Predicting the White Sox' 2026 leader in each major statistic before Opening Day

Major League Baseball kicks off its 2026 season later this week, with the White Sox heading up to Milwaukee for their opener on Thursday. A productive spring training sets the stage for what the team hopes is another step forward in 2026. With several young players slated to hold a significant role on the roster, the White Sox statistical leaders could look quite different from a season ago. Let’s take a guess at who will be the White Sox team leader in each statistical category.

Batting Average: C Edgar Quero 

Though Edgar Quero’s first big league stint had its ups and downs, one thing became abundantly clear: Quero’s bat-to-ball skills are exceptional. The 22-year-old hit just .268 in his rookie season, but showed excellent strike zone recognition and was able to find holes. Quero spent the offseason working at Driveline on improving bat speed and launch angle, which should only help him make more hard contact and hit more line drives. Quero should see a ton of playing time out of the game with fellow catcher Kyle Teel scheduled to miss the first few weeks of the season due to a hamstring strain. Quero went 15-for-50 during the spring, good for a .300 average, which would most likely lead the team should he post similar numbers in the regular season. I’ll go with him here. Other candidates include Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, and Miguel Vargas. 

Home Runs: SS Colson Montgomery  

Munetaka Murakami might be the splashy pick here, but I’m betting on a bit of an adjustment period during his initial transition from Japan to the US. I’m going to go with Montgomery, who launched 21 home runs during the second half of the 2025 season and established himself as a true middle-of-the-order bat. His first full season could put him on track to clear 30 home runs easily and even push 40 if he stays healthy and produces for the full season. Montgomery could be the White Sox first 40-homer hitter since Todd Frazier did it back in 2016, but he’ll need to exercise better plate discipline and reign in the strikeouts to make it happen. He didn’t have a great spring statistically, but will look to get off to a strong start later this week. 

Stolen Bases: OF/IF Luisangel Acuna

Luisangel Acuna isn’t the same type of player as his older brother, Ronald. For starters, he’s much smaller, and he hasn’t yet demonstrated the ability to hit at a high level despite his former top-100 prospect status. Whether he ends up a quality big league hitter or not, he has enough speed and defense to contribute to a big league team, and the White Sox will give him plenty of opportunities to play, especially early. The White Sox have been aggressive on the bases in spring training, and I expect that trend to continue into the regular season. Acuna should be on the move a lot, with the only question being whether he can get on base enough to post big stolen base numbers. If he does, I think he should lead the team fairly easily. 

Earned-Run Average: LHP Anthony Kay

This may be the most difficult category to predict, because the White Sox don’t necessarily have one standout option in their starting rotation. Last year’s all-star Shane Smith is a tempting pick, but his control issues this spring have given me pause. I really like right-hander Sean Burke’s outlook for this season, but his tendency to give up home runs may slightly elevate his overall ERA. Instead I’m going to go with Kay, who was having the best spring of the White Sox starters until his blow-up final outing on Monday. Kay’s stuff has looked even better this spring than it did last year in Japan, and I believe he’ll have a solid transition back to the big leagues. His numbers may not be all-star level, but the White Sox rotation is a work in progress and I think Kay has a good chance to lead the group. 

Strikeouts: RHP Sean Burke

If there’s any pitcher in the White Sox rotation with the stuff to be a strikeout-first starter, it’s Sean Burke. He’s had a bit of a roller coaster ride over the past year, going from starting Opening Day to Triple-A to striking out ten Nationals in his final start of the season, but Burke won a rotation spot in spring training and will start the White Sox second game of the season. There are a few areas that Burke will need to take a step forward in if he wants to establish himself as a long-term member of the White Sox rotation, but he has the talent to become that guy. I’m high on him heading into this year, and I think he’ll be among the best arms in the White Sox rotation, and his strikeout-heavy profile makes him a better candidate for this title than Kay, Martin, and Smith. 

Saves: RHP Seranthony Dominguez 

This one is perhaps the most obvious, but the White Sox signed Seranthony Dominguez this offseason with the intention of making him their closer. Last year’s team leader in saves produced just seven, and the White Sox have no intention of repeating that in 2026. Even if Dominguez is traded at the deadline, he’ll likely lead the team in that category. Grant Taylor and Jordan Leasure could also take some late-inning opportunities, but both may be better served in a setup role. White Sox fans should expect much more stability in the back-end of the bullpen this time around.