Through 47 games, the Chicago White Sox (14-33) have the exact same record in 2025 as they did at the same point of the 2024 season. At least this time around, there is some hope for the future.
The 2024 Sox were comprised almost entirely out of washed up veterans and homegrown talents that were on their way out. Nicky Lopez, Paul DeJong, and Chris Flexen were regulars signed during the offseason while Eloy JImenez, Gavin Sheets, Michael Kopech, and Garrett Crochet played in their final games in a White Sox uniform.
The 2024 team wasn't just bad. The lack of long-term pieces gave Sox fans absolutely no reason to watch or be invested.
At the very least, that is different in 2025. While the record is not much better and the White Sox still make the occasional embarrassing error, the 2025 team has at least a handful of players that will be around for a while.
These are the players that I can confidently label as part of the White Sox "core" that will be on the South Side for the next 5+ years.
Chase Meidroth
Shortstop Chase Meidroth is never going to be a franchise player or a perennial All-Star, but I do think he'll be a good Major League infielder for a very long time.
Since being called up by the White Sox, Meidroth is hitting .284 with an on-base percentage of .370 and an OPS+ at 111.
Meidroth always works a good at-bat. He gets on base at an impressive clip and plays good defense at both shortstop and second base. If he taps into his power more and hits 10-15 home runs in a season, he'll be even more valuable. But as is, Meidroth is still an above-average starter that should be in a White Sox jersey for a long time.
Edgar Quero
Edgar Quero is hitting .280 with a .372 OBP and OPS+ at 102 since being called up from Triple-A Charlotte. While he has dealt with a bit of a slump at the plate recently and is still not hitting for much power, I have confidence that it will come to him over time.
Quero had 32 extra-base hits in the minor leagues in 2024. I'm optimistic that the slugging will come with more Major League at-bats.
Putting that aside, Quero looks like a comfortable big leaguer at the plate. He works quality at-bats from both sides of the plate and has been an impressive defensive backstop. The catcher position is not one that is known for offensive output. At his floor, I still think Quero can be the White Sox starting catcher in the future.
Shane Smith
A Rule 5 Draft pick in the offseason, Shane Smith now looks like a frontline starter for the White Sox. In nine starts he has a 2,05 ERA and is the team leader in fWAR.
Smith is going to need to work on getting deeper into games, but considering his career high in innings pitched was 94.1 in the minor leagues, it shouldn't come as a surprise if he has some growing pains as a rookie.
Smith could be bound of the All-Star Game in 2025, making him the first ever pitcher to make get the nod as a rookie after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft. The White Sox have a lot of promising young pitching throughout the organization, but I now expect Smith to be part of the team's long-term plans as a headliner in the rotation.
Miguel Vargas
A month ago, I would have been closer to wanting Miguel Vargas designated for assignment than declaring him as part of the White Sox core.
But in his last 22 games, Vargas is hitting .350/.418/.638 with an OPS of 1.055. He has six home runs and 15 RBIs in that stretch and has also been playing some impressive defense at the hot corner.
Vargas is now second on the team with 1.0 fWAR and is still only 25 years old. I think it's safe to pencil him in as the third baseman of the future for the White Sox. At this point, it's more than a hot streak.
Jonathan Cannon
Whether he keeps improving and becomes a frontline starter or he's somewhere at the back of the rotation, Jonathan Cannon is going to be part of the White Sox pitching staff for a long time.
Cannon's 3.76 ERA over 10 appearances and 55 innings is an improvement from the promise he already showed in 2024.
The stuff is not overwhelming. He's not going to miss bats and rack up double-digit strikeouts during his starts. But Cannon can get outs and provide quality starts with regularity. He's still only 24 and will be a great, experienced arm in the rotation by the time the Sox are competing again.
Davis Martin
Similar to Cannon, I'm not sure what the role for Davis Martin looks like in the future, I just know that he needs to be a part of it.
With Shane Smith pitching like an All-Star and some elite prospects in the pipeline, it's hard to say how many rotation spots the White Sox will have available in a few years. But for now, Martin and his 3.65 ERA get the job done.
On a competitive team, I think Martin could easily be a 12-15 game winner. He's still under contract through the 2030 season despite being 28 years old.