CHICAGO – After working 11 games in a new left field position for Triple-A Charlotte this season, Sam Antonacci made his Major League debut for the White Sox during an 8-3 loss to the Rays on Wednesday and started … at second base.
Antonacci’s arrival at Rate Field coincided with a planned day off for starting second baseman Chase Meidroth, so he returned to a spot where he’s played a career-high 78 games in the Minors. But the 23-year-old, who is also the No. 9 White Sox prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is ready and willing to play anywhere.
In the fifth inning of a fifth straight White Sox loss at home, Antonacci made a slick play up the middle to take away a hit from Junior Caminero. Antonacci singled in his first career at-bat and walked and scored his first career run in the ninth to complete an all-around solid opener.
“As much as I like to be even keeled and my head on straight with the job, I needed to take a step back and really take it all in,” said Antonacci, whose parents, sister and numerous friends made the trip from Springfield, Ill. “I’m living out a dream I had when I was a little kid. It was a dream come true.”
His 2025 stops at High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham developed into a breakout campaign for the left-handed hitter, who slashed .291/.433/.409 with 78 runs scored, 57 RBIs and 48 stolen bases. Let’s not forget a painfully incredible 39 hit-by-pitches, when including a brief stint with Glendale in the Arizona Fall League, a skill Antonacci’s mother, Nicki, would like to see less of as he told MLB.com during this past Spring Training.
That trip to big league Spring Training resulted in home runs against Jameson Taillon and Tanner Bibee, followed by an impressive World Baseball Classic stint with Team Italy. Antonacci does what it takes to get on base. Antonacci also has high energy, showing off whatever it takes to win.
“Just not taking a play off on everything no matter what the score dictates,” said Antonacci when asked to describe his on-field style. “If I’m ever seen as taking a play off, I would like the fans to let me know or have someone else let me know.
“I’ll get that fixed, but I don’t see that happening. I might not be Shohei Ohtani or a unicorn like that, but I use all the gifts and talents I have and give it all I got.”
There were social media rumblings of an earlier White Sox arrival for Antonacci by one day, coming on Tuesday with Noah Schultz, the No. 2 White Sox prospect and No. 44 overall, who fanned four over 4 1/3 innings. But the White Sox bypassed Antonacci against a tough lefty in Shane McClanahan and Charlotte manager Chad Pinder broke the news to him Tuesday night in Jacksonville.
So, Antonacci bused from Charlotte to Jacksonville on Monday, played Tuesday morning in a kids' day game and flew to Chicago on Wednesday morning.
“Chad came and knocked on my door at like 10:30, 11 p.m. He asked me if I was ready,” Antonacci said. “I was like, ‘What do you mean? I’m about to go to bed.’ He was like, ‘You ready to go to the big leagues?’ And I said, ‘Heck yeah.’ And then, just got on a flight this morning and here I am.”
“Exactly what we saw of him in Spring Training,” said White Sox manager Will Venable of Antonacci, who will play regularly after his callup. “It's really quality at-bats, where he's making good swing decisions, really grinding, fouling a number of balls off. You really feel like he's got a presence out there at the plate.”
As his first big league media session began on Wednesday, Antonacci asked the name of each reporter so he could get to know them. He was ready for the challenge. He was ready for second base. He is ready for shortstop, and he’s ready for left field after learning some nuances about the spot at Charlotte.
“It’s been a few changes that I didn’t expect that have nothing to do with the athletic ability,” a smiling Antonacci said. “It’s a very far run out there. It adds up over nine innings. Can get pretty boring out there.
“You get heckled a lot, I didn’t realize that. You don’t really get heckled in the infield. But no, it’s been fun. I’ve had a lot of people in my corner helping me. Chad did a really good job. He’s been in my shoes, so he did a really good job of just helping me understand what I need to do out there and I don’t need to do anything too crazy out there, just be the player that I’m supposed to be.”