The White Sox entered 2026 with a young roster that could ill-afford too many blows on the injury front, and Austin Hays' hamstring injury came at the worst time. Although the emergence of World Baseball Classic star Sam Antonacci has been exciting, the outfield has been a revolving door in the early going that still has a giant question mark looming over it.
With Hays out, players like Tanner Murray, a natural second baseman, had been filling out the outfield, and with little success. Murray, in 12 games this season, hit .216 with little power, and provided underwhelming defense in the outfield. His season-ending shoulder injury this past weekend remove him from the list of options moving forward. Austin Hays has returned from his injury, but the roster shuffle during his absence highlighted the overall lack of quality depth at the position for the White Sox.
Luisangel Acuna, with higher expectations than the likes of Murray, has been even more disappointing for Chicago in 2026. A part of the package that sent Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets in January, Acuna has potential to be an electric player, posting a sprint speed that is in the 96th percentile of all MLB players in 2026. Unfortunately, in 65 at-bats up to this point, Acuna has been one of the worst qualified hitters in all of baseball. On top of that, Acuna is in the 3rd percentile in Range (OAA), which has been very frustrating considering his elite speed.
Underperforming White Sox outfielders have set fans sights on Braden Montgomery
Enter Braden Montgomery, the White Sox number one prospect. Off to a red-hot start in 2026, he has justified MLB Pipeline's decision to rank him as the top White Sox prospect despite other outlets disagreeing. Montgomery has been mashing Double-A pitching, causing many White Sox fans to suggest that he should be promoted to Triple-A. Montgomery has an OPS north of .1000, in 68 at-bats up to this point, smacking four homers in the process. After a sluggish start, Montgomery heated up quickly, even taking home Southern League Player of the Week honors two weeks ago.
The more hyperbolic fans of the bunch would even suggest that Montgomery should make the leap directly to the majors, and though that method has proved to be ineffective in the past, there is an argument to be made. Chris Getz indicated in an interview before Friday's game against the Nationals that the plan is for Montgomery to play in Charlotte before coming to Chicago.
Getz said every case is unique, but he envisions Braden Montgomery going to Triple-A Charlotte before coming to the White Sox.
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) April 24, 2026
Still, it won't be long before he hits Chicago, and barring an injury or extended slump, it's bound to happen this year. Right now, FanGraphs and Pipeline has him as a potential September call-up, but at this rate, don't be surprised if you see Montgomery in the outfield by the time June rolls around.
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