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 are off to a horrendous start to the 2026 MLB season. They are currently 1-5, tied for the worst record in all baseball. What is more, their -31 run differential is, by far, the worst is both the American League and National League.

Indeed, this year projects to be another long-suffering season for White Sox fans, who have watched their team lose over 100 games in each of the past two seasons.

Even though the season is just one week old, many are starting to wonder what the All-Star rosters will look like. And as projections are made, there is only one White Sox player that some think will make the American League roster.

Grant Taylor predicted to represent the Chicago White Sox in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game

Last year, starting pitcher Shane Smith was named as Chicago’s lone American League All-Star. However, after his first two starts of the season this year, it does not seem like he will be repeating that honor. Smith is currently 0-2 with a 19.29 ERA.

Therefore, in Bleacher Report‘s first All-Star roster projection since the start of the 2026 MLB season, he is not the White Sox player they believe will represent Chicago. Instead, they predict it will be right-handed relief pitcher Grant Taylor:

“He is an under-the-radar candidate worth keeping an eye on this year. With an upper-90s fastball and wicked breaking stuff, he struck out 54 of the 157 batters he faced in 2025 while logging a 1.42 FIP in 36.2 innings.”

Currently, Taylor has a 4.50 ERA in two appearances. Last year, he was 2-4 with a 4.91 ERA in 36 appearances. He also recorded six saves.

This is a very interesting choice from BR because of the presence of Munetaka Murakami on the White Sox roster. While it is yet to be seen just how consistent he will be over the course of the season, one would assume his popularity in Japan will garner him millions of fan votes.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox call up Lucas Sims before series finale vs Marlins
• White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami included on hottest rookies list
• Former Cubs and White Sox starting pitcher impresses in Diamondbacks debut

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago White Sox are coming off three-straight seasons of 100-plus losses and are hoping 2026 goes differently. While they went from 121 losses to 102 from 2024 to 2025, there is some hope for the future in terms of prospects. They also have the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

But through the first week of the season, the White Sox are 1-5 and were swept in the first series in Milwaukee. They followed it up by losing the series down in Miami. A big reason why? Pitching. The pitching for the White Sox has been really bad this season, allowing 52 total runs compared to the 21 that they have scored on offense.

And it’s the worst pitching staff in baseball at the moment.

White Sox pitching has been MLB worst

Looking at the stats, the White Sox are dead last in earned run average through the first week of the season at 8.63. The next closest at No. 29? The Philadelphia Phillies with a 5.46 ERA.

Ouch.

It’s all been bad for the White Sox on the pitching side of things, including starter Shane Smith. In his latest start on Wednesday against the Marlins, Smith gave up eight hits, eight runs with seven earned, two walks and just one strikeout in three innings. That came after a bad start in the season opener against the Milwaukee Brewers as well.

What is going on with Shane Smith????

Through 3 innings:
8 hits
8 runs (7 earned)
2 walks
1 strikeout

Season ERA & WHIP: 19.29 & 3.21

Is it time to hit the panic button!? pic.twitter.com/o9xrxK9mZR

— SleeperWhiteSox (@SleeperWhiteSox) April 1, 2026

Overall, it’s been a nightmare start for the White Sox as they have also given up 65 hits which leads the majors. It doesn’t get much easier, either. The Toronto Blue Jays come to town this weekend for the team’s home opener and first series at Guaranteed Rate this season.

If the White Sox really want to improve, they need to figure out how to get this pitching staff back on track and do it quickly.

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The Chicago White Sox are not off to a good start in the 2026 MLB season. After going 41-120 in 2024 and 60-102 in 2025, fans did not have high expectations for them this year. The hope was that they would at least play decent baseball and show some improvement.

But they haven’t.

Through the first six games of the season, the White Sox are just 1-5. They are tied with the Boston Red Sox and Athletics for the worst record baseball.

But what is worse is the fact that Chicago has a -31 run differential right now, by far the worst in all the Majors. The next closest team to them is the Red Sox, who have a -15 run differential.

Munetaka Murakami gives the Chicago White Sox a much-needed silver lining

Indeed, the White Sox have not played very inspiring baseball early on in the season. And while there is still plenty of time, there is microscopic hope that they will right the ship.

That being said, rookie first baseman Munetaka Murakami has at least given fans a new star to cheer for. MLB.com recently named him Chicago’s biggest takeaway from the first week’s worth of games:

“By his own admission, the left-handed-hitting first baseman from Japan has plenty of work to do as he begins his Major League career. In fact, Murakami has focused more on early shortcomings and the process for improvement even when opening weekend accolades were heaped upon him.

“But Murakami became the first player in White Sox franchise history to have a home run in each of his first three big league games, not to mention producing a hit in each of his first five, an RBI in four of those five and showing great patience at the plate with a walk in three of those five. He appears to be a needed bonafide power source.”

Through six games, Murakami is hitting .238/.360/.667 with three home runs and five RBI. As noted above, he hit a home run in each of his first three Major League games. Unfortunately, they were all solo shots and the White Sox lost each of those games.

An additional frustration is that he has struck out nine times in six games. It appears that the high strikeout totals that gave some Major League teams pause when he was on the market did indeed follow him over from Japan.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox call up Lucas Sims before series finale vs Marlins
• White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami included on hottest rookies list
• Former Cubs and White Sox starting pitcher impresses in Diamondbacks debut

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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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The Chicago White Sox are off to one of the worst starts in Major League Baseball this season. They are currently 1-4 through their first five games and in last place in the American League Central Division. What is more, their -21 run differential is the worst in baseball. In fact, they are the only team with a run differential worse than -14.

This being said, no one expected the White Sox to be good this year. After going 60-102 a year ago, fans are hoping to see a bit more improvement in 2026 as they continue to rebuild.

Fortunately, Munetaka Murakami has given Chicago fans a fun player to rally behind and cheer for amid the team’s lack of winning.

Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami named one of MLB’s hottest rookies

When Murakami first announced that he was going to transition to Major League Baseball after eight seasons in Japan, many thought he would get a lot of interest from multiple teams. However, due to his high strikeout totals, that interest never really materialized.

As a result, Murakami signed a two-year $34 million contract with Chicago. So far, he has impressed fans by homering in his first three Major League games. Overall, he is hitting .278/.409/.778 with three home runs and 4 RBI through five games.

Buster Onley of ESPN recently named him one of the six hottest rookies in MLB:

“He is super determined,” White Sox head of baseball operation Chris Getz said of Murakami. “It’s very clear he wants to prove to someone that he’s real. He’s very serious.”

And very dangerous for pitchers: Murakami homered in each of Chicago’s three games against the Milwaukee Brewers. “Put the home runs aside — the quality of his at-bats really stood out,” Getz said, mentioning how his rookie faced some of the Brewers’ hard throwers, such as Jacob Misiorowski.

It’s clear to Getz that Murakami is not just an all-or-nothing slugger, with how he adapts throughout the ball-strike count, and Getz expects that as the 26-year-old faces more major league pitching he’ll continue to make adjustments.

Through the first five games of the season, Murakami has struck out seven times and has drawn four walks. As the year goes on, his individual success will rely on his ability to adjust further to Major League pitching.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• Former Cubs and White SP impresses in Diamondbacks debut
• White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami left off top-25 rookie list
• Pair of White Sox grand slams make history

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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 made one of the most surprising free agent splashes of the MLB off-season. When Munetaka Murakami first announced his intention to transition from Japan to Major League Baseball, few thought that the White Sox would be in play for the slugging first baseman.

However, because of concerns over Murakami’s high strikeout totals in Japan, Major League teams were hesitant to give him a long and lucrative contract. As a result, Chicago was able to swoop in and snag the slugger for two years and $34 million.

The 2026 MLB season is still in its infancy, but Murakami has already made a stellar impression on baseball fans in the United States. However, it somehow was not good enough to even crack a top-25 MLB rookies list.

Chicago White Sox star Munetaka Murakami somehow left off top-25 rookie ranking

Recently, Bleacher Report released their list of the top 25 rookies around Major League Baseball. Their criteria was simply that the rookies begin the season on their team’s Opening Day rosters. Munetaka, of course, began the season on Chicago’s Opening Day roster.

However, for whatever reason, he was not included on the list of the top 25 rookies around baseball.

In his first four games in the Majors, Murakami is hitting .286/.444/.929 with three home runs and three RBI. He also has walked four times and struck out five times.

There are, of course, many talented young rookies across Major League Baseball. However, the fact that Murakami is not included on the list of the top-25 is highly questionable. Perhaps it is because he spent eight seasons playing professionally at the highest level in Japan, but he is still a Major League rookie in 2026.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• Pair of White Sox grand slams make baseball history
• Korey Lee to stay with White Sox
• White Sox slugger makes history with his MUNEshot

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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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Slugger Munetaka Murakami was the marquee signing for the Chicago White Sox this offseason, agreeing to a two-year, $34 million deal after establishing himself as one of Japan’s most prolific home run hitters. Through his first two Major League Baseball games, that power has carried over as he’s recorded one hit in each contest, and both have been home runs.

Having hit home runs in back-to-back contests to begin the 2026 season, Murakami has found himself in the White Sox history books as the only player ever with that accomplishment. He also joined Kenji Johjima as the second Japanese born and former NPB player to hit homers in each of their first two MLB games.

Munetaka Murakami is the second Japanese-born former NPB player to homer in each of his first two MLB games, joining Kenji Johjima

He’s. also the first player in White Sox history to homer in each of his first two career games https://t.co/X9WHyKYeGU

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) March 29, 2026

Munetaka Murakami is poised for a big year with the Chicago White Sox

Before arriving in MLB, Murakami spent eight seasons in NPB, launching 246 home runs. His peak came in 2022, when he blasted 56, and he topped the 30-homer mark in five of those eight seasons.

He won’t homer in every game this year, but already having two in March is an encouraging sign. It’s not unrealistic to expect him to finish among the league’s top power hitters this season.

In the long run, if this opening stretch is any indication, Murakami could quickly become a cornerstone for the Chicago White Sox lineup. His power has already translated against Major League Baseball pitching, offering a glimpse of the impact he can make over a full season. While consistency and adjustments will ultimately define his success, the early returns suggest he is more than capable of living up to expectations.

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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 saw their pitching staff surrender 14 runs to the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day. Additionally, White Sox pitchers issued 10 walks while the hitters struck out 20 times. Clearly, it was not the start the team was hoping for.

As they had an off-day on Friday, the White Sox started scouring the waiver wire for some pitching help. And they found it in the form of one of their own former pitchers.

The Chicago White Sox claim Bryan Hudson off waivers from the New York Mets

On Friday, it was reported that Chicago has claimed left-handed reliever Bryan Hudson off of waivers from the New York Mets:

The Chicago White Sox have claimed left-handed pitcher Bryan Hudson off waivers from the New York Mets.

The White Sox will make a corresponding move prior to tomorrow’s game at Milwaukee.

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 27, 2026

Hudson was originally claimed off of waivers by the White Sox from the Brewers last year. Prior to being waived by Milwaukee, he was 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA. In four games with Chicago after being claimed, he was 0-0 with a 5.79 ERA.

In 2024, while pitching for Milwaukee, Hudson was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. He appeared in 43 games, went 6-1, and a stellar 1.79 ERA.

As noted in the post from the White Sox social media team, Chicago will be making a corresponding move prior to Saturday’s game against Milwaukee. This means that Hudson will be joining the Major League roster while someone that is already on it will be demoted to Triple-A or designated for assignment.

It is worth noting that many of the hitters that gave the White Sox trouble on Thursday were left-handed.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox on wrong side of 2 Brewers records on Opening Day
• White Sox catcher left speechless after tough day at the plate
• White Sox infielder’s home run on Opening Day makes history

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago White Sox 2026 season did not get off to a good start. In fact, it got off to arguably the worst start imaginable. After a spring full of hope, they fell to the Milwaukee Brewers by the score of 14-2 on Opening Day.

Chase Meidroth led off the game with a solo home run, giving fans false hope that this particular Opening Day game would go their way. Unfortunately, Milwaukee stifled the White Sox offense quickly and effectively for the rest of the day. Munetaka Murakami had his first Major League hit, a home run, later in the game, but it did not make a difference at that point.

In the end, Chicago was on the wrong side of history.

Chicago White Sox make a MLB first on Opening Day vs the Milwaukee Brewers

It has already been reported that the White Sox helped the Brewers make some history. Led by ace Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee struck out 20 Chicago batters, setting a franchise record of strikeouts in a nine-inning game. Misiorowski’s 11 strikeouts are a franchise record for any Opening Day.

Unfortunately, the White Sox made some Major League history themselves:

The White Sox are the only team in MLB history to have a game where the offense struck out 20+ times, got 4 or fewer hits and the pitching staff issued 10+ walks.

— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) March 27, 2026

As one can see from the post above, Chicago is the first team in MLB history to strike out 20 or more times, get four or fewer hits, and see their pitching staff issue at least 10 walks.

Meanwhile, the Brewers struck out only three times and their pitchers issued just five walks (Misiorowski gave up three of them).

All this to say that Opening Day was immensely forgettable for the White Sox.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox on wrong side of 2 Brewers records on Opening Day
• White Sox catcher left speechless after tough day at the plate
• White Sox infielder’s home run on Opening Day makes history

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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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Early this past off-season the Chicago White Sox traded former All-Star center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets. In return, they received Luisangel Acuna, who made the Opening Day roster and replaced Robert in center field. The trade followed many frustrating years in which Chicago waited patiently for Robert to find his swing.

In 2023, Robert hit .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs, 80 RBI, and 20 stolen bases. He made the AL All-Star team, won the Silver Slugger, and finished 12th in AL MVP voting.

But over the next two seasons, he hit just .223/.288/.372 while averaging 14 home runs and 44 RBI a year. He also averaged 28 stolen bases a year, but his overall production plummeted.

Luis Robert Jr. took a shot at the Chicago White Sox on Opening Day

Robert made the Opening Day roster for the Mets, as expected. Before his first game in New York, he was asked by the media about his excitement level for playing in front of their fans. In his answer, he took a shot at the White Sox and fans in Chicago:

Luis Robert Jr: “I am sure that Thursday the stadium is going to be packed, which is something that over the last few years in Chicago I didn’t get to experience that. It’s going to be a new experience for me.”

— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) March 26, 2026

The White Sox, of course, did not win very many games during Robert’s last two seasons in Chicago. Attendance was down, and he believes he will, for the first time in his career, play in front of bigger crowds.

To add to his insult, Robert went 2-4 with two RBI and a run scored in his Mets debut. New York won 11-7.

Chicago, meanwhile, went down 14-2 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox on wrong side of 2 Brewers records on Opening Day
• White Sox catcher left speechless after tough day at the plate
• White Sox infielder’s home run on Opening Day makes history

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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.

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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 open their season on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Right-hander and 2025 All-Star Shane Smith will take the mound against Brewers All-Star right-hander Jacob Misiorowski.

More News: Chicago White Sox make bold roster decision on prospect

Opening against the Brewers, the White Sox officially set their Opening Day roster, while placing some key personnel on the injured list.

The Chicago White Sox placed a handful of players on the injured list

A few players, like catcher Kyle Teel, were already going to begin the season on the injured list. Teel injured his hamstring while playing for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

Teel did provide an update on his injury, saying he could be back “soon after” the home opener. Infielder/outfielder Brooks Baldwin will also begin the year on the injured list with a right elbow sprain. Baldwin was limited to eight games (.286 average, .762 OPS).

Right-handers Prelander Berroa, Drew Thorpe, and Mike Vasil were all placed on the 15-day injured list as they recover from Tommy John surgery. Vasil left his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers after feeling elbow discomfort, while Thorpe progresses slowly.

The White Sox designate two interesting players for assignment

Out of minor league options, catcher Korey Lee and infielder Curtis Mead were designated for assignment. The White Sox brought in veteran catcher Reese McGuire on a one-year contract to back up catcher Edgar Quero, leading to Lee’s DFA.

Lee performed great showing this spring — batting .289 with three doubles, two home runs and four RBI. Lee will likely get picked up by a team. A few teams, such as the Colorado Rockies, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Kansas City Royals, could use someone like Lee.

Mead was in the running to be the White Sox’s third baseman and a backup to infielder Munetaka Murakami at first base. Sadly, Mead didn’t perform well enough this spring to win a job and stay on the roster. Mead batted .233 with two home runs and seven strikeouts in 10 games.

After these moves, the White Sox’s 26-man roster will include: 13 pitchers, 2 catchers, 5 infielders, and 6 outfielders. The White Sox have 38 players on the 40-man roster.

pic.twitter.com/631l8Ths3y

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 25, 2026

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The Chicago White Sox are set to take on the Milwaukee Brewers in their first series of the 2026 MLB season. It will kick off what is sure to be another rebuilding season on the south side. Unlike in previous years, though, there is a great deal of optimism regarding the direction of the team.

In 2025, the White Sox won just 60 games. However, that was a 19-win improvement from 2024. There are those that believe the team is not all that far off from being a contender.

That being said, Chicago needs to answer quite a few questions with their play in 2026, and one of the greatest unknowns regards their biggest off-season addition.

Munetaka Murakami named the Chicago White Sox greatest unknown

That addition, of course, is first baseman Munetaka Murakami, who signed a two-year $34 million deal with the White Sox after a successful eight-year career in Japan. Chicago landing the Japanese slugger took many by surprise, as they did not originally believe that the White Sox would be in the market for him.

However, Murakami’s high strikeout totals in Japan (he once struck out 180 times in one season) gave many Major League teams pause despite his high home run totals.

And it is his propensity to strike out that made him MLB.com‘s biggest unknown for the White Sox:

“Murakami is the biggest impact addition made by the White Sox during this current rebuild and the most accomplished player from the Pacific Rim to ever join the franchise. But there’s still a question as to how his skills will translate when coming to Major League Baseball.

“He not only has to adjust to a new league but a new country. The White Sox are helping forge a smooth transition, and Murakami is a tireless worker with a very regimented routine. If he takes off offensively, the White Sox could follow as a team.”

Indeed, Murakami’s bat has the potential to carry the White Sox to heights that they have not reached for years. The big question, though, is whether or not his game will translate to the Major Leagues. Japan has produced Hall of Fame stars like Ichiro, and future Hall of Fame talent like Shohei Ohtani.

But will Murakami reach that level, or will be end up a disappointment? There is only one way to find out:

Play the games.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox make bold roster decision on prospect
• Franchise legend Frank Thomas files lawsuit against White Sox
• Munetaka Murakami signing indicates White Sox intend to compete soon

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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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The Chicago White Sox made one of the biggest surprise signings of the MLB off-season when they landed Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami. Indeed, very few, if anyone, believed that the White Sox would be in the market for such a high-profile player.

However, interest in Murakami did not materialize to the level that many expected. It would seem that many teams were hesitant to sign him because of his high strikeout numbers in Japan. As a result, Chicago was able to get him for two years and $34 million.

While his strikeout numbers were high, so were his home run totals. As such, he could provide a much-needed power injection into the White Sox lineup.

Chicago White Sox star Munetaka Murakami predicted to win Rookie of the Year

In his first professional in 2018 season in Japan at 18 years old, Murakami hit .281/.383/.485 with 18 home runs, 72 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. It was just the beginning of what would be a great professional career (up to this point).

Four years later, at the age of 22, Murakami hit .318/.458/.710 with 56 home runs and 134 RBI.

Indeed, his strikeout totals may have been high, but he still hit for a high average and got on base regularly. If he can continue doing so, ESPN believes he could win the American League Rookie of the Year Award:

“Murakami will be a bedrock player in the middle of the White Sox lineup from the season’s outset, and if he stays healthy and mashes 25 to 30 dingers, he’ll get some support.”

Last season, the White Sox won 19 more games than they did in 2024. It was still only 60 wins, but that was much better than 41.

If Murakami can help lead Chicago to another 19-win improvement in 2026, he could win the Rookie of the Year Award quite easily.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox make bold roster decision on prospect
• Franchise legend Frank Thomas files lawsuit against White Sox
• Munetaka Murakami signing indicates White Sox intend to compete soon

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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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There are few players in Chicago White Sox history as respected and beloved as Hall of Fame first baseman/designated hitter Frank Thomas. The “Big Hurt” played 16 seasons of his 18-year in Chicago and smashed 448 of his 521 career home runs wearing a White Sox uniform.

Unfortunately, it is that same White Sox uniform that he donned so well for so many years that has suddenly become the source of conflict between the legendary slugger and the team.

Frank Thomas is suing the Chicago White Sox

According to multiple reports, Thomas is suing the White Sox, as well as multiple jersey manufacturers, for selling city connect jerseys with his name and number on them. He has not received any form of payment for the use of his name.

Per Fox 32:

“Thomas filed the lawsuit March 19 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging violations of the Illinois Right of Publicity Act.

“The complaint claimed companies including Nike, Fanatics and the White Sox sold ‘City Connect 2.0’ jerseys featuring Thomas’ name and his No. 35 beginning in April 2025 without his consent or compensation.

“According to the filing, the jerseys were marketed and sold with team branding while using Thomas’ identity for commercial gain.

“Thomas argued he has not had a contract with the companies allowing use of his name and likeness and has not received payment tied to the merchandise sales.”

Here is a social media post depicting the jerseys that are the subject of the lawsuit:

Frank Thomas is suing the Chicago White Sox, Nike and Fanatics for selling City Connect jerseys using his name without receiving his permission or compensating him for it, per @royalpratt pic.twitter.com/XlMVXhyr6n

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 24, 2026

As Fox notes, the lawsuit was filed last week on March 19. Undoubtedly, this process will drag on for months before there is a resolution.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox signing of Munetaka Murakami heralded as sign team plans to contend
• White Sox projected win total points to minor improvement in 2026
• White Sox reunite with Reese McGuire on 1-year deal

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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 landing Munetaka Murakami was one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 MLB off-season. After winning just 60 games in 2025, no one thought they would be big players in free agency at all. Yet, they were able to land the biggest free agent coming out of Japan.

To be fair, Murakami’s market did not really materialize the way many expected it to. While he has an impressive power bat, his strikeout totals in Japan were highly concerning to Major League teams. As a result, Chicago was able to land him on a short two-year deal worth $34 million.

But the fact that they were even in the market for Murakami is a great sign for White Sox fans.

The Munetaka Murakami signing hints the Chicago White Sox expect to compete very soon

MLB insiders and analysts from ESPN recently put together an article in which they detailed the off-season moves that were the most shocking. They included the White Sox signing Murakami because, according to them, it signals that Chicago intends to compete for an American League Division title either this year or next:

“Given the lack of power in the Chicago lineup and the need for a first baseman, it’s a worthy roll of the dice for the White Sox. There’s a chance he’s a Kyle Schwarber-like hitter with lots of home runs, walks and strikeouts, and the White Sox get a middle-of-the-order hitter to anchor a young lineup.

“And if the strikeouts pile up? Fine, the two-year commitment means there’s no long-term risk here. It was a surprise move given the White Sox lost 102 games in 2025, but they took advantage of the soft market for Murakami and can be interpreted as a sign the organization thinks it can compete for the division soon — if not 2026, then 2027.”

In eight professional seasons in Japan, Murakami struck out 1,068 times. However, he also had a career on-base percentage of .373 because of his propensity to take walks too.

The fact that he also averaged over 30 home runs a season is why MLB teams were interested in him in the first place. If he can bring that power over to MLB, his strikeouts won’t matter as much.

As ESPN notes, Kyle Schwarber strikes out a great deal, but is also one of the league’s biggest stars because of his power and ability to get on base via walk.

If Murakami ends up being that kind of player, the White Sox will be in a great position.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox reunite with Reeese McGuire on 1-year deal
• White Sox catcher Kyle Teel provides update on his injury
• Former White Sox pitcher ends Rays’ outfield home run drought

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

The post Chicago White Sox: Munetaka Murakami signing heralded as sign team will compete for division crown soon appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago White Sox have had two of the worst seasons in Major League Baseball history in back-to-back years. The good news, though, is that after winning just 41 games in 2024, they improved in 2025 by winning 60 games. Of course, that means they still lost 102 contests, but improvement is improvement.

As the White Sox prepare to start the 2026 MLB season, there is hope that they will, once again, show some improvement. However, their latest win projection for 2026 shows that the improvements fans may want to see are still a year or two away.

Chicago White Sox over/under set at 67.5

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently released his win projections for each Major League team in 2026. And while he does see Chicago taking a step forward, it is not that big of one.

“Make no mistake, the White Sox are still a few years away. But where there wasn’t anything to be excited about two seasons ago, you can start to see the makings of a core with Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Munetaka Murakami, Kyle Teel and Shane Smith. General manager Chris Getz also added two experienced veterans this offseason with outfielder Austin Hays and reliever Seranthony Domínguez, who can be the adults in the room.

“There’s still quite a bit of pitching development that needs to take place on the South Side, but there finally appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel for the Chi Sox.”

Prediction: 66-96 (Under)

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox reunite with Reeese McGuire on 1-year deal
• White Sox catcher Kyle Teel provides update on his injury
• Former White Sox pitcher ends Rays’ outfield home run drought

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago White Sox made a 40-man roster move Sunday, March 22 bringing back a familiar face behind the plate. Chicago signed veteran catcher Reese McGuire to a one-year, $1.2 million deal. He will join Edgar Quero and Korey Lee as healthy options at the position, as they are going to be starting the year without Kyle Teel as he recovers from a hamstring injury sustained during the World Baseball Classic.

Chicago White Sox reunite with catcher Reese McGuire on a 1 year deal

McGuire, age 31, recently exercised his ability to opt out of his minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, and was granted his release. The Sox didn’t waste time scooping him up. It’s not a flashy move, but it’s a depth play until Teel gets healthy.

McGuire gives the Sox a glove-first, left-handed bat with real major league experience. He hit nine homers in limited action with the Cubs last season and owns a respectable track record defensively, throwing out over 27% of would-be base stealers in his career. He previously had a brief stint with the organization in 2022, before being traded to the Boston Red Sox for Jake Diekman.

In the bigger picture, this is a good move for the White Sox. It may not generate headlines, but it addresses a temporary depth issue while keeping the organization from rushing a key young piece back onto the field. With three healthy catchers now on the 40-man roster, Chicago has the flexibility to mix and match behind the plate, manage workloads, and prioritize defense while Teel continues his recovery.

For a team still trying to establish consistency, especially during the early part of the season, having capable depth matters. If McGuire can provide solid defense and occasional offensive production, this signing could quietly pay off. More importantly, it allows the White Sox to be patient with Teel, which could prove far more valuable over the course of the season than any short-term gain.

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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 are hoping the 2026 sees them take another massive step forward in their rebuild. After winning just 41 games in 2024, they won 60 in 2025. And while a 60-102 season is still dismal, the fact of the matter is that they proved they are heading in the right direction.

The 2026 White Sox are going to have growing pains. Such is the case with every team that boasts numerous young players in its lineup. That being said, they also have more talent in their organization than they did even a few months ago, and the future is looking bright in Chicago.

The Chicago White Sox have named their Opening Day starting rotation

Not long ago, the White Sox revealed that 2025 AL All-Star Shane Smith will be their ace and Opening Day starting pitcher. On Tuesday, they announced the rest of their starting rotation:

White Sox manager Will Venable announced the team’s season-opening starting rotation: Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin and Erick Fedde.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) March 17, 2026

Below are Chicago’s initial five-man starting rotation and their stats from 2025.

Shane Smith

29 starts, 7-8, 3.82 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 145 strikeouts, 146.1 innings

Sean Burke

28 games (22 starts), 4-11, 4.22 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 133 strikeouts, 134.1 innings

Anthony Kay

16 games (zero starts), 0-0, 6.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 11 strikeouts, 14.1 innings (pitched for New York Mets and Chicago Cubs)

Davis Martin

26 games (25 starts), 7-10, 4.10 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 104 striketouts, 142.2 innings

Erick Fedde

32 games (24 starts), 4-13, 5.49 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 83 strikeouts, 147.0 innings (pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers; also threw a shutout early in 2025 with the Cardinals)

On the surface, this rotation leaves much to be desired. However, it is just the beginning of what is sure to be a starting group filled with young talent as soon as it develops.

Hopefully this group can help the White Sox see another large step forward in 2026.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• This White Sox player apparently already made the Opening Day roster
• Hagen Smith threw new pitch in White Sox game 2-3 days after learning it
• WBC: Italy makes last minute starting pitcher swap vs Venezuela

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago White Sox are going to be one of the youngest teams in Major League Baseball this season. Indeed, they are in the midst of a rebuild that will see them boast many young players at various positions that have yet to prove themselves consistently on the Major League level.

And while these young players represent the future of the White Sox, it is imperative that the organization surrounds them with veterans who can help them through the mental and physical marathon that is a 162-game MLB season.

This is part of the reason why Chicago signed Austin Hays in free agency this winter.

Chicago White Sox veteran Austin Hays ranks 18th among MLB right fielders

Hays signed with Chicago on a one-year $6 million contract back in February. He projects to be the White Sox everyday right fielder even though he has not played the position since 2024. Last year, the Cincinnati Reds only played him in left field.

Still, Bleacher Report gave him the 18th overall ranking among the 30 projected starting right fielders in Major League Baseball:

“An All-Star in 2023 with the Orioles, Hays has four seasons with at least 15 home runs and 70 RBI over the last five years. He has crushed left-handed pitching throughout his career, but should fill an everyday role in the White Sox lineup after signing a one-year, $5 million deal that includes a 2027 mutual option.”

Last season, Hays hit .266/.315/.453 with 15 home runs and 64 RBI in 103 games for the Reds. He has appeared in 137 games in right field compared to 456 in left.

While Hays may not be a long-term part of Chicago’s future, he is here to provide some veteran leadership and stability to their lineup.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• This White Sox player apparently already made the Opening Day roster
• Hagen Smith threw new pitch in White Sox game 2-3 days after learning it
• WBC: Italy makes last minute starting pitcher swap vs Venezuela

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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The Chicago White Sox had success in the year priors Rule-5 Draft, snagging now Opening Day starter Shane Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers. This year, they made two selections in the Major League phase, adding pitchers Jedixson Paez and Alexander Alberto.

With Smith, he had already gotten his feet wet in Triple-A before being selected by the White Sox. He still defied the odds by not only sticking on the 40-man roster all season but also excelling and earning the team’s All-Star nod.

This year’s selections were different, however, as neither had pitched above Single-A. Paez, 22, and Alberto, 24, were already considered long shots to make the Opening Day roster, and the team recently revealed that one has been waived.

Chicago White Sox waive Rule-5 Draft selection Alexander Alberto

Alberto, a reliever who can touch 100 MPH, has not had a good Spring Training with the White Sox. The former Tampa Bay Rays farmhand has a 10.80 ERA, as he has surrendered eight earned runs over 6.2 innings pitched. He’s been tagged with 12 hits allowed, four walks, and one wild pitch as well.

Now that Alberto has been waived, any other team could claim him and add him to their 40-man roster, which seems unlikely. Once he clears waivers, the Rays have a choice of paying half of the $100,000 selection fee they collected for him, working out a trade, or letting Chicago retain him.

Time will tell what happens with Alberto. His velocity gives him high upside as a reliever, so Tampa may be chomping at the bit to get him back. Arms with that kind of power don’t often stay available for long, which is why Chicago likely took a low risk flier on him in the Rule-5 Draft to begin with

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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 may have won just 60 games in 2025, but that was a 20-game improvement from 2024. Additionally, the vast amount of young talent that they have throughout every level of their organization has given many hope that brighter days are ahead.

Over the course of Spring Training, multiple White Sox prospects have given fans glimpses of the good days to come. Among these is infielder Sam Antonacci, who is just returning to the team following Team Italy’s Cinderella run in the World Baseball Classic.

Antonacci has yet to play a game on the Triple-A level, but based on his performance this spring, it will not be long until he reaches the Major Leagues.

Chicago White Sox star prospect Sam Antonacci gets high praise from Chris Getz

Antonacci is the ninth-rated prospect in Chicago’s farm system, but thanks to the World Baseball Classic has become one of their more recognizable players. Jim Bowden of The Athletic named him as the White Sox player that has been turning heads the most this spring:

“Antonacci was the White Sox’s 2024 fifth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina. A left-handed hitter, Antonacci slashed .291/.433/.409 at three minor-league levels and stole 48 bases last season. He can play everywhere in the dirt except first base, with second base probably his best position. He profiles as a future table setter as a hitter.”

He also included the following praise for Antonacci from Chicago general manager Chris Getz:

“Sam continues to impress in March albeit most of his production has come on the WBC national stage with Team Italy. He’s been an organizational favorite since being drafted in 2024. His offensive process is advanced with plus swing decisions, high contact and increasing power. He runs the bases with his hair on fire and an overall baseball IQ that’s as high as anyone’s in the organization. He’s a fun player to watch.”

The comment about Antonacci’s WBC production is an interesting one, as the White Sox infielder hit .143/.333/.500 in five games. That being said, he also had a home run and drove in three runs.

In six games this spring, though, Antonacci hit .308/.500/.846 with two home runs, four RBI, and three stolen bases.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• This White Sox player apparently already made the Opening Day roster
• Hagen Smith threw new pitch in White Sox game 2-3 days after learning it
• WBC: Italy makes last minute starting pitcher swap vs Venezuela

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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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Hagen Smith, Chicago White Sox former fifth overall pick out of Arkansas in the 2024 MLB Draft, is apparently a quick learner. The southpaw reportedly has added a new pitch to his already impressive arsenal and recently deployed it during a Spring Training game against the Royals on March 15.

One catch, prior to throwing a cutter for the first time in a live game, albeit a Spring Training game, he had just learned the pitch two to three days prior. Brooke Fletcher provided this initial report, adding that Smith was inspired by Anthony Kay to add in this pitch.

Hagen Smith throws cutters in a Chicago White Sox game after learning it 2-3 days prior

Against the Royals Smith threw 30 total pitches. He made it a point to incorporate his new pitch, the cutter. While he threw it just three times, it’s exciting to see him add another potential layer alongside his fastball, slider and changeup.

Statcast’s data on Smith’s cutter had it clocked at 89 MPH. This comes in five MPH faster than his slider and slightly above his changeup. Movement wise, the cutter showed more vertical break than horizontal break, which may not be a bad thing as his slider operates the other way around.

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Italy has changed its plans for who will start the Semifinal game against Venezuela. According to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base, manager Francisco Cervelli will start right-hander Aaron Nola over right-hander Michael Lorenzen.

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

Nola has pitched five innings this World Baseball Classic, struck out five. Italy and Cervelli feel that the Philadelphia Phillies All-Star right-hander gives them the best chance to advance to the finals.

Cambio de planes en Italia: Aaron Nola será el abridor contra Venezuela, no Michael Lorenzen.

Es un movimiento meramente estratégico por parte de Francisco Cervelli. https://t.co/tPRNMqVyt4

— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) March 16, 2026

Italy has been perfect in the World Baseball Classic

Despite being an underdog in the World Baseball Classic, Italy is a perfect 5-0. Italy showed it could hang with teams like the United States, beating them 8-6 on March 10. Lorenzen went 4.2 innings, allowing two hits, a walk, and striking out two without allowing a run.

If Lorenzen had to pitch in the game against Venezuela, left-hander Sam Aldegheri would be an option to start. Aldegheri struggled in his last appearance against Puerto Rico, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing two earned runs and a home run while walking two.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has done well in the World Baseball Classic

Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has done well filling in for Minnesota Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton, who got hit on his hand during an at-bat against Brazil. In five games, Crow-Armstrong is hitting .294, has hit two home runs, and driven in six RBI.

The United States will send New York Mets right-hander Nolan McClean to the mound. McClean struggled in his one outing against Italy, allowing three earned runs, two walks, and two home runs in four innings.

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Last July the Chicago White Sox drafted high school shortstop Billy Carlson 10th overall. They provided him with a franchise record signing bonus for a high schooler, $6.235,900, and have had him working diligently with the organization in Arizona over the past five to six months.

With the 2026 season approaching, Carlson is set to make his highly anticipated professional debut. Even without having played a game yet, he’s already ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 73 overall prospect and No. 100 by ESPN, while being Chicago’s No.5 prospect.

Given his high draft status, significant financial investment, and strong recognition among evaluators, there will be immediate pressure for him to perform. Recently, his starting assignment for the 2026 season was announced.

Chicago White Sox prospect Billy Carlson excited for Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers assignment

Longtime White Sox beat reporter Scott Merkin recently reported that Carlson will report to Single-A Kannapolis to begin his professional career. The assignment is not surprising, as Carlson, who is 19 and will turn 20 this summer, will face many prospects around his age in the Carolina League.

When Carlson spoke about the news, he shared his excitement about the opportunity, saying, “All the guys hae been talking super highly of Kannapolis. So I’m super excited to goer to that tow nand help that team win.”

Carlson’s focus on helping the team win shows impressive maturity for a teenager. With the organization stocked with promising infield talent, building a group that bonds around winning will be important for the White Sox’s long-term outlook as they work to turn things around.

As for what Carlson will bring to Kannapolis individually, his defense is expected to stand out most to fans. Scouts have graded both his glove and arm at 70, and his speed and athleticism give him the potential to remain at shortstop long term. How his bat develops, however, will ultimately play a major role in determining his success as a player.

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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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While Kyle Teel, catcher for the Chicago White Sox, saw his time with Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic come to an end prematurely due to a hamstring strain, he left having gained valuable experience as a player and potentially a future leader in the clubhouse.

Teel spoke highly of Italy’s Vinnie Pasquantino. What stood out to the young 24 year old was the way Pasquantino prepared, talked to everyone in the clubhouse, and mixed in a perfect amount of seriousness and fun.  Part of the fun, which has taken the baseball world by storm during this year’s WBC, is the team’s tradition of taking espresso shots after a home run.

Since Teel has returned to the White Sox’s Spring Training camp, he has made the suggesting of Chicago adopting the espresso shot tradition. It may sound a bit silly at first, but it’s actually a proposal the organization might be wise to consider.

Kyle Teel’s proposed use of Team Italy’s espresso shot celebration could be a smart move for the Chicago White Sox

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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 very young roster full of players that have a great deal to prove in 2026. On the bright side, the team saw a 20-game win improvement from 2024 to 2025, and things really cannot get worse on the South Side than they have been.

Indeed, there are many young players that have the potential to make the White Sox somewhat relevant for the first time in years. Among these is centerfielder Luisangel Acuna, who was acquired by Chicago in the Luis Roberts Jr. trade with the New York Mets.

And while Acuna is having a good Spring Training, he still has been ranked near the bottom of Major League Baseball’s projected starting centerfielders.

Chicago White Sox young star Luisangel Acuna ranked near bottom of MLB’s starting centerfielders

In a recent article in which they rank the projected starting centerfielders in Major League Baseball, Bleacher Report listed Acuna as the 28th-best out of 30:

“Acuña has a top prospect pedigree and is coming off a terrific performance in the Venezuelan Winter League where he posted a .939 OPS with 18 extra-base hits and 12 steals in 39 games. The White Sox acquired him in the deal that sent Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets, and he is competing with Brooks Baldwin for the starting center field job this spring. The 23-year-old is out of minor league options, so he is a safe bet to be on the roster in some capacity.”

As noted above, since Acuna is out of minor league options, he is likely going to be on the Major League roster coming out of Spring Training. That being said, his performance this spring warrants his inclusion on the roster anyway. So far, he is hitting .429/.478/.619 with a home run, three RBI, and two stolen bases in eight games played.

Acuna exceeded his rookie status last year in 95 games played with the Mets. In parts of two Major League seasons, he has hit .248/.299/.341 with three home runs and 14 RBI.

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox catchers Kyle Teel exits WBC game with injury
• White Sox RHP Shane Smith named one of the worst aces in baseball
• White Sox name Shane Smith as 2026 Opening Day starter

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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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In December of 2024, the Chicago White Sox took advantage of a massive mistake by the Milwaukee Brewers. As the Rule 5 Draft approached, Milwaukee failed to protect pitching Shane Smith. As a result, Chicago was able to select him away from the Brewers. The stipulation, of course, was that he needed to remain on their Major League roster.

As it turned out, the move could not have worked out any better for the White Sox. As a rookie in 2025, Smith was 7-8 with a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts. He was named to the American League All-Star team and finished tenth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Shane Smith named one of the worst aces in MLB

When the 2026 MLB season begins, Smith will be just 25 years old. Indeed, he has a very long Major League career ahead of him, and has already shown that he is among the best pitchers in the game.

However, on their recent ranking of every MLB team’s ace, Smith was found near the bottom of Bleacher Report‘s list, coming in at 27th:

“Shane Smith was an All-Star for a lowly White Sox team as a rookie, striking out 145 batters and logging 146.1 innings.

“Perhaps Smith—who wasn’t drafted out of Wake Forest in the 20-round MLB Draft in 2021—isn’t destined to be an ace moving forward. But he is a controllable starter who could realistically be part of the next White Sox team that contends.

“Smith probably isn’t going to be taking the ball in October this year, but with him, Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel, Chase Meredith, and Munetaka Murakami, there does finally seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel on the South Side.”

More Chicago White Sox news from ChiCity Sports

• White Sox announce All-Star will start 2026 Opening Day
• White Sox agree to terms on contracts with 31 players
• 3 players vying to be the White Sox third baseman

For More Chicago Sports

Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Robin Adams via email at robadams14@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks

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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 2026 World Baseball Classic is officially underway after Chinese Taipei and Australia began their pool play on Wednesday night in Tokyo, Japan. There is one player for the Chicago White Sox who took part in this game, playing for Team Australia. He would be in the starting lineup and be a contributor in the game. Let’s take a closer look at who it is and what he was able to do against Chinese Taipei.

Chicago White Sox infielder Curtis Mead plays well in the first game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic

The White Sox have a handful of players participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but Curtis Mead was the first player for the organization to participate. He would get the start at third base in the opening game of the tournament and was second in the lineup against Chinese Taipei.

Mead would finish the game going 2 for 4 with a pair of singles, including the first hit in the tournament with a single in the first inning. He would pop up to the second baseman to end the third inning and strand a runner on base. His third at-bat would take place in the bottom of the fifth inning with a runner on second base. Mead would strike out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, he would rip a single to left field for his second hit of the day. Mead would do well in the field, with the only possible issue being in the top of the ninth inning, as a throw he made would initially be ruled as an error, but would be overturned on instant replay.

The next game for Mead and Team Australia will be facing off on Thursday night against Team Czechia. It will be interesting to see if he is back in the lineup and producing once again.

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