to an above-slot bonus. The White Sox have brought him along slowly, and strikeouts are a concern, but he quietly led the Single-A Kannapolis roster with 13 home runs last year, and that could be just the start of a power surge.”

Wolkow had a bit of a struggle offensively outside of the home run total as he had a .679 OPS with 13 home runs, 69 RBI, and 58 runs in 116 games played. However, he has a 60 power on the 20-80 MLB scouting scale for each individual tool. He still has a few years to mature and develop his power tool before making the majors, as he has not played above Single-A at any point in his professional career.

There is certainly a chance that we will see Wolkow continue to develop as he climbs through the organization’s depth chart for the outfield. With an Aaron Judge-like body, it will be intriguing to see if he can continue to mold his body into one that can develop some more muscle in the weight room to add more power to his bat.

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News for the 2027 season for the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and the other 28 baseball organizations continues to look bleak as the new executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), Bruce Meyer, makes his rounds during spring training.

More News: MLB: St. Louis Cardinals entrust Oliver Marmol to continue leading the way

On Sunday, Meyer met with the Detroit Tigers and continued to prepare players for a potential lockout in 2027.

“The league has pretty much already said there’s going to be a lockout,” Meyer said to the Tigers. “I think the commissioner (Rob Manfred) more or less guaranteed it. I would be shocked if they didn’t do a lockout when the agreement expires. Having said that, as I’ve said in the past many times, we’ll start negotiating not long after Opening Day, and we’ll be ready to meet wherever and whenever and bargain in good faith. If there’s a way to avoid it and get a fair deal for the players, we’re always looking to do that. I think the expectations of a lockout upon the expiration of this agreement are very high — almost guaranteed.”

Bruce Meyer said a salary cap would be bad for players

“Our position, both historically and now, is pretty clear. This union, and every executive director of this union, has always been of the view that it’s bad for players, and for that reason, historically, we’ve been opposed to it. I don’t see any reason to change our view on that subject. It’s a subject I can and have gotten into at great length, but at the end of the day, the owners want it — not because it’s good for players, but it’s good for them. That’s always been the position of this union. We have a legal duty to consider anything they propose, and whatever they propose, we will evaluate it and report to our players. The fundamental nature of a salary cap is bad for players on multiple levels, so that’s always been our view.”

Owners — in particular in smaller TV markets — pushed the idea of a salary cap, which is a sticking point for players. An idea of a $280 million cap was out there, which would cause five major league organizations to shed payroll to meet the cap: the Los Angeles Dodgers ($381.6 million), the New York Mets ($368.7 million), the New York Yankees ($329.6 million), the Philadelphia Phillies ($311.2 million), and the Toronto Blue Jays ($300.3 million.

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox would not be affected by a salary cap either way

Neither the Cubs nor the White Sox would benefit from a salary cap, as the Cubs enter 2026 with a payroll of $240.9 million, and the White Sox $101.5 million. However, the White Sox would be affected by a floor, which always comes with a cap, with a proposed floor of $140-$160 million.

The Cubs and White Sox spent big this winter, with the Cubs breaking open the checkbook for All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman (five-year, $175 million) and the White Sox signing Japanese slugger first baseman/designated hitter Munetaka Murakami (two-year, $34 million). But the White Sox would need to give out at least two contract extensions or sign one major free agent to meet the floor requirement if there were a salary cap.

The two sides (MLBPA and MLB) can reach an agreement before the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires on Dec. 1, 2026.

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The Chicago White Sox is a team where they have a lot of talent in their organization. They are going to be a young team this season, allowing a lot of prospects to have the ability to make a mark. There are a lot of exciting players who can find the field, but which prospect has the most power? Let’s take a closer look at who is cosidered to be that player for Chicago.

Braden Montgomery is considered the top power-hitting prospect for the Chicago White Sox

MLB’s Sam Dykstra, Jonathan Mayo, and Jim Callis wrote an article where they discuss each team’s best power-hitting prospect. For the White Sox, they selected outfielder Braden Montgomery and wrote the following about him:

“Considered more of a hit-over-power guy when he was one of the best two-way prospects in the 2021 high school class, Montgomery now stands out with his plus-plus raw pop. A switch-hitter with lightning-fast bat speed, he came from the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade in December 2024 and batted .270/.360/.444 with 12 homers and 50 extra-base hits in 121 games while advancing from Single-A to Double-A in his subsequent pro debut.”

Montgomery is highly touted, as he is the 36th-ranked prospect in the sport entering the 2026 season. He is currently one of the non-roster invitees to the big league Spring Training camp to begin the year. However, he is not projected to make the 26-man roster and will likely begin the season in Double-A.

It may not be too long until the outfielder is playing in MLB games, but he is still only 22 years old. It will be intriguing to see how he develops as he continues to climb up the organizational depth chart as the 2026 season begins.

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The Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox have the most Japanese talent outside of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

More News: Colson Montgomery reflects on his 2025 season with the Chicago White Sox

The Cubs have left-hander Shota Imanaga and right-fielder/designated hitter Seiya Suzuki on their roster, while the White Sox recently signed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami (two years, $34 million). Imanaga, who accepted the qualifying offer ($22.025 million) to return to the Cubs, gave some insight into what type of hitter Murakami will be, while also providing a scouting report for the Toronto Blue Jays’ offseason signing, third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (four years, $60 million).

“So I wouldn’t say, you know, they’re underrating them [Murakami and Okamoto]. I think, you know, with MLB, there’s going to be a lot of changes that are going to happen,” Imanaga said on the “Foul Territory” podcast. “So I think there are factors of that involved. And then regarding, you know, the players like, I mean, they’re superstars in Japan, and they’re fantastic players, and Murakami and Okamoto. I mean, they’ve hit many home runs off of me. So I think in their contract, I mean, you know, some of the home runs they hit off me was it were in there. So I would factor that in.”

Imanaga played and faced Murakami and Okamoto during his time in the NPB, where he spent eight seasons.

The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox have shown they’re destinations for Japanese talent

Since the Dodgers seemingly have a stranglehold on the Japanese market — signing the likes of two-way star and reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani, and right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki — Chicago quickly became a nice alternative. Former Japanese great right-hander Koji Uehara, outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, and current San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish played in Chicago.

Imanaga and Suzuki are both free agents after this season, and their futures with the Cubs and in Chicago remain uncertain. As for Murakami, even though he signed a two-year deal, general manager Chris Getz could capitalize on his production and trade him at the deadline for players to contribute to the rebuild.

With a pool of Japanese talent increasingly available, and the World Baseball Classic offering a perfect opportunity for others to showcase their talents, the Cubs and White Sox have a good chance to get first cracks at signing these players.

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The Chicago White Sox are one of the more intriguing teams throughout Spring Training, as there is a lot of roster variance heading into Opening Day. With such a young team, there are going to be opportunities for a lot of players to get playing time in the bigs. However, there are only 26 players who can be part of the Opening Day roster when the team heads to Milwaukee to begin the season.

Let’s take a deeper dive into who could be the team’s dark horse to make the Opening Day roster.

Jarred Kelenic is labeled as the dark horse to make the Chicago White Sox roster

MLB’s Scott Merkin wrote how he believes outfielder Jarred Kelenic is the dark horse candidate to make the White Sox roster on Opening Day. Below is his snippet explaining why he believes this:

“There have been past moments when the left-handed hitter has jooked like the sixth pick overall in the 2018 Draft that he was, but the White Sox want greater consistency across a full season from Kelenic. They believe their squad is the right fit, with Kelenic working with Ryan Fuller, the team’s director of hitting, during much of the offseason. He’s in a battle to make the active roster but could be a significant contributor if he does.”

Kelenic was limited to only 24 games last season with the Atlanta Braves, but as a story of his young career, he has been unable to hit in the big leagues. He is entering his sixth season and has a .658 OPS with 49 home runs, 156 RBI, 161 runs scored, and 31 stolen bases on 45 attempts across 407 career games with the Braves and Seattle Mariners.

He would wind up signing a Minor League deal with a non-roster invite last month. The outfield for the White Sox is going to be a tough battle as he is competing for a roster spot with names such as:

• Andrew Benintendi
• Brooks Baldwin
• Austin Hays
• Luisangel Acuna
• Everson Pereira

It will be intriguing to see how the White Sox decide to create their roster out of Spring Training. This also lies on Kelenic’s ability to have an excellent spring to make the decision even more difficult for the White Sox brass.

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Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery emerged as a future star for the team last season after getting called up and putting together a solid second half.

More News: Chris Getz has confidence in the Chicago White Sox’s future

Reflecting on the struggles he faced to start the 2025 season, Montgomery is confident he’ll do well this year after struggling to start 2025.

“It felt good, especially just where things kind of started, you know, coming into camp, you know, battling for position on the team, and for that to not happen you know, it could definitely get you discouraged, and, you know, your confidence low, and everything like that,” Montgomery said to MLB Network Radio on his 2025 season. “And so I just knew that, you know, there’s certain timings for things. And went to Triple-A, and was still kind of sulking about it, and, you know, that kind of went into not really playing very good in Triple-A. So definitely had to put a lot of ego aside and kind of just get back on track of just being one day at a time, one at bat at a time.”

“So then, you know, a lot of the White Sox, they definitely helped out with a lot of that stuff, you know, just kind of tell me how much they still believe in believe in me and things like that. And at the end of the day, I just felt like things started just aligned pretty good for me, you know, routines and preparation, everything was really good so and then everyone always asked me, like, what changed? And I don’t really feel like anything changed. I just felt like, you know, my confidence was at a high, and I just felt like I knew going into each day that I was gonna give everything I had, and I think that’s why it resulted in a pretty good second half.”

"I had to put a lot of ego aside and get back on track with being one at-bat at a time."

After a successful second half of his MLB debut, shortstop Colson Montgomery is feeling a new wave of confidence this camp:#WhiteSox | @whitesox
https://t.co/WG5zyiVTKm pic.twitter.com/x9lKv8hEOi

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 23, 2026

Colson Montgomery has the runway he needs to continue to grow with the Chicago White Sox

During his time at Triple-A last season, Montgomery hit .218 with an OPS of .733 and 11 home runs, while driving in 30 RBI in 216 at-bats. Montgomery’s struggles while in the minors became so profound that he took some time to work with the White Sox director of hitting, Ryan Fuller, who helped turn Montgomery’s swing around. Once he got called up after working with Fuller, Montgomery batted .239 with an OPS of .840 and was second on the team in home runs (21) in 71 games.

Montgomery’s success in the second half of last season should slot in the top four of manager Will Venable’s lineup, with first baseman/designated hitter Munetaka Murakami (246 career home runs, NPB) and second baseman Lenyn Sosa (team leader in home runs, 22) providing him protection.

This protection could help bring up Montgomery’s power numbers, as he’ll see more pitches to hit. However, he’ll need to cut down on his strikeouts, striking out 83 times in 255 at-bats (284 plate appearances).

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The Chicago White Sox will be a team to watch this season, improving in 2025 (60-102) after setting the all-time loss record in 2024 (41-121).

More News: Chris Getz has confidence in the Chicago White Sox’s future

The White Sox and general manager Chris Getz did well to supplement the roster, and it will be on manager Will Venable to get the most out of his players. In his second year as the White Sox skipper, Venable is excited about establishing a new team identity with the players he has, but emphasizing that they’ll need to remember to do the little things to win games.

“It’s been exciting, you know, one we were all just excited to get back together after a long offseason,” Venable said on MLB Network Radio. “These guys did a great job being connected during the offseason and going about their offseason the right way. Our staff did a great job continuing to help them develop. And yes, we’re just excited to be here, and this is extremely competitive group that’s just itching to get going.

Obviously, wins and losses matter, and they’re going to matter every year. But for us, it’s going to be at the process. And really, like we have identified these things, you know, up front that we want these guys to create habits around. You know, the first step on defense, you know, the first step out of the box, simple things like covering first base, you know, things that you have to do to win games, knowing that there’s more layers to it, and these guys will figure the rest out. But That for me is, you know, as we experienced 2025 towards the end of the year, that’s what we were pounding our fist on the table for. We imagine that it’s going to be more of the same, but hopefully we just get a couple more wins.”

After an 102-loss season, the #WhiteSox are looking ahead to establishing a new team identity within the clubhouse:#SpringTrainingTour
https://t.co/WG5zyiVTKm pic.twitter.com/D44WDRZefd

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 23, 2026

The Chicago White Sox have a chance to make some noise in the American League Central

The White Sox’s offseason moves, which include signing Japanese Slugger Munetaka Murakami to a two-year deal ($34 million), offer more power (246 home runs in the NPB) to a team that finished 23rd (165) in the league last season. Second baseman Lenyn Sosa (22) and shortstop Colson Montgomery (21) were the team leaders in home runs last season, with Sosa almost tripling his home run total from 2025 (eight).

The White Sox, with its lineup, could make waves in the American League Central in 2026, but the starting rotation will need to step up. The White Sox finished dead last in innings pitched last season (758.2).

With right-hander and the White Sox’s lone All-Star, Shane Smith, likely leading the rotation, right-handers Davis Martin, Erick Fedde, Sean Burke, and left-handers Anthony Kay and Sean Newcomb will fill out the rest of the spots. White Sox top pitching prospect Noah Schultz (MLB No. 49 prospect) could potentially debut this season to offer another arm in the rotation, but that will depend on his success in the minor leagues.

With talent surrounding the roster and the potential to add more through call-ups and trades, the White Sox could make some noise next season.

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The Chicago White Sox have had one of the best offseasons to position themselves to at least try to make a playoff push, if all goes well.

More News: Chicago White Sox All-Star SP perfect response to potential Opening Day start

General manager Chris Getz showed a willingness to add to the young core the White Sox have formed, and feels the team enters 2026 in a good position, with the players they have.

“The best way to kind of summarize it where we were a year ago, and I was talking to Will Venable, looking out on the field, and we didn’t know who was going to be playing shortstop coming into this year, and we know who that person is,” Getz said to MLB Network Radio. “We’ve got two young catchers, and Kyle Teel, Edgar Quero, we got Miguel Vargas, who, initially, when he came over in trade [with the Los Angeles Dodgers], had his struggles, and, you know, made a lot, you know, leaps and bounds of a better season last year, you had a Murakami to the mix. Now, you look at our the depth of our starting pitching, our bullpen, just will and the coaching staff, you know, the front office, you know, the first couple years you’re forming, you’re developing, you’re growing up together and and now to go into year three, year two. For Will Venable, we feel really good about, you know, what this where this club is, and the direction it’s headed.”

“We feel really good about where this club is heading.”

After three straight 100 loss seasons GM Chris Getz and the #WhiteSox are excited about the direction of the team.

 https://t.co/WG5zyiWrzU pic.twitter.com/Oc9n28moTw

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 23, 2026

The Chicago White Sox need to prove that there is an end goal to this rebuild

In year three of the rebuild, the White Sox need to start showing their fans and the American League that they’re going to give their counterparts a run for their money. Two seasons removed from setting the all-time loss record in 2024 (41-121), the White Sox losing over 100+ games for a fourth straight season could happen. But it doesn’t seem likely, given the 19 wins added last season (going from 41 to 60).

Players like shortstop Colson Montgomery and starter right-hander Shane Smith (All-Star in 2025) need to take major steps forward in their development, as they’re cornerstones to the franchise and critical to the rebuild. Others, like infielders Chase Meidroth and Lenyn Sosa, catchers Teel and Quero, and first baseman/designated hitter Murakami, provide a great supporting cast.

The White Sox could win 60-70 games in 2026, according to some models, but will need to show that this is the core that could make a run at a World Series. 

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The Chicago White Sox are a young team heading into the 2026 season. This team has a large variety of expectations, but they have a lot of talent on the field. While finding out who will be will take some time, there are a lot of different options. Let’s take a closer look at who is projected to be the team’s most productive player during the 2026 season.

Colson Montgomery is projected for a huge 2026 with the Chicago White Sox

MLB released an article discussing who they believe will be each team’s leader in Wins Above Replacement during the 2026 season. While there are a lot of intriguing options, they gave the nod to shortstop Colson Montgomery for his power and fielding prowess. Below is what they wrote about their selection, giving him a projected 2.5 WAR for the upcoming season:

“Montgomery absolutely mashed after his callup to the Majors on July 4, socking 21 homers in just 71 games for Chicago down the stretch. He also flashed an impressive gove, totaling +6 Outs Above Average at shortstop in his half-season stint. All told, he racked up 2.7 WAR as a rookie and is projected for a similar total in 2026, which would be tops on a young squad that also features young hitters Chase Meidroth, Miguel Vargas and Kyle Teel — each projected for 2.1 WAR — and Japenese slugger Munetaka Murakami (2.2).”

Montgomery had a great season from when he was called up, finishing fifth in the 2025 American League Rookie of the Year voting. With a .840 OPS with 21 home runs, 55 RBI, and 43 runs scored over 71 games, he has showcased an innate ability to hit the baseball well. It will be intriguing to see if he can continue this in his first full big-league season or if it will be a chance for the opposing team to figure him out.

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Entering the fourth year of a rebuild and setting the record for the most losses in a season in 2024 (41-121), the Chicago White Sox should be a lot better in 2026.

More News: Chicago White Sox prospect’s hilarious response to getting on base

Finally spending this offseason, the White Sox’s biggest question at the moment, outside of who will make the 26-man roster, is who will be the Opening Day starter? Manager Will Venable has a ton of arms to choose from, with All-Star right-hander Shane Smith being one of them, who said about making his first career Opening Day start, “Whatever shakes out, I can live with.”

“No,” Smith said to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. “Everybody in here wants it. I’m included in that,” he added. “Whatever shakes out, I can live with. But as long as I put my best foot forward, and try to do everything I can in the days leading up and make sure I’m a professional in all aspects, that’s all I can do.”

Shane Smith would be the proper choice to be the Chicago White Sox’s Opening Day starter

Turning 26 on April 4th, Smith has the pedigree to be Venable’s Opening Day starter, as he was the team’s lone All-Star last season, going 3-7 with a 4.26 ERA in 18 starts (86.2 innings) before the All-Star break, and then went 4-1 with a 3.17 ERA in 11 starts (59.2 innings) after the break. A Rule 5 Draft pick from the Milwaukee Brewers organization last season, Smith has shown tremendous growth since joining the White Sox staff.

Other potential Opening Day starters for Venable could be right-handers Erick Fedde, who recently re-signed with the team, and Sean Burke, who was the White Sox Opening Day starter last season. Burke pitched six scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Angels for the White Sox’s 8-1 victory.

All three would be solid options to choose from, with left-handers Sean Newcomb and Anthony Kay providing other alternatives, but spring training will be the battleground for who will ultimately get the nod to kick off the season.

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The Chicago White Sox have many prospects who could potentially join their core this season, including infielder and Chicago native Sam Antonacci.

More News: Chicago White Sox GM mispeaks about trade acquisition

Antonacci is one of the White Sox’s top prospects and showed a lot of progress last season, jumping three levels in the White Sox system (Rookie Ball to Double-A). Antonacci also appeared in the Arizona Fall League, where he showcased his hitting tool and ability to get on base, batting .378 in 74 at-bats (93 plate appearances) and had a .505 on-base percentage.

Antonacci’s ability to get on base is one of his strongest skills (career .439 OBP), with a knack for getting hit by pitches, which helps with his goal of getting on base. Antonacci got hit a total of 49 times last season.

“Definitely hurts a little bit, but you have to grow up at some point and just be able to play through it,” the non-roster invite to White Sox Spring Training told Scott Merkin of MLB.com prior to Tuesday’s workouts. “It was instilled in me in college, especially when kind of getting screamed at it if I got out of the way. I’m happy I have those teachings.

My mom hates me for it. I found that out in the offseason,” said Antonacci with a laugh. “She said I’m going to get hurt that way. She could be right. But I would rather get hurt for wearing a pitch to help my team out than getting out of the way and then striking out. So, she can be mad at that, but we’ll have our differences. I’m just here to try to get on first base.”

Sam Antonacci is excited to play with his future teammate, Kyle Teel, in the WBC

Antonacci will not be in spring training with the White Sox for long, as he will be joining his teammate, catcher Kyle Teel, to play for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Antonacci said he’s excited to play with his future teammate, saying, “It should be fun.”

“I’m excited to play alongside Teel. That should be fun,” Antonacci said. “Right now, I’m honestly just here to meet all these guys and kind of just get together with them and build on what the White Sox are doing, and then when Team Italy comes, I’ll focus on that. My sole focus is here and getting better with these guys.”

Sam Antonacci could be up with the Chicago White Sox at some point this season

Antonacci isn’t a top-100 prospect in baseball. Still, he could turn out to be a productive big leaguer, given his hitting abilities, posting a career .298 batting average, and his ability not to strike out, walking 69 times to 73 strikeouts in 2025 (86 walks and 86 strikeouts for his career).

Unlikely to break out of camp with the White Sox, it isn’t out of the question that Antonacci could get a call-up this season, as his ability to play third base, shortstop, and second base could help his chances. The White Sox currently have an opening at third base, but given his power and speed, Antonacci would be more suited to play centerfield, where there’s also a need.

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The biggest storyline going into this year’s spring training for the Chicago White Sox is the arrival of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murkami.

More news: This Chicago White Sox player is projected to hit 30 HR in 2026

It seem’s that the power hitter is already turning many heads within the White Sox’s coaching staff.

According to Sox beat writer Scott Merkin, the team’s director of hitting gave an update on Murkami that will make many fans very excited.

The White Sox slugger is already impressing many

More news: This Chicago White Sox newcomer is one of the top hitters to watch in spring training

Ryan Fuller told the media that Murakami is “special” and that there’s immediately been a level of confidence he has brought since reporting for spring training.

White Sox director of hitting Ryan Fuller on Munetaka Murakami: "Mune is special, and I think you see immediately there’s a level of confidence here amidst everything being new here."

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) February 16, 2026

The signing of Murakami has brought a massive level of excitement to the Sox’s 2026 campaign.

With the Japanese power hitter being apart of an improved roster, Chicago might have a much more exciting season than everyone expected.

It’s only batting practice, but here are five swings from Munetaka Murakami.
First swing: HR to center
Fourth swing: HR to left.
Fifth swing: HR to right. pic.twitter.com/4UtK1dMbRW

— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) February 12, 2026

First look: Munetaka Murakami at Camelback Ranch pic.twitter.com/nuzl8PUM7h

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) February 8, 2026

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The Chicago White Sox have an intriguing roster as they get prepared for spring training games. With the roster looking to take a next step with a lot of new faces, there are some interesting hitters that the league will be keeping an eye on to see how they look. There are some new faces with the White Sox, so let’s take a look at one that was highlighted heading into Camelback Ranch-Glendale.

Munetaka Murakami is one of the top hitters to keep an eye on during spring training

MLB’s Jared Greenspan highlighted the 15 hitters to watch during spring training, and one of the players he mentions is White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami. Below is what Greenspan wrote about why people should be ready to see him in the batter’s box:

“There may not be a more intriguing hitter to watch this spring than Murakami. The 25-year-old Japanese slugger arrives stateside with a reputation of prodigious power and the ability to hit the ball exceptionally hard. Yet a propensity for swing-and-miss and high strikeout totals made his free-agent case rather polarizing. How well will Murakami handle Major League pitching? We’ll get our first glimpse shortly, and you’ll want to catch him before he leaves camp to play for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.”

Murakami is a power-hitting infielder who has posted a .951 OPS in his eight seasons in NPB. He is transitioning to becoming a first baseman this season with the White Sox, and will be gone potentially for a few weeks during spring training due to the World Baseball Classic. It is going to be intriguing to see how he progresses with Chicago after signing a two-year, $34 million contract this offseason.

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The Chicago White Sox have been acquiring young talent throughout the offseason, and we will begin to see how the roster looks throughout spring training. The front office has been on the lookout to acquire talent that will supplement the roster. However, the White Sox made one mistake by not knowing a player’s abilities and misspoke to the media. Let’s take a look at exactly what happened.

Chicago White Sox GM Chris Getz jokes about his Luisangel Acuna comment

The White Sox have been looking to add a spark and general manager Chris Getz believes he did so by trading for Lusangel Acuna. However, he had to correct his previous statement where he got confused about Acuna’s ability.

“So I probably have been getting carried away describing his versatility. He can play every position on the field. Why does it have to stop there? I called Luisangel and told him that even though he’s just right-handed, we still love him.”

This is in response for Getz mentioning that Acuna was a switch-hitter, despite him only being a right-handed hitter. Below is the comment he originally said:

“He has a lot of potential. He can play all over the diamond. He’s a strong defender, baserunner, switch-hitter. He can do a lot of different things to help you win.”

Acuna is going to be competing to be a starter this season with the White Sox after being part of the Luis Robert Jr. trade during the offseason. He struggled offensively last season as he finished with a .234/.293/.274 slash line with zero home runs, eight RBI, and 30 runs scored over 95 games (193 plate appearances) with the New York Mets.

The White Sox have some depth in the outfield with Andrew Benintendi, Brooks Baldwin, Austin Hays, and Everson Pereira all competing for the three starting outfield positions. Acuna does not have any options remaining, so it is likely he will remain on the 2026 Opening Day roster with the White Sox. It will be intriguing to see how well Acuna plays throughout the season as Getz looks to continue improving the roster.

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Though the Chicago White Sox have done well to revamp their roster this offseason, they may have made a blunder with general manager Chris Getz’s comments regarding newly acquired infielder Luisangel Acuna. Acuna was one of the players acquired in the trade that sent Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets.

More News: Chicago White Sox GM Chris Getz feels good about his roster

According to Sam Phalen on X/Twitter, Getz has mislabeled Acuna as a switch-hitter in multiple interviews, when the 23-year-old infielder strictly bats right-handed.

Great job by many of you flagging this.

Here are FOUR different times this offseason where #WhiteSox GM Chris Getz has referred to Luisangel Acuña as a switch hitter.

Acuña is, in fact, NOT a switch hitter.

Not great. Four times isn’t a misspeak. pic.twitter.com/yYYsHBH49w

— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) February 11, 2026

Chris Getz’s not knowing what handedness his players are signals a bigger problem

The fact that Getz didn’t know, or intentionally misspoke, signals a wider problem regarding the White Sox front office, as it begs the question: are they properly evaluating players?

Acuna is an infielder by trade, with his primary position being shortstop. But with Colson Montgomery set to be the everyday shortstop and Chase Meidroth occupying second, Acuna likely will get reps out in center field. Acuna could struggle playing center for the White Sox, as he has just 43 career games between the big leagues and minor leagues in center.

Hopefully, the players brought back in the return for Robert Jr. don’t pan out. However, if they don’t, it might be time to question Getz’s ability to continue as the general manager for the rebuild, as the White Sox need to find hidden talent to compete.

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The Chicago White Sox made a big splash this offseason after signing Japanese standout Munetaka Murakami. The White Sox emerged as the big winners of the race for Nippon Professional Baseball’s two-time Central League MVP.

Murakami became one of the most sought-after free agents because of his stellar play in Japan. He won the Central League Rookie of the Year in 2019 and was named an NPB All-Star that same year. He quickly established himself as one of the best baseball players in the country. Murakami also led the Japanese team to a gold medal during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Chicago White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami gets Caleb Williams welcome 

With Murakami’s arrival, the Windy City rejoices as it welcomes another cornerstone for the city of Chicago.

It was not too long ago when the Chicago Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. He quickly emerged as one of Chicago’s sports icons as he became the centerpiece of the Bears’ offense. Williams helped the Bears capture their first NFC North title since 2018 and their first playoff win since 2011.

Williams’ rise is somewhat similar to what Michael Jordan did to the Chicago Bulls back in the 1980s. Which is why it’s just right that the White Sox welcome their new player with two iconic Chicago jerseys.

 

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The White Sox gave Murakami a Williams jersey to welcome him to the city. Mune said “Bear Down” and “It’s Chicago” while wearing Williams’ #18.

Not only that, but the White Sox also gifted him the iconic #23 of the Chicago Bulls. Murakami quickly put on Jordan’s jersey and said he plans on wearing it on the way to the game.

The White Sox expect great things from the 6-foot-2, 230-pound slugger from Japan. Murakami heads to the MLB with his 246 home runs for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He joins a rebuilding White Sox with impressive young talent such as Colson Montgomery. This is why the future is looking bright for the organization.

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The Chicago White Sox had a great offseason, in which general manager Chris Getz added pieces to pair with the young core that is forming.

More News: Chicago White Sox reunite with quality right-hander on a one-year deal

Recently signing right-hander Erick Fedde to fill out the rotation, the White Sox still have some room to spend and add at least one more piece. However, Getz seems content with the roster he’s constructed, saying, “We do feel good about the group we have in here.”

“We’ve got flexibility, we do. But we do feel good about the group we have in here,” Getz said to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. “So much of this year will be the continual development of the young players we have on this roster.”

Chris Getz could increase payroll in the form of an extension or by acquiring a bigger contract at the trade deadline

Despite Getz stating the White Sox are basically done adding on the free agent market, that doesn’t mean the White Sox won’t increase their payroll in other ways. Signing one of their young players to a contract extension, like the Athletics are doing with their core, signing four players in the last two years:

• DH Brent Rooker: five years, $60 million
• OF Lawrence Butler: seven years, $65.5 million
• OF Tyler Soderstrom: seven years, $86 million
• INF Jacob Wilson: seven years, $70 million

Athletics have signed four players to longterm extensions since last offseason pic.twitter.com/9i0lXBmMwt

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) January 30, 2026

Infielder Colson Montgomery (.239 average, .840 OPS) and right-hander Shane Smith (3.81 ERA) would be the first two players to look at to sign long-term. Montgomery showed the ability to be a franchise player, and Smith made the All-Star team in his rookie season.

Catchers Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero could be others worthy of an extension, with both showing the ability to hit — Teel batted .273 with an OPS of .786 in 78 games, while Quero (switch hitter) hit .268 with an OPS of .689 in 111 games. The White Sox could also acquire a player at the trade deadline who is under a long-term contract to help increase payroll.

Someone like the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller (five years, $77 million) could be an option to give the White Sox another experienced arm. Keller has three more years remaining on his existing contract (55.7 million) and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2029.

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The Chicago White Sox have been exciting throughout the offseason and are ready for spring training to see how they will perform on the field. They traded away some pieces of last year’s team while bolstering their farm system. There is a lot of excitement for the future of the franchise with one of the top-rated farm systems. With spring training getting ready to kick off, let’s take a deeper dive into the White Sox’s biggest storyline at this moment.

The Chicago White Sox have a new wave of prospects heading into spring training

MLB published an article discussing one major storyline for each team before spring training begins. The storyline they wrote for the White Sox was titled, ‘The next wave of prospects’, and below is the reasoning they gave for this storyline:

“Outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Sam Antonacci and left-handed hurlers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith don’t figure to break camp with the team, but they certainly will get serious looks during Spring Training It’s important next-step development years for Schultz and Smith, as potential top-of-the-rotation hurlers while the switch-hitting Montgomery and Antonacci could force the issue sooner than later coming off strong ’25 campaigns. All four should help the big league squad in 2026.”

The Cubs are going to be one of the younger teams this season, and they are in a position to develop their young players. Some of the players listed could wind up making the 26-man roster, which would give some additional excitement for the White Sox. MLB ranks these three of those players in the top 100 prospects as Montgomery is 36th, Schultz is 49th, and Smith is 72nd. It will be intriguing to see which prospects are getting ready to step up as spring training approaches.

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Despite having a great offseason in which the Chicago White Sox signed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami (two years, $34 million), they still needed to add another starting pitcher. The White Sox ranked dead last in baseball in innings pitched by their starters (758.2 innings).

More News: Chicago White Sox trade infield depth to the Baltimore Orioles

The White Sox have options to fill out their rotation, but added some more depth, with New York Post columnist and MLB Insider Joel Sherman reporting right-hander Erick Fedde is finalizing a one-year deal with the White Sox.

Fedde, who will be 33 when the season starts, was with the White Sox to start the 2024 season and was a part of a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals, where Fedde went to St. Louis.

Source: The White Sox and Erick Fedde are in agreement on a 1-year deal, pending physical

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 9, 2026

Erick Fedde gives the Chicago White Sox another quality starter to move at the trade deadline

Despite doing well in 2024, Fedde didn’t do great in 2025, pitching for three teams (the Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers), and went 4-13 with a 5.49 ERA in 32 games (24 starts). Fedde, however, has proven to be an innings eater in his career, pitching over 125.0 innings for four straight seasons.

A quality starter who is mainly a sinker (34% usage) and cutter pitcher (28%), Fedde also has a sweeper (26%) and a changeup (12%) in his repertoire. Looking to bounce back, Fedde will give the White Sox another potential trade chip to use to get a prospect or a quality big league-ready talent at next season’s trade deadline.

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The Chicago White Sox are going to be one of the more intriguing teams to keep an eye on heading into spring training. There are some roster spots that are going to be up for grabs to see which 26 players will be heading to Milwaukee to face the Brewers for Opening Day. Let’s take a look at one prospect who can make the leap and be on the roster immediately to help the White Sox to begin the 2026 season.

Chicago White Sox outfielder Braden Montgomery could make the 2026 Opening Day roster

MLB’s Jonathan Mayo, Sam Dykstra, and Jim Callis co-wrote an article discussing one prospect from each MLB team who can make a run at joining the Opening Day roster. For the White Sox, the trio believe that outfielder Braden Montgomery could be the player to watch. Below is what they wrote regarding him:

“Part of the Garrett Crochet trade with the Red Sox at the 2024 Winter Meetings, Montgomery could shore up what might be MLB’s worst outfield contingent. A switch-hitting right-fielder with well-above-average raw power and arm strength, he slashed .270/.360/.444 with 12 homers and 14 steals in 121 games while advancing from Single-A to Double-A in his pro debut.”

Mongomery was selected with the 12th pick in the 2024 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. The 22-year-old outfielder had his first season in the minor leagues last season, splitting time between Single-A and Double-A. He finished the year with a .804 OPS with 12 home runs, 68 RBI, 64 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. Montgomery also played the field well, committing only three errors while recording eight outfield assists while playing all three outfield positions, but primarily playing center and right fields.

Following the Luis Robert Jr trade, there is an opening for some young players to take a step to compete for a MLB roster spot out of spring training. It will be intriguing to see whether the 36th-ranked prospect in baseball will be able to do well enough to make a major step to the Chicago 26-man roster out of camp.

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The Chicago White Sox are one of the more intriguing teams heading into the 2026 season. They made a lot of moves this offseason in an attempt to better their roster after losing 102 games last season. Chicago seemingly has some young stars that can surprise people this season, but one of them is projected to have a massive season in terms of their power. Let’s take a look at who it is.

Chicago White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami is projected to hit 30 home runs this season

MLB’s David Adler wrote an article about some of the most outstanding player projections for the 2026 season. According to FanGraphs’ projection, Murakami is projected to have a 118 weighted runs created plus and hit 30 homers in his rookie season with the White Sox. Below is the explanation regarding the projection:

“Murakami was one of the most polarizing free agents of the offseason — the former Tokyo Yakult Swallows superstar was the most feared slugger in Japan, but there are questions about his contact ability. But Steamer thinks Murakami will have a strong debut season for the White Sox, projecting him for a 30 homers and to be a well-above-average hitter overall. His 118 wRC+ means “18% better than league average,” which is a better hitting projection than players like Elly De La Cruz (117), Mike Trout (116) and Christian Yelich (115), as well as his fellow NPB star Kazuma Okamoto (112), who’s joining the Blue Jays this season.”

In eight professional seasons, he has hit 265 career home runs over the course of 1,003 games, with a high of 56 homers in the 2022 season with the Yakult Swallows. He also is not the only hitter in the White Sox lineup that is predicted to have a massive season with their power numbers. It will be intriguing to see how Murakami is able to handle pitching in Major League Baseball.

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The Chicago White Sox made an intriguing trade with the Boston Red Sox as they acquired veteran pitcher Jordan Hicks and minor league pitcher David Sandlin for minor league pitcher Gage Ziehl. With Hicks being a major arm looking to bounce back from a rough 2025, he has shown the ability to pitch both as a starter and reliever. While things are still fluid, his role is critical to see how the White Sox will utilize their pitching staff. Let’s take a closer look at what Hicks said about his preference.

Jordan Hicks discusses that he is open to being either a reliever or a starting pitcher for the White Sox

While talking about what his projected role could be after being traded to the White Sox, pitcher Jordan Hicks made it clear that he is fine with either starting or coming out of the bullpen.

“I am fine with either role (starting or bullpen). I am feeling well and got it up to 99.5 MPH the other day with the velocity consistently 96 (MPH). I think we are on the same page (with GM Chris Getz) so we will see how the role ends up.”

Hicks split time between the San Francisco Giants and Red Sox in 2025 and pitched in different roles. With the Giants, he was primarily a starting pitcher last year while he only came out of the bullpen for the Red Sox. Overall, he pitched 34 games (nine starts) and was 2-7 with a 6.95 ERA and a 1.663 WHIP in 67.1 innings. As of this writing, Fangraphs projects Hicks to be coming out of the bullpen right now.

It appears that the White Sox could keep him stretched out a bit, but having the starting pitcher depth, they do not necessarily need Hicks in the starting lineup. With the bullpen needing help, Hicks appears to be better suited as a bullpen pitcher than a back-end starting pitcher for Chicago this season.

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The Chicago White Sox have been one of the more active teams thus far this offseason, with their latest move coming as a trade with the Boston Red Sox for right-hander Jordan Hicks and pitching prospect David Sandlin.

More News: Chicago White Sox pull off pitching trade with Red Sox

Though the White Sox have made headlines with some of their moves this offseason, they have also made some under-the-radar moves, like sending infielder/outfielder Bryan Ramos to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations, according to the Orioles X (Twitter) account.

We have made the following trade: pic.twitter.com/5rVpweU2BD

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) February 2, 2026

The Chicago White Sox are shedding their old players to make way for new ones to add to what they’re building

Ramos, 23, has been with the White Sox since 2018 when he signed a minor league deal at 16. However, Ramos never found his footing with the White Sox, spending parts of two seasons with the big league club (36 games), with the majority of his career coming in the minor leagues, where he hit .249 with an OPS of .757 in six seasons; at the big league level, Ramos hit .198 with an OPS of .577.

Ramos will add valuable depth to a deep Orioles roster, which includes All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso, but he will have to compete for a bench role if he wants to make the big league roster.

The White Sox jettisoning Ramos shows they’re willingness to build around their young core and find better options available to add depth.

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The Chicago White Sox have been aggressive in making moves throughout the offseason in an attempt to jumpstart the 2026 team. They have made a trade on Sunday to add two pitchers to the franchise from the Boston Red Sox and improve the team as a whole. Let’s take a closer look at what the team’s general manager said regarding when we can see the key piece of the trade in the major leagues.

The Chicago White Sox expect to see David Sandlin in the majors during the 2026 season

White Sox general manager Chris Getz discussed when he predicts new prospect starting pitcher David Sandlin will be on the mound for the big league club.

“He’s got a chance to really impact our starting rotation this year.”

In a tweet earlier, Bob Nightengale mentioned we could see him in the starting rotation at some point during the summer. Sandlin was drafted in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals from the Oklahoma Sooners. He has pitched four years in the minor leagues thus far in his career, including getting to Triple-A towards the end of the 2025 season. Sandlin has pitched 65 games (47 starts) throughout his minor league career and is 13-12 with a 4.38 ERA and a .257 opposing batting average in 232.0 innings. He has been able toget strikeouts though, recording 279 strikeouts in that span.

The starting rotation for the White Sox at this point, according to Fangraphs, is as follows:

1. Shane Smith
2. Davis Martin
3. Sean Burke
4. Anthony Kay
5. Sean Newcomb

The White Sox have been able to make moves throughout the offseason. While also adding a veteran pitcher in Jordan Hicks to add to the bullpen, it will be intriguing to see when Sandlin will make his MLB debut.

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