The first few weeks of the 2026 White Sox season haven’t gone as planned. A fun White Sox offense that led the team to a 28-37 second half record in 2025 has been largely dormant, and the White Sox are struggling to look for answers at the plate. Rather than setting a lineup each day and allowing guys to get comfortable in their slot, White Sox manager Will Venable has heavily played into mixing and matching based on matchup in the early going. Kyle Teel and Austin Hays remain on the injured list for the White Sox, though they should return soon. With 9th-ranked prospect Sam Antonacci now in the big leagues, here’s how Venable should line the White Sox up each night.
1. Chase Meidroth- 2B
Chase Meidroth opened the season as the White Sox leadoff hitter, but Will Venable has rotated it around a bit with Miguel Vargas and Andrew Benintendi each seeing time at the top of the order. At his best, Meidroth can work at bats and get on base at an excellent clip. While he’s slumped a bit in the early going, he’s still the best person to lead the White Sox batting order and I expect his slump not to last too long.
2. Miguel Vargas- 3B
You wouldn’t know it by looking at the numbers, but Miguel Vargas has been possibly the best all-around hitter in the White Sox lineup this season. It’s been a rather insane run of bad luck for Vargas, who continues to hit the ball hard all over the field and hasn’t been rewarded for it. He has one of the best chase rates in baseball, meaning he’s excellent at working the count and could also be an option for the leadoff spot. I think the law of averages will start giving Vargas some better luck soon, so expect his numbers to rise before too long.
3. Munetaka Murakami- 1B
The biggest-name acquisition for the White Sox this offseason was known for his power coming over from Japan, and it’s clear why. He leads the team with five home runs and is on pace to exceed 30. Concerns about his contact were also warranted, as Murakami often struggles against offspeed pitches and swings through a lot of strikes. Still, his elite plate discipline makes up for his overall lack of contact and allows him to maintain his midde-of-the-order presence. Murakami will be one of the premiere run producers in the lineup and should hit in a prime spot.
4. Colson Montgomery- SS
It hasn’t been the start to the year fans wanted to see out of Colson Montgomery. He’s continued to play excellent defense at shortstop but has struggled mightily at the plate, striking out in 33.8% of his plate appearances. Montgomery remains one of the best power hitters in the lineup and I’m confident the power will come around. It’s far too early to give up on Montgomery, and the White Sox should continue to put him in positions to succeed in the lineup.
5. Everson Pereira- RF
Acquired in an offseason trade with the Rays, Pereira brings an interesting power profile to the White Sox lineup. He’s often found himself chasing pitches out of the zone early this season but has hit the ball hard all over the field when he’s made contact. Pereira may end up being one of the main power threats in the order, so placing him in the fifth spot every day seems like a good fit. Venable has chosen matchups for Pereira early in the season, but I’d like to see him get at bats against both righties and lefties to see what he can do.
6. Andrew Benintendi- DH
Andrew Benintendi is the target of lots of online discourse, but he’s been a league-average hitter the past two seasons, and at this point, the White Sox need him in the lineup. Benintendi is better suited as a DH but has been forced to play some outfield due to the injuries suffered by Hays and Pereira. Antonacci’s arrival should allow him to slide back to primary DH duties and focus on contributing at the plate. With another expensive year left on Benintendi’s contract, he’s not going anywhere, so the White Sox might as well use him.
7. Sam Antonacci- LF
The White Sox didn’t call Sam Antonacci up to sit on the bench, so I expect to see him in the lineup each and every day. He’s mostly played infield throughout his career, but the White Sox transitioned him to left field to start the season in Charlotte and that’s where he’ll have the quickest path to at bats in Chicago. I expect to see him rotating around some, but I’d pencil him into left field night in and night out until Hays’ return, and the team can decide what to do with that when the time comes.
Sam Antonacci picks up a hit in his first Major League at-bat 👏 pic.twitter.com/ojJw6CglKY
— MLB (@MLB) April 16, 2026
8. Edgar Quero- C
Edgar Quero has gotten an opportunity to step into a bigger role with the injury to Kyle Teel, and so far he’s squandered it. It’s been a rough season all-around for the 22 year-old, from ABS challenge fails to simply looking lost at the plate. Until Teel comes back, the White Sox simply don’t have another option, so Quero will continue to see regular at bats, though he should be lower in the batting order. I’m curious to see the playing time distribution upon Teel’s return, but this is how it needs to look for now.
9. Luisangel Acuna- CF
To be honest, I’d be totally okay with Derek Hill starting here instead. Luisangel Acuna has a bad 2025 and looks even worse in 2026 and I’m not sure how much longer the team will keep giving him regular opportunities. When Austin Hays returns, I’d move Everson Pereira to center and put Hays in right, relegating Acuna to a bench role. But until that happens, White Sox fans will have to be okay with seeing a lot of Acuna.
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