Two years ago, the Royals went from the bottom of the American League to a playoff spot. Now, the White Sox look to do the same. The White Sox ended the first half with one of the best offenses in baseball — and fighting for the top spot in the AL Central.
The Offense
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 454 | 10th |
| Home Runs | 129 | 4th |
| OPS | .732 | 11th |
| Whiff% | 26.9 | 27th |
| Hard Hit% | 40.7 | 8th |
The Pitching
| Stat | Number | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Starters’ ERA | 4.32 | 16th |
| Relievers’ ERA | 3.93 | 12th |
| Strikeouts | 802 | t-17th |
| Whiff% | 24.5 | 22nd |
| Chase% | 29.4 | 21st |
The Good
After all the concern that Munetaka Murakami could not handle the higher velocities of MLB pitchers over the winter, he put all of that to bed this season with the White Sox.
Now, there was obvious swing-and-miss with Murakami, as expected. That was obvious in the raw swing-and-miss totals, he was one of two White Sox who ranked in the bottom 10. But overall, he was able to catch up with velocity rather consistently.
Before he went down to injury in late May, Murakami finished the second full month of the year with 20 home runs, tied with Yordan Alvarez for the second-most home runs (20) in the league.
Murakami led an improved offense, one that saw an injection of youth over the last year. Colson Montgomery finished in the top 10 in home runs (10) over the first half, while Braden Montgomery provided a spark later in the spring. You also can’t forget about Sam Antonacci, who broke out in the Minors & AFL last season. Antonacci posted a .381 OBP in the first half, thanks to his ability to work counts — and get hit at the plate.
Miguel Vargas, acquired two years ago amidst the White Sox’s selloff in 2024, made the most of his new opportunity in Chicago. Vargas, the former top prospect in the Dodgers’ system, hit 21 home runs and nearly walked (56) as much as he struck out (67). He always showed flashes in LA but just didn’t have the ability to fail & learn at thie big-league level. It’s a different story now.
Vargas and Murakami were joined in the All-Star Game by Tristan Peters, who was acquired in a cash deal by the White Sox last December. Peters slashed .301/.354/.478 over the first half.
As for the pitching staff, the White Sox received steady performances from the likes of Davis Martin and Sean Burke. Erick Fedde, back with Chicago, posted a 2.27 ERA from June 1 through the break.
The Bad
There’s not much to complain about with respect to the White Sox’s offense, as nearly all of the regulars have been productive in some regard. Even the rotation, for the most part, has been consistent.
It would have been nice to see Noah Schultz have more success out of the gate. Granted, the start of his MLB career didn’t get off to a great start, as he went on the IL shortly after his debut earlier in the year.
Schultz, who posted a 5.60 ERA over the first half, averaged roughly one walk per two innings across the first half.
As for the bullpen, the White Sox have received largely positive results from second-year reliever Grant Taylor, plus newcomer Sean Newcomb. However, it’s been an adventure for Seranthony Dominguez.
Dominguez, after stints with the Orioles & Blue Jays, signed with the White Sox over the winter. However, he walked 20 over 32 innings and has since slowly slid down the reliever food chain in Chicago.
Looking Ahead
The White Sox are likely to go head-to-head with the Guardians for the top spot in the AL Central for the rest of the year, unless one of the two teams starts to slid in the standings. And right now, Chicago has a good shot of making it, as the Sox led the division.
But even if the White Sox don’t make it to the postseason in 2026, this year would still be a smashing success. Just two years after a historic season (for all the wrong reasons), the Sox are back competing.
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