Despite entering just his second big league season, White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth entered the 2026 campaign with several uncertainties about his future. The 24 year-old hit .253 with five home runs and a .649 OPS in 450 at bats in 2025, and opened the season as the White Sox starting second baseman. Meidroth was always praised for his plate discipline and on-base ability throughout his minor league career, evidenced by his .400 OBP in Triple-A in 2024. The White Sox needed to see improvement from Meidroth entering 2026 to ensure he had a spot moving forward. It hasn’t been the loudest improvement on the team, but Meidroth has taken clear steps forward this season.
Chase Meidroth opens the @WhiteSox season with a BLAST 💥 #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/9q3eo4rwk4
— MLB (@MLB) March 26, 2026
For starters, on May 29th, Meidroth has already matched his full-season home run total from 2025. Of his five home runs this season, three have come off sliders and two against fastballs. Despite better career numbers against left-handed pitching, four of Meidroth’s five home runs have come against right-handers this season. It’s a bit tough to explain what’s changed for Meidroth in the power department. His average exit velocity has dipped slightly from 88.2 MPH in 2025 to 87.7 MPH this season. His hard-hit rate has increased by 1.2%, not a significant enough increase to make a real impact. His ground-ball rate has only decreased by about 1% and his average launch angle has increased by a similar slim margin. Perhaps Meidroth has simply taken advantage of the times he’s hit the ball hard more than he did last season.
Looking at other numbers unfortunately provides no further explanation for Meidroth’s early success. His strikeout rate was an impressive 14.3% in 2025, and it’s risen to 22.1% this season. He has slightly improved his walk rate from 8.9% to 10.2%. Other than that, there isn’t a specific metric that points to the reason for Meidroth’s OPS jumping from .649 to .732 entering Sunday, but that’s the reality the White Sox are living in.
Chase Meidroth's strong start has helped him stand out in a crowded infield group
The White Sox entered the season with a crowded infield mix. Meidroth was pencilled in as the starter at second base, but prospect Sam Antonacci was waiting in the wings. Antonacci has since been promoted to the big leagues and has primarily moved to the outfield in an effort to get more playing time. Former first-round pick Jacob Gonzalez has been one of the unexpected breakout players in the White Sox farm system and could get a look in Chicago soon. With an infielder likely joining the fold with the first overall pick in the draft, the picture is about to get even more crowded. All those factors add up to a pressure for Meidroth to show some progress in his second big league season. So far, Meidroth has delivered. How he’s done it is less important than the fact that he’s done it.
As the White Sox season rolls on, Meidroth’s progress will be worth tracking. If he can continue to maintain the improved results that he’s shown in the early part of the season, he can firmly establish himself as a core piece of the White Sox lineup in 2027 and beyond.
Add us as a preferred source on Google