White Sox announce underwhelming lineup for Alumni Home Run Derby event

When the White Sox announced their full promotional schedule for the 2026 season, many eyes were drawn to the Alumni Home Run Derby scheduled for July 11th at Rate Field. The White Sox have had several prolific sluggers in the team’s recent history, and White Sox fans began speculating about who might be chosen to participate in the event. Names like Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko, Jim Thome,  and even A.J. Pierzynski were popping up on fans' wish lists. The White Sox announced the lineup for the event on Monday, and unfortunately, it’s rather underwhelming. 

The Good: Jose Canseco and Alexei Ramirez 

Of the six participants in the event, the obvious standout is Jose Canseco. Despite only playing 76 games for the White Sox, Canseco is one of the more prolific sluggers of the 1980s and 1990s, launching 462 career home runs over 17 MLB seasons. The 1988 AL MVP is 61 years-old, but remains in great shape and could certainly still hit a baseball effectively. Former White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez is another excellent choice for this event. Ramirez wasn’t necessarily known as a power hitter during his White Sox tenure, but he hit 109 home runs over eight seasons with the team, including a famous grand slam that helped the White Sox make the postseason in 2008. Ramirez made headlines for participating in the World Baseball Classic with Team Cuba this spring at the age of 45, and his return to the south side for a derby will be a ton of fun. 

The Mediocre: Gordon Beckham, Daniel Palka, and Scott Podsednik

The next tier of players wouldn’t have been my first choices, but I can see why the White Sox picked them. Gordon Beckham, who the White Sox took in the first round back in 2008, played seven seasons with the team and has been heavily involved in White Sox circles since. Most fans would know him for his broadcasting career, as he often fills in for Steve Stone while the team is on road trips. Beckham showed decent power over his White Sox tenure but was never able to fully put it together offensively. Podsednik, on the other hand, is a member of the 2005 World Series team and has also been very involved with the team in the years since. He was the complete opposite of a power hitter during his White Sox career, however, known mostly for his speed and defense. It’s an interesting choice for a home run derby. Then there’s Daniel Palka, who played just 154 games for the White Sox, though he hit 29 home runs over that span. He’s still just 35 years old and may be the favorite to win the whole thing. 

The Bad: Leury Garcia 

Yes, I know that Leury Garcia hit a huge home run in the 2021 ALDS against Houston, but does he really need to be in this competition? After all, he’s averaging less than four home runs a season in his major league career, and he posted an OPS over .700 just twice in his career excluding a 16-game sample in 2020. Surely, there were other alumni they could’ve chosen to fill this spot. 

With names like Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye, and Frank Thomas nowhere to be found on the list, the lineup is pretty underwhelming. The White Sox had a great idea for an event but completely messed up the execution. It’ll be interesting to see how it all unfolds, but I’m no longer considering this a must-attend event.

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