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With Tim Elko called up, here's what the Chicago White Sox lineup should look like every day

The Chicago White Sox have called up first base prospect Tim Elko to make his major league debut, giving the team a clear starting lineup that should be followed every day.
BySam Phalen|
Chicago White Sox designated hitter Tim Elko (91) hits a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs in the second inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Chicago White Sox designated hitter Tim Elko (91) hits a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs in the second inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

With the Chicago White Sox calling up first baseman Tim Elko to make his major league debut on Saturday, Sox fans now have another reason to be excited about baseball in 2025. 

At 11-28, we can’t pretend like the White Sox are anything other than one of the worst teams in baseball this season. But that doesn’t mean this is more of the same thing we have been watching in the past. 

2025 is not about wins and losses for the Sox. 2025 is about progress and building for the future. It’s about the young core of pitchers that could be valuable long-term pieces. It’s about the top prospects that are going to be called up throughout the season and represent the next era of White Sox baseball. 

Elko is one of those guys. Edgar Quero and Chase Meidroth are in that boat as well. Maybe even Brooks Baldwin, Lenyn Sosa, and Miguel Vargas. That’s still to be determined, which is exactly why the White Sox need to be playing all of them on a daily basis. 

White Sox projected lineup

Now that Elko is being called up and joining the big league club, here is what the White Sox lineup should look like - almost - every single day. 

  1. Chase Meidroth, SS
  2. Miguel Vargas, 3B
  3. Luis Robert Jr., CF
  4. Edgar Quero, C
  5. Tim Elko, 1B
  6. Andrew Vaughn, DH
  7. Brooks Baldwin, LF
  8. Lenyn Sosa, 2B
  9. Michael A. Taylor, RF

Obviously, I’ll give Will Venable some slack on the exact order he turns in every day. But these are the players that should be getting regular at-bats for the White Sox. 

No more Jacob Amaya. No more Josh Rojas as a regular on the infield. No more Nick Maton. If you want to put Rojas or Joshua Palaciios in right field for Taylor, be my guest. But I need to see Elko, Meidroth, Quero, Baldwin, Vargas, and even Sosa get consistent playing time. 

Work Matt Thaiss in at catcher or DH when someone needs a day off. When Andrew Benintendi returns from the Injured List, move Baldwin to right field to accommodate him. 

But if you’re going to call up Elko and the next wave of White Sox prospects, you need to let them develop against big league competition. That may come with growing pains, but that’s where you trust your coaching staff and player development to bring them along. 

Elko is expected to be in the starting lineup and make his debut on Saturday against the Miami Marlins.

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