Final White Sox 26-man roster prediction as Opening Day fast approaches

It feels like just yesterday the White Sox packed up and headed to Arizona to begin spring training. Now, the spring has almost come to an end, several roster cuts have been made, and you can count the number of days until Opening Day on one hand. With the answer set to be revealed in the next few days, I figured I’d take one more stab at predicting the 26 White Sox players that’ll head north to Milwaukee on Thursday to begin the season. Here’s my best-and-final guess at the White Sox Opening Day roster.

Catchers (2): Edgar Quero, Korey Lee

White Sox fans spent a good portion of the spring wondering about Korey Lee’s roster status heading into the season. The question was answered, albeit in a way nobody wanted. Kyle Teel’s hamstring strain is expected to sideline him for 4-6 weeks and will open the door for the 27-year-old Lee to break camp with the White Sox. He’s out of minor league options, so the White Sox will need to make a tough decision when Teel returns, but that decision has been pushed a few weeks down the road. Lee has emerged as a solid backup option over the past couple seasons, and he’s posted a 1.028 OPS this spring. He’ll be on the roster, but the majority of the playing time will likely go to 22-year-old switch-hitter Edgar Quero in the early going. 

Infielders (6): Munetaka Murakami, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas, Lenyn Sosa, Curtis Mead

Kyle Teel’s injury doesn’t only impact the catcher position. His absence likely thrusts Lenyn Sosa into a larger role at DH, and gives the White Sox the ability to keep both Sosa and Curtis Mead on their Opening Day roster. The starting infield for the White Sox is largely set, with Mead and Sosa able to rotate in as needed. Veteran Lamonte Wade Jr. has looked excellent this spring, but he’s limited to first base at this stage in his career and it’s hard to justify occupying a bench spot to a player without positional versatility. Infield prospect Sam Antonacci has garnered some attention this spring, but is likely to begin the season in Charlotte. Antonacci could be an early call-up if an injury arises, however. 

Outfielders (5): Andrew Benintendi, Austin Hays, Luisangel Acuna, Everson Pereira, Derek Hill

One of the bigger questions for the White Sox entering the spring was their outfield mix. A few spots seemed up for grabs with a handful of candidates in the mix. Benintendi, Hays, and Acuna seem like locks for the roster, though Acuna may see some time on the infield as well. The White Sox have been high on Everson Pereira since acquiring him in November and he’s out of options, so it certainly seems like he’ll claim an outfield spot. Brooks Baldwin was a likely candidate for the final spot, but his elbow injury is still without a timetable. That leaves one spot for veteran journeyman Derek Hill and former top prospect Jarred Kelenic. Hill has outperformed Kelenic this spring, though his upside isn’t nearly as high. He’s also out of options, while Kelenic’s minor league deal allows him to be sent down if needed. While I’d personally rather see Kelenic get a shot, I don’t think he’s done enough this spring for the organization to risk Hill exiting the organization, and I’ll give the final roster spot here to Hill. Kelenic could be the first name called in the case of an injury to an outfielder. 

Starting Pitchers (5): Shane Smith, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin, Erick Fedde

This is the prediction I feel most confident in, mostly because this has already been announced by Will Venable. Smith, Burke, and Kay will take the mound in the opening series in Milwaukee with Martin and Fedde making their season debuts in Miami. Top prospects Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith, and Tanner McDougal are each expected to make their big league debuts in 2026, and the White Sox have further options in Duncan Davitt, David Sandlin, and Jonathan Cannon. The pressure will be on the White Sox starting five to perform with young arms waiting in the wings, and they’ll be the key to the team’s improvement in 2026. 

Bullpen (8): Seranthony Dominguez (CL), Grant Taylor, Jordan Leasure, Jordan Hicks, Sean Newcomb, Chris Murphy, Tyler Gilbert, Jedixson Paez

The White Sox bullpen suffered a big blow in the last week with reliable swingman Mike Vasil announcing that he will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire season. Vasil’s 100 innings from last year will need to come from other sources, and two of those options have been revealed with Sean Newcomb and Chris Murphy both being slated for the Opening Day pen. The White Sox may look for a right-handed multi-inning option to take some of the inning vacated by Vasil, and it could be an opportunity for Rule 5 pick Jedixson Paez to make the team. Paez’s spring ERA is elevated, but the majority of his damage was done in one outing. The White Sox still believe the 22-year-old can be a big league contributor with his outstanding control.