Five reasons to be optimistic about the White Sox in '26

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin’s White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM – Forgive me if this sounds a little ridiculous, especially since today is May 5, and Game No. 36 of 162 for the White Sox is on the horizon at Angel Stadium.

But Sunday’s contest against the Padres, resulting in a 4-3 setback for the White Sox, had a playoff atmosphere. The entire three-game series had that aura.

Not so much for the Padres, who have drawn over 3 million in each of the last three years and made the postseason in four of the last six campaigns. But for a team moving from an ongoing rebuild to a competitive state, for a team entering with five straight wins and a chance to reach .500, such as the White Sox, it really did.

Sunday’s big moments ranged from two baserunning miscues early (potentially costing the White Sox runs), to Derek Hill’s pinch-hit home run on a 0-2 pitch in the seventh, to Mason Miller striking out Luisangel Acuña with Tristan Peters on second representing the game-tying run in the ninth. It was an exciting conclusion to a big series for the White Sox, from a weekend when they were dominant against a talented Padres team for the first two games.

So, can this success last? Can this good feeling blossom into even greater results? Here are five reasons why the White Sox not only can take significant steps forward from ’25 but also contend in the American League Central.

Central casting

Losing Tarik Skubal is a tough moment for baseball overall, let alone the Tigers. It’s great to watch such an overpowering, competitive force take the mound every fifth day.

Skubal’s absence makes an already muddled AL Central even more confusing. The Tigers or Royals look to be the best teams on paper, but the playoffs aren’t decided on paper. A young, vibrant team such as the White Sox might not realize or care that they could be a year or two ahead of schedule to win what looks like a winnable division.

Murakami mania

Even when Munetaka Murakami goes hitless, his presence is unmistakable. He entered Monday in a 4-for-31 funk before belting his 14th home run, tying Aaron Judge for the MLB lead. Murakami's ability to change the game with one swing of the bat, as he did with a mammoth grand slam April 17 in West Sacramento or against the Angels' Drew Pomeranz on April 27 in Chicago, allows the rest of the lineup to fall into place.

He's already a star at this early stage of his career for a franchise lacking in such a standout figure over the past four or five years. Many of his teammates got off to a slow start, with some figuring out April baseball for the first time in their Major League careers. But Murakami took the pressure off the rest of the crew with his early exploits. He’ll run into other slumps as the season progresses, but he’s always one plate appearance away from turning around a game.

Talk to the manager

General manager Chris Getz has the perfect co-pilot to anchor this rebuild and sail it toward consistent winning. There will always be disagreements or questions concerning a manager’s game decisions, whether he’s won three World Series titles or lost 10 games in a row. But Will Venable has a great knack for managing his clubhouse, which might be the most important skill for the man in charge.

Venable has talked about this team being good since the second half of last season. The team believes in their manager.

Closing time

The 2025 White Sox finished a dismal 16-38 in one-run games. That failure certainly wasn’t all set in high-leverage relief foul-ups, but having Seranthony Domínguez as the last line of pitching makes a decided difference.

Domínguez has eight saves entering game 36. Jordan Leasure topped the ’25 squad with seven saves.

Help is on the way

This team is blessed with top young talent such as shortstop Colson Montgomery, second baseman Chase Meidroth, left fielder Sam Antonacci and left-handed starter Noah Schultz, who gets the baseball in Wednesday afternoon’s series finale. But Getz can add reinforcements without trading anyone.

Switch-hitting outfielder Braden Montgomery, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 30 overall, per MLB Pipeline, makes his Triple-A Charlotte debut Tuesday and could be one or two months away from the Majors. Left-hander Hagen Smith (No. 4, No. 61) is also on the map with the Knights. Those two represent the higher-touted prospects who could be making a move.